DISH Readies Initial Propane Autogas Vehicles

DISH will show 47 of its 200 newly commissioned clean-burning propane autogas vehicles this week that will serve Southern California customers of the satellite broadcast provider.

These vehicles have been added to the DISH fleet that serves the Hawthorne and South El Monte suburban cities of the South Bay and San Gabriel Valley. The 200 vehicles being rolled out to 10 DISH offices will have onsite fueling.

So far, DISH has deployed 22 vans in the Detroit area and has added 24 of 44 planned for the Atlanta area. Additionally, there are about 40 more planned for the San Francisco area and another 45 planned for the Chicago area, said Candace Dean, a DISH spokeswoman.

The telecommunications company tapped the expertise of ROUSH CleanTech to convert the Ford E-250 vans to run on the alternative fuel.

The fleet will emit 3.2 million pounds less of carbon dioxide emissions over the lifecycle of the vehicles.

The company chose propane autogas after researching several alternative fuels, Abe Stephenson, the company's fleet and administration manager, recently told Work Truck magazine.

"Propane autogas rose to the top of the list as the best fit from a cost viewpoint, environmental sustainability, as well as operational impacts," Stephenson said.

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet