Clean Cities DOE-funded Propane Autogas Vehicle Conversion Program Rolls Out First of 1,189 Emission-Cutting Cars

Red Top Cab of Arlington, Va. deploys the first propane Autogas vehicle under the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program

Harrisonburg, Va. July 29, 2010 ; The first vehicle converted to propane Autogas under the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program is on the road, with thirty more program vehicles slated to be running on Autogas by the end of August.

Administered by Virginia Clean Cities at James Madison University, the program will deploy nearly 1,200 propane Autogas vehicles, reducing air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, soot and smog-causing emissions when compared to traditional gasoline vehicles. Arlington, Va.-based Red Top Cab provided the first vehicle for conversion under the program.

Red Top has served the Arlington area since 1964 and was named Best Taxi Service in the metropolitan area by Washingtonian magazine readers. From its humble two-car beginning, Red Top has grown to be one of the largest taxi companies in the Washington, D.C. area, priding itself on safety, comfort, and prompt service – and an expanding fleet of clean propane Autogas cabs.

“By participating in this program and converting dozens of our vehicles from gasoline to propane Autogas, we’re doing our part to shift from foreign oil dependence,” says Red Top Cab President Neal Nichols. “We’re pleased about the cost savings and emissions reductions that will result from these Autogas vehicles, but ultimately we are excited to invest in a domestically produced fuel that will lead to U.S. energy autonomy.”

Red Top Cab showcased the program’s first converted vehicle at an event with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in Richmond, Va. Secretary Vilsack learned about the vehicle conversion process in a demonstration performed on one of the Ford Crown Victorias that Red Top provided for the event.

The founding partners of Alliance AutoGas – a national propane Autogas vehicle conversion and fueling network – are closely involved with this program. Blossman Gas (the nation’s largest independent propane Autogas company) will install and service the fueling stations, and American Alternative Fuel (alternative fuel systems specialists) will provide the conversion equipment and work with participating fleets to train and certify their technicians. The program’s first conversion was performed by American Alternative Fuel at Baker Equipment in Richmond, Va.

The Program

The Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program is supported by funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Program. The program is managed and administered by the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy and Virginia Clean Cities at James Madison University. The project includes partnerships throughout the Southeast – from Maryland to Florida to Louisiana – including public and private fleet organizations, non-profits, government stakeholders, and several major alternative energy and manufacturing companies in the alternative fuel market. To learn more visit www.usepropaneautogas.com