You've seen us cover the propane-powered Roush F-150 in all of its tire-shredding glory. Now, they've upped the ante with a medium duty F-250 running on the same BBQ fuel.
The Roush Propane line of F-series trucks is all about zero compromises, saving green and being green. Delivering no reduction in horsepower or torque, the kit actually saves companies a ton of cash through clever tax credits available to those who are chill with Mother Earth.
Starting at $7,995, the plug-and-play package lets you burn straight propane, exactly the same kind found in your BBQ 'round back behind the shed. Reports estimate a slight 10% to 20% nick in fuel mileage, but that pain is quickly eased by a massive $5000 federal alternative fuels tax credit per kit alongside a 50-cent-per-gallon tax credit on any propane purchased. With propane hovering around a dollar a gallon on the wholesale market, things start making sense mighty quick.
Full press release for you below:
ROUSH® EXPANDS PROPANE VEHICLE LINEUP WITH UNVEIL OF LIQUID PROPANE-INJECTED F-250 PICKUP
LAS VEGAS (January 22, 2009) - Hammering home their success in offering
a propane-powered truck, ROUSH® Performance unveiled yesterday at the
2009 International Builders' Show the next product in the lineup - the
2010 ROUSH Liquid Propane Injected F-250.The ROUSH propane-powered F-250 immediately received considerable
interest among the attendees who had been looking for a medium-duty
truck that could offer both lower operating costs and greenhouse
emissions.According to research provided by the Propane Education and Research
Council (PERC), propane is the most widely-used alternative fuel today,
with more than 10 million vehicles around the world using it as a fuel.
Operating costs typically range from five to 30 percent less than those
of a gasoline-powered fleet, and on average create 20 percent less
nitrous oxide, up to 60 percent less carbon monoxide and fewer
particulate emissions."We have had tremendous interest in the ROUSH propane-powered F-150
and sold several hundred vehicles and conversion kits, but more than
that we had people tell us that they would be much more interested if
there was a medium-duty pickup available," said Joe Thompson,
vice-president and general manager of ROUSH Performance. "With that in
mind, we went to PERC who has been our strong supporter in developing
propane vehicles and took the next steps to expanding the ROUSH lineup
with the F-250. It is gratifying to see that the response has already
been so positive."With deliveries anticipated to start in the third quarter, ROUSH will
make this product available in two forms; customers can choose either a
complete ROUSH-assembled vehicle which will have a 3-year/36,000 mile
warranty, or a conversion kit to fit existing trucks in the field which
also carries the same warranty. The conversion kit will also fit 2009
F-250 pickups that may be in service.The order banks for both the vehicle and the conversion kit, both of
which are true OEM-quality in terms of engineering and materials, will
open on January 26. 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.The kit will have a retail price of $7,995, and qualifies for a federal
tax credit of $5,000. There are also a number of state, regional and
local tax credits and rebates available for the purchase and
implementation of alternative fuel vehicles. Additionally, propane
prices per gallon are normally significantly much lower than gasoline or
diesel, and with the proper infrastructure in place a fleet user can
qualify for a 50-cent tax credit per gallon used.The ROUSH propane-powered F-250 will come standard with an in-bed tank
offering 62-usable gallons of fuel. This will allow a range of
approximately 500 miles depending on the chassis and driving habits. A
under-bed propane tank will be available (with a range of approximately
250 miles) for users where range is not as important as bed capacity.There will be no loss of horsepower, torque or towing capacity on the
ROUSH propane-powered F-250 as compared to the truck's gasoline-powered
equivalent. The truck will have all federal, CARB and Canadian
certifications.ROUSH has long been considered as Detroit's foremost Tier 1 advanced
powertrain engineering company and well known for producing massive
horsepower from gasoline engines. Now this same company has turned their
resources towards helping fleet customers save money and reduce
greenhouse gasses by utilizing propane as an engine fuel. The company
launched a propane F-150 in 2007 and has plans for several additional
vehicles over the next few years.
Based in Livonia, Mich., "The Art of Performance Engineering" takes
place at ROUSH Performance. To get a look behind the scenes at what goes
on at ROUSH and how the vehicles and parts are designed, manufactured,
tested and produced logon to www.ROUSHtv.com. In addition to the array
of Ford Mustang and F-150 styling, handling and performance upgrades, a
complete line of performance parts and crate engines are offered. For
more information see your local ROUSH dealer, visit
www.ROUSHperformance.com or telephone toll-free (800) 59-ROUSH.*"ROUSH" is the registered trademark of ROUSH Performance Products,
Inc., or its related entities.