The struggling automotive giants should take note from those in racing industry. Roush Performance and their recent partnership with Ford to produce propane-powered F-150s has caught the attention of the environmentalists, with the California Air Resources Board granting approval of Roush’s propane-powered F-150 pickup.
According to CARB, the truck meets the strict emission standards of California, which are being considered by other states. This is the first propane-powered vehicle to receive OBD II CARB-approval since the board enacted substantially stricter guidelines on light-duty vehicles for this alternative fuel in 2004.
With the CARB-approval in hand, Roush will now sell the propane F-150 trucks in all 50 states. “Getting approval for a propane vehicle is no simple process with the stricter regulations that were put in place in 2004. The fact that the Roush propane-powered F-150 is the first light-duty vehicle to pass these regulations is a great source of pride to me, and is witness to the skills of our engineering, calibration, and emissions teams at Roush,” said Jack Roush, chairman of Roush Enterprises and chief executive officer/co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing.
Roush has also unveiled plans to market the 2010 F-250 and F-350 with a conversion to run on propane. This is good news to fleet users who now have the additional option of having medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Both trucks will be based on the 5.4L, V-8 engine platform. Among the components changed are the fuel tank with multi-valve fuel pump, stainless steel fuel lines, billet aluminum fuel rails, an upgraded custom Roush PCM calibration, and all necessary wiring, hardware and instructions.
Future Roush plans include converting the Ford E-Series vans to run on propane as well.
