FCCC launches LPG-fueled chassis for medium-duty market

Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp.'s S2G chassis offers a factory-installed LPG engine available to the medium-duty truck market. The S2G's 8-liter, 325 HP engine offers clean-burning LPG technology for lower operational costs and reduced emissions, without sacrificing payload capability or performance.

Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. (FCCC) introduced its S2G chassis, which the company said provides the industry with a factory-installed liquid propane gas (LPG) engine available to the medium-duty truck market.

Built on FCCC’s S2 chassis, the S2G’s 8-liter, 325 HP engine supplied by Powertrain Integration offers clean-burning LPG technology on a platform already known for its durability, reliability, maneuverability and design flexibility, the company added. The engine uses General Motors’ long block and other components as its core.

According to the company, the benefits of an LPG chassis include lower operational costs and reduced emissions, without sacrificing payload capability or performance. Designed for the medium-duty commercial market, the S2G chassis is suitable for pickup and delivery, student transportation and municipal applications.

“The S2G was developed in response to significant industry interest for an LPG solution without retrofitting or aftermarket additions,” said FCCC President Bob Harbin. “In offering the only original equipment manufacturer LPG solution for medium-duty applications, we believe the S2G will meet our customers’ needs. The S2G also perfectly fits into FCCC’s heritage as a custom chassis manufacturer with a successful history in alternative fuel powertrains.”

“From the start, we invited our end-users, fleet managers and body manufacturers to tell us about their specific needs, from gross vehicle weight rating and chassis component placement to in-cab layout and electrical interfaces,” said Jonathan Randall, director of sales and marketing for FCCC. “We didn’t want to just add an LPG engine to our S2 chassis – we wanted to make the best chassis our customers could envision while making the most body-builder friendly truck in the market.”

Like its diesel counterpart, the front-engine S2G utilizes the Freightliner M2 cab, which features a sloped, forward-tilting hood for superior visibility and easy engine access. It has a GVWR of 33,000 lbs. and comes equipped with an Allison 2300 automatic transmission with PTO provision.

FCCC partnered with Powertrain Integration and CleanFUEL USA in the development of the S2G.

A limited preproduction run of S2G chassis is expected in the fourth quarter of 2012, with full production slated for the first quarter of 2013, the company added.