DIRECTV, which has been able to save approximately 75,000 gallons of gasoline since implementing propane-powered vehicles in November 2011, plans to keep propane autogas as its alternative fuel of choice going into 2014.

The company currently operates 77 ROUSH CleanTech Ford E-250 propane autogas vans and will increase that number over the next year. Brandon Morris, director of Fleet Services for DIRECTV, said the company is looking to expand its propane-autogas fleet in Houston. The vehicles will be used by its installers and service technicians.

“The addition of more propane-autogas-fueled vehicles to the DIRECTV fleet strengthens our commitment to reducing the company’s overall gasoline usage,” Morris said. “We have learned a lot from analyzing our current propane fleet, and the benefits we are seeing from using propane as an alternative to gasoline include the lower cost of propane, ease of implementation, distribution network, and the high-quality conversion kit produced by ROUSH CleanTech.”

Low cost and accessibility of fuel; vehicle return on investment; domestic nature of the fuel source and vehicle supply chain; and accessibility to high occupancy vehicle lanes were several factors driving DIRECTV’s decision.

DIRECTV operates a total of 5,750 vehicles in the U.S. The majority (66 percent) is ¾-ton Chevrolet Express cargo vans; the rest of the fleet includes ½- to ¾-ton Ford cargo vans (26 percent), ¾-ton Chevrolet Silverado pickups (7 percent), and ½-ton Ram pickups (1 percent).

DIRECTV ranked No. 47 on the 2013 Top 300 Commercial Fleets listing.