Another US fleet cuts costs and emissions

They made the right decision – CO₂ emissions of their 10 converted Chevrolet Express vans dropped instantly by approx. 20%. And while that's good for the environment, the company's accountants have a reason to celebrate – fuel expenses have shrunk by 10000 dollars in just seven months since the conversion was commissioned. Oh, the company is called General Distributors, Inc. Just so you know.

© Blue Star GasIn Europe, vans like this are usually diesels. In the US they run on petrol, which makes it so much easier to convert them to LPG autogas

GDI currently operates in 11 Oregon counties, delivering beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages to restaurants, fuel stations and grocery stores, for which a fleet of 50 vans is used. Each vehicle covers 12-15 thousand miles (approx. 19,2-24 thousand km) per year, so autogas conversions certainly pay off quickly (and not just through lower fuel costs, but also through improved engine longevity). Not as quickly as in Europe, though – the company expects to see the investment made into converting the first 10 vans return in nearly three years.

No word is out yet as to whether the company plans to switch more of its delivery vehicles to LPG autogas, although it would seem like the most logical thing to do. Maybe in time they will, when the original 10 conversions save enough money to enable further investments. Admittedly, General Distributors may be a little cash-strapped at the moment, since not only did they pay for fitting Prins systems onto their cars, but they also had an on-site refueling station built by Blue Star Gas, with a 1000-gallon (approx. 3800-litre) LPG tank. Keep enjoying the cleaner, greener and cheaper fuel!