Propane is a viable step on the zero emissions ladder, the Engine Technology Forum, Propane Education and Research Council, Katech Engineering and Stanadyne said in a webinar Wednesday.
"Meeting the climate challenge requires many solutions," says Allen Schaeffer, host of the webinar and executive director of the Engine Technology Forum. "These new innovations in direct injection technology for propane engines, and the use of renewable propane, have the potential to be a game changer for expanding the use of propane technology to more applications."
The webinar highlighted the use of direct injection strategies, which the panel said could even beat the efficiency of the diesel engine in certain applications.
Gav Hale, from the Propane Education and Research Council, says viable alternative fuels must have reliability, even in adverse conditions; a reduction in emissions; affordability; performance equal to or better than the original fuel; and uncompromised performance and efficiency.
"Propane can enable all of this," he says. "Not everything, everywhere, all at once. It's a journey."
Propane is 100% made in the United States, Hale says, and is already used to power households, farms, forklifts, school buses and generators. It works with existing systems in many instances, including in the garage bay, and there's a distribution system already in place. Plus, some users can even see a cost savings over diesel.
It can also serve as a stepping stone to electric vehicles, running charging stations and supporting companies during the transition to battery electric trucks.
