08/20/08 Propane powered pickup

We've seen a small drop in fuel prices this month. We've also seen Roush engineers design a pickup truck that will run on propane. LEITMAN "Propane hasn't gone up as much as some of the motor fuels so there's a great opportunity here to reap some environmental benefits and save some fuels costs by switching to propane for pickup trucks." Mark Leitman is with the Propane Education and Research Council or PERC. Leitman says the propane fuel is cheaper and the truck leaves a smaller carbon footprint than gasoline powered trucks, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 19 percent according to PERC's study. And there's also a tax credit benefit. LEITMAN "The Roush F-150 is eligible for a 25 hundred dollar tax credit on the incremental cost of the vehicle versus the gasoline equivalent so there's an advantage that farmers can put to work for them right away. The engine used on the propane truck was a 5.6 liter V-8. LEITMAN "We're continuing to look at options to put this engine and this technology in other vehicles, heavier duty trucks." For more information on the Roush propane-fueled truck visit www dot propanetruck dot us. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott