Page 6 - Nov-Dec 2019 Vol37 No5
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KINGSPORT By Lisa Hood Skinner
City Propane-Powered Fleet
Drives Fuel Savings
Eleven years ago, the City of Kingsport given application. “In their heads, some people think
launched a cost-savings project with “Everything that we about flareups or explosions on their
humble beginnings. Now in 2019, their gas grills and that’s an inaccurate
program is held up as a moneysaving COULD run on propane, we comparison here. There are so many
best practice in the South….and beyond. WOULD,” Hightower said. To safety redundancies built into system,
date since 2008, the City of and if you have a gas leak, you get the
The City of Kingsport’s propane Kingsport has displaced over system kicked off and shut off. We have
autogas program started small in 2008 353,102 gallons of gasoline. Department of Transportation (DOT)-
by winning grants, both from inside Kingsport: Largest Municipal inspected safeguards. It’s not like putting
Tennessee and from Virginia, as a project Alternative Fuels Fleet in a bomb on a truck,” Hightower said.
within its fleet to convert vehicles in Tennessee
selected departments to propane autogas. People can be resistant to using the
High Fuel Costs Initiated the Project By the end of spring 2020, technology, Hightower said, but the
it’s projected that Kingsport easier you can make it for them, “the
Steve Hightower, fleet manager for the will have 145 pieces of light- quicker you can get them comfortable
City of Kingsport, explained that at first, duty propane equipment with it and accept it. “
it was all about the money. “We received within their existing fleet
a directive to get better on our fuel costs of more than 700 vehicles. With 40 years on the job, Hightower
in the city’s fleet. The city was looking The propane-powered fleet started as a heavy truck repairman, so
at various ways to do that, including currently includes 113 he’s familiar with a mechanic’s viewpoint
hybrids, but you had to factor in their vehicles and spans the range and needs. To date, he now has five
higher costs,” he said. And the nation’s from cruisers to city sedans certified propane conversion mechanics
economy was sinking into a serious to forklifts to mowers… within his workforce, and says the
recession. making it the largest entire department “is excited about our
municipal alternative fuels impact.”
After considering the options available fleet in Tennessee, he said.
at the time, conversion to propane Hightower credits the city leadership
autogas was chosen for the project. The alternative fuel for initially backing the department’s
Hightower applied for a grant through vehicles are primarily used
Virginia Clean Cities to help fund their in municipal applications. Hightower’s
initial 12 police cars, and East Tennessee department services and maintains the
Clean Fuels helped to fund three trucks city’s fire trucks, snowplows, police
and refueling equipment. The resulting cruisers and all of public works’ vehicles.
cost savings were undeniable: in its first
year of the project, the city saved $12,000 Dozens of municipalities and
on fuel for the twelve vehicles. governments now contact Kingsport,
asking for guidance in “how they did
Jonathan Overly, executive director, it.” Hightower said it takes a range of
East Tennessee Clean Fuels, applauded factors to build a successful program…
Kingsport’s approach in finding a from applying for grants for funding,
common sense technology that best to certifying mechanics, to successfully
suited the city’s functions. “Hightower benchmarking cost savings, to education
recognized that propane autogas about propane…especially dispelling
technology was sound, safe, and that myths and fears about propane.
it offered potential cost savings that Dispelling Fears on Propane, Safety
would help Kingsport achieve an ROI.
The program has been a success both “You have a lot of naysayers out and
in terms of cost savings and in terms of about, with old-school thinking, and
petroleum use reduction.” sometimes it’s hard to get people to
change. So the key is in making the
Overly’s organization helps provide drivers, operators and police officers
up-to-date information on the latest comfortable with it…showing them how
developments in alternative fuel vehicles, similar it is to gasoline, and that you’re
or AFVs. Hightower said they were using the same electronic controls,” he
instrumental in helping to determine said.
what vehicles are most appropriate for a
6 TPW November/December 2019
