8.01.2011

RPD Unveils Dual-Fuel Patrol Vehicles

On Monday, August 1, Chief Dolan, representatives from the Triangle Clean Cities Coalition, the N.C. State Solar Center, and the City of Raleigh’s Office of Sustainability were on hand at the North District stationhouse to talk about and demonstrate the newly equipped dual fuel system RPD patrol cars.

In May, ten patrol cars with dual fuel systems that can utilize either propane or gasoline were added to the fleet and assigned to the North District, where a propane fueling station was installed on the west side of the building in mid-May. The federal grant that paid for the cars' dual fuel systems also covers the cost of the propane tank and gives the Department a 50-cents per gallon discount on the propane itself (which costs just over $2 per gallon) for the next year.

Using propane in these ten vehicles alone is estimated to save between 30,000 and 36,000 gallons of gasoline over the course of a year; this in turn should save at least $30,000 in fuel costs because of propane’s lower cost per gallon. The Department should also realize some savings on maintenance costs, because scheduled maintenance intervals are longer in propane-fueled vehicles than in those that are gasoline-powered.

3 comments:

  1. Whats the chance of them blowing up when someone t50's into a tree though...can they cover the safety(if any) aspects please and thank you

    ReplyDelete
  2. Propane has a very low ignition point much closer to paraffin (which is what the Navy uses as jet fuel) and only goes explosive when compressed as in those cans of propane you see being sold everywhere.

    Godd job RPD trying to lower costs while at the same time keeping us safe!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Propane has a very low ignition point much closer to paraffin (which is what the Navy uses as jet fuel) and only goes explosive when compressed as in those cans of propane you see being sold everywhere. Raleigh home additions

    ReplyDelete