Top 10 of 2013: NatGas conversion kits

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Updated Dec 30, 2013

The No. 9 most-read article from Truck Parts & Service looked at natural gas conversion kits.

While it’s true that natural gas engines can greatly lower a fleet’s fuel costs, those cost benefits don’t come without upfront expenses.

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New natural gas engines cost up to $90,000 more than a comparable diesel engine, says Mike Delaney, president and CEO of WheelTime.

Such prices have led some fleets to turn to natural gas conversion kits, which transform a diesel engine into a natural gas engine or a dual-fuel engine — at fraction of the price of a new engine.

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That’s a selling point for many fleets, says Delaney. “If you look at the natural gas market today, one of the things you see is, unless you are really burning fuel and putting a lot of miles on your trucks, you aren’t getting that [fuel] payback quickly.

“With these kits, you can see payback in 18 to 24 months, and the initial costs are a fraction of what a new engine costs.”

To read the original article in its entirety, click here.

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