Roush CleanTech has developed an extended range fuel tank for the Ford E-450 chassis. With 64 usable gallons of propane autogas, the new tank holds 56% more fuel than the standard 41-usable gal. tank option.
“We listened to our paratransit customers who wanted the Ford E-450 chassis, yet also needed more autogas fuel capacity,” said Todd Mouw, Roush’s vice president of sales and marketing. “With this extended range fuel tank, we offer the longest driving range for this model — plus an extended warranty for those customers.”
Built on Ford’s 6.8-liter V10 engine, the Ford E-450 with extended range fuel system comes with an extended 5-year, 100,000-mile warranty exclusively for the transit industry.
Roush CleanTech expects most customers will purchase the new larger-sized tank since it provides more range in addition to higher fuel cost savings. Each of the extended range shuttles will emit about 91,000 fewer pounds of carbon dioxide over its lifetime compared to conventionally fueled counterparts, which should result in significant cost savings, claims Roush.
Roush CleanTech Ford E-450s are California Air Resources Board and Environmental Protection Agency compliant and have completed Federal Transit Administration’s New Model Bus Testing Program (“Altoona Testing”). Altoona-tested vehicles can be purchased using a transit agency’s FTA funds.
“With a strong backlog of more than 200 orders, we will begin shipping the Ford E-450 with the extended range fuel tank option in October 2015,” said Mouw.
