LIVONIA, MI - ROUSH Performance announced the Knapheide Manufacturing Company has become its newest partner to sell and install their line of ROUSH liquid propane fuel systems for Ford Commercial trucks, vans, and cutaways.

As the industry leader in service truck bodies and platforms, Knapheide is forming the partnership with ROUSH to provide its customers with the best possible combination of technology using propane-powered alternative fuel vehicles. Many fleets are looking to lower their operating costs and address environmental concerns, both of which are achieved by switching to propane as a motor fuel.

"It's exciting to have Knapheide on board selling the ROUSH propane fuel systems. Knapheide has been a leader for many decades in providing solutions to commercial vehicle users and we look forward to working with their team to help fleets achieve their fuel reduction and emissions goals. Propane can begin saving fleets money today, not some time in the distant future, and it burns remarkably clean which helps the environment," said Todd Mouw, vice-president of sales and marketing for ROUSH Performance.

As an alternative fuel, propane offers a variety of advantages. It is available "right here, right now" with a national fueling infrastructure already in place. Propane burns cleaner, with up to 20 percent less nitrogen oxide, up to 60 percent less carbon monoxide and fewer particulate emissions. It is already the third most widely used fuel worldwide, following gasoline and diesel. Propane is 90 percent domestically produced, and as an alternative fuel, the purchase of propane-powered vehicles are eligible for a variety of federal, state, and municipal tax credits or rebates.

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Numerous studies have been conducted on the operational savings fleets can achieve by converting to propane as a motor fuel, and a savings calculator is available online at www.SwitchToPropane.com that allows the user to input variables specific to their usage. It is not uncommon for fleet managers to see savings of more than $17,500 per vehicle or more over a total vehicle life of 150,000 miles.

"Evidence clearly shows that propane as a motor fuel can save fleets considerable amounts of money. Now fleets are taking a hard look at their environmental impact as well. Propane is available right here, right now and can help fleets on both of these fronts. I'm pleased that ROUSH is taking steps to make a variety of propane-fueled vehicles available," said Brian Feehan, vice-president of the Propane Education & Research Council.

ROUSH currently offers a variety of vehicles that run on propane; this includes conversions of the Ford F-250 and F-350 pickups as well as the Ford E-Series van lineup.

"We are excited to partner with ROUSH on this propane initiative," said Chris Weiss, Knapheide vice president, engineering. "We have been a leading seller of commercial vehicle solutions for many years and now we get to offer our customers an alternative fuel option that will reduce their fuel costs significantly and help them do their part for improving our environment." e company has been using a fleet of 50 hybrid electric delivery trucks in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Phoenix. The new batch of eco-friendly big brown trucks will be hitting the streets of Austin, Houston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Long Island, Minneapolis, and Louisville.