PERC Funds 120 More Autogas Vehicles and Three Engine Projects

The Situation

Fleets already running on propane autogas can now generate operational data for PERC's newest research push: the council put $1.5 million this fall toward a program funding 120 additional autogas vehicles and up to 50 refueling installations, LP Gas Magazine reported Sept. 14. That gives your CSR real operational data to answer a diesel fleet operator calling this week about switching, instead of anecdotal answers alone. PERC approved the funding at its summer meeting in Park City, Utah.

The Facts

LP Gas Magazine reported three separate engine awards from the same meeting. Caterpillar's engine line, built for propane and able to run on natural gas, got $1.4 million toward development and validation, including combustion testing and certification, part of an estimated $6.75 million project. Roush CleanTech received $750,000 to integrate Ford's updated 7.3-liter engine and a new transmission into its E-450 bus platform for 2027 emissions compliance, part of an estimated $2.1 million project. A third award, $693,370, funds calibration and durability testing on a direct-injection 6.6-liter L8T engine for non-road markets, a partnership between Stanadyne, General Motors Powered Solutions and Roush CleanTech on a project estimated at more than $2.5 million. Other approvals: the GPA Midstream services agreement, which covers technical collaboration, research and consumer outreach for propane supply and public awareness, got $600,000 from the council as part of a $2 million effort. The report also lists $10,800 for a new concept state rebate for the Nevada foundation's mobile food facility safety program. A start date for the autogas program's vehicle deployments is not yet confirmed, and the report does not name which fleets are involved.

Business Impact

Caterpillar's power-generation line and the Stanadyne-GM-Roush CleanTech non-road engine still need certification before either reaches a retailer's line card, so a customer asking about propane generators or non-road equipment this fall gets a timeline, not a quote. Roush CleanTech's 2027 compliance deadline matters more immediately: municipal and school-district bus contracts lock in years ahead, so retailers servicing those fleets have a defined window to plan parts, training and route capacity before that deadline hits. The GPA Midstream and Nevada awards work further upstream, backing supply research and a state safety program that shape availability rather than what's on a retailer's shelf today. If you service fleet accounts or municipal and school-district bus contracts, this round shapes what data and equipment you can point to when those customers ask; residential-only retailers see no direct impact from this round of funding.

Key Takeaways

• The council's new fund tracks fleets already using autogas, adding 120 vehicles and up to 50 refueling sites.
• Caterpillar and Roush CleanTech both have propane engine work advancing toward certification, one for power generation and one for buses.
• A separate Stanadyne, General Motors Powered Solutions and Roush CleanTech partnership is readying a propane engine for non-road markets.
• The GPA Midstream agreement and Nevada's rebate program round out the summer approvals, backing supply research and a state safety program.

Action Steps

1. 1.Check this week which fleet accounts on your books already run propane autogas — the council's new fund is built around exactly that group of fleets.
2. 2.Call your state association or PERC contact to ask how the autogas program's data collection will work, since the report doesn't yet name which fleets are involved.
3. 3.Watch for Caterpillar's and Roush CleanTech's engine certification news, since new power-generation and bus products could reach your line card once testing clears.
4. 4.Mark PERC's Dec. 3-4 meeting in Charleston, South Carolina on your calendar — that's the next round where funding decisions get made.

Competitive Advantage

Retailers who track the council's engine funding see new propane power generation and bus products before competitors start marketing them. That early view pays off once Caterpillar and Roush CleanTech clear certification and the first fleet or generator customers start asking what's on the market.