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Today In Ford History--dec. 17

926 views 0 replies 1 participant last post by  RPO83 
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On Dec. 17, 1981, Ford Motor Company announced the production of propane-fueled passenger cars—the first available to U.S. customers from a domestic manufacturer. The Ford Granada and Mercury Cougar were made available to fleet operators from the start of production in February,1982, and to U.S. retail customers when the dedicated propane system joined the 1983 new car lineup the following autumn.

Propane today remains one of Ford’s most popular alternative fuel options. Since 1996, Ford has sold almost 13,000 bi-fuel trucks, which are capable of burning gasoline or propane through separate fuel systems. These include the best-selling F-Series pickup, of which about 1,500 are sold with the propane bi-fuel option each year.

Since the mid-1960s, medium and heavy Ford trucks sold in the U.S. were available with a propane engine option for fleet owners looking to reduce operating costs. The F-750 with optional propane power was available from 1967 to 1997.

Propane, also known as liquefied petroleum gas, is particularly well-suited to high mileage accumulation and high-idle-time intra-city applications. The biggest advantage of propane is its price—historically well below that of gasoline and diesel fuel.

Actual propane consumption may increase because propane provides less energy per gallon than gasoline, but the price advantage of propane can still provide substantial overall savings.

Other recent Ford propane efforts include a pilot program with the Excursion to gauge whether propane is attractive to SUV owners. And as Ford refurbished the red bus fleet at Glacier National Park in 2001, all 33 vehicles were converted to propane so they would run cleaner than they did originally.
 

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