Autogas now officially the same as petrol

Exemption of an exemption

First of all, CARB is the California Air Resources Board and HD-OBD stands for heavy-duty onboard diagnostics. Before the 2018 model year, vehicles running on alternative fuels, i.e. anything else than petrol and diesel, had been exempt from HD-OBD certification, but this is no longer the case. ROUSH CleanTech is the first manufacturer of automotive LPG conversion systems to receive HD-OBD certification from CARB for all the engines it provides kits for.

Vehicles powered by a fuel other than gasoline or diesel should no longer be considered alternative. As shown by the regulatory agencies decisions to require all fuels in its HD-OBD certification, autogas and others are moving into the mainstream.

Todd Mouw, president of ROUSH CleanTech

What engines are eligible?

The certification applies to all commercial vehicles with gross weight of over 14 thousand lbs (approx. 6300 kg). The onboard monitors will now track and report out the continuing compliance of the emissions performance of the vehicle, as they have since 2016 for petrol-fueled vehicles. Passenger cars and light-duty vehicles have been equipped with onboard diagnostic systems since the 1990s.

All of ROUSH CleanTech's autogas-powered vehicles with Ford 6,8-litre 2V and 3V engines, including medium-duty fleet vehicles and school buses, are covered under the CARB HD-OBD certification. The 3V engine is also the first and only LPG engine available in class 4-7 vehicles certified to the optional low nitrogen oxide level of 0.05 g/bhp-hr.

We continue to invest in innovative technology and the customer experience. Our customers deserve the best alternative-energy solutions we can bring to allow them to meet their economic and environmental sustainability goals.

Todd Mouw