Propane Vehicles: Status, Challenges, and Opportunities
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ANL/ESD/10-2 Propane Vehicles: Status, Challenges, and Opportunities Energy Systems Division About Argonne National Laboratory Argonne is a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC under contract DE-AC02-06CH11357. The Laboratory’s main facility is outside Chicago, at 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, Illinois 60439. For information about Argonne and its pioneering science and technology programs, see www.anl.gov. Availability of This Report This report is available, at no cost, at http://www.osti.gov/bridge. It is also available on paper to the U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors, for a processing fee, from: U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information P.O. Box 62 Oak Ridge, TN 37831-0062 phone (865) 576-8401 fax (865) 576-5728 [email protected] Disclaimer This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor UChicago Argonne, LLC, nor any of their employees or officers, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of document authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof, Argonne National Laboratory, or UChicago Argonne, LLC. ANL/ESD/10-2 Propane Vehicles: Status, Challenges, and Opportunities by M. Rood Werpy, A. Burnham, and K. Bertram Center for Transportation Research Energy Systems Division, Argonne National Laboratory sponsored by DOE, Office of Vehicle Technologies, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy May 2010 CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................... v GENERAL ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................. vi 1 STATE OF THE TECHNOLOGY ..................................................................................... 1 1.1 Vehicle Specifications ............................................................................................... 1 1.2 Safety ......................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Infrastructure ............................................................................................................. 3 1.4 Fuel Quality ............................................................................................................... 3 2 CURRENT MARKET STATUS ........................................................................................ 4 2.1 World and U.S. Transportation LPG Usage, Availability, and Pricing .................... 4 2.2 Current Vehicle Availability, Pricing, and Niche Markets ....................................... 7 2.2.1 Propane Niche Markets ................................................................................. 9 2.2.2 Propane Stations and Cost ............................................................................. 12 2.2.3 World and United States-Canada Propane Supply Trends ............................ 13 3 AVAILABLE FEDERAL AND STATE INCENTIVES ................................................... 14 3.1 Oveview .................................................................................................................... 14 3.2 Model State Example ................................................................................................ 16 4 EMISSION BENEFITS ...................................................................................................... 17 5 PETROLEUM AND CARBON BENEFITS ..................................................................... 18 6 CURRENT AVAILABLE RESOURCES, ACTIVITIES, AND STRATEGIES .............. 20 6.1 PERC Research and Deployment Initiatives ............................................................. 20 6.2 Clean Cities ............................................................................................................... 21 6.3 Other Agencies .......................................................................................................... 22 7 BARRIERS IN THE MARKETPLACE AND TECHNOLOGY NEEDS......................... 23 7.1 Product Availability and Conversion Technology Process and Cost ........................ 23 7.1.1 Lack of Emission Data .................................................................................. 23 7.1.2 Lack of Interest or Knowledge to Promote Propane Vehicles by Small-Scale Propane Fuel Distributors ......................................................... 24 7.1.3 Volatile Organic Compound Emission Leaks in Refueling Infrastructure ................................................................................ 24 iii CONTENTS 7.1.4 Adequate Number of Refueling Stations ...................................................... 24 7.1.5 Price of Fuel .................................................................................................. 24 8 OPPORTUNITIES IN THE MARKETPLACE ................................................................. 25 8.1 Propane Supply and Price of Fuel ............................................................................. 25 8.2 New Product Availability and the Cost of Vehicles and Infrastructure .................... 26 8.3 Niche Markets ........................................................................................................... 27 8.4 Tax Credits Extensions .............................................................................................. 28 8.5 Increased Interest in Transportation Propane by Fuel Distributors ........................... 28 8.6 Rebate Program for Low-Emission Refueling Equipment ....................................... 28 8.7 Clean Cities ............................................................................................................... 28 9 CONCLUSIONS................................................................................................................. 31 10 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................... 32 FIGURES 1 The Number of Propane Stations by State .......................................................................... 5 2 United States LPG Distribution System ............................................................................. 25 TABLES 1 Countries Ranking Highest in LPG-Fueled Vehicles ......................................................... 4 2 Monthly Average Price of Gasoline, Diesel, and Propane ................................................. 6 3 Monthly Average Price of Propane at Public and Private Stations .................................... 7 4 On-Road Propane Vehicles, Engines, and Systems ............................................................ 10 5 Available Federal and State Incentives ............................................................................... 14 6 Energy Use and GHG Emissions of Gasoline and LPG Vehicles ...................................... 19 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The sponsorship of the content of this report, by Linda Bluestein and Dennis Smith of Clean Cities, each within the Office of Vehicle Technologies, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, is gratefully acknowledged. Special thanks are extended for critical reviews by Leslie Brown Garland, Curtis Donaldson, Bob Myers, Jack Patriarche, and Chris Saricks. The authors are responsible for the content of the report, not the U.S. Department of Energy, Argonne National Laboratory, nor our able and meticulous reviewers. v GENERAL ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS AFDC Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center AFV alternative fuel vehicle AFVi Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute API American Petroleum Institute APTA American Public Transit Association ARRA American Recovery and Reinvestment Act BTS Bureau of Transportation Statistics CARB California Air Resources Board CEC California Energy Commission CO carbon monoxide DOE U.S. Department of Energy EERE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy EIA Energy Information Administration ELPGA European LPG Association EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency GGE gasoline gallon equivalent GHG greenhouse gas GM General Motors GREET Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation ICFI ICF International LDV light-duty vehicle LPG liquefied petroleum gas LPI liquid propane injection MY model year NG natural gas NMHC non-methane hydrocarbon NOx nitrogen oxides NYSERDA New York State Energy Research and Development Authority OEM original equipment manufacturer PERC Propane Education and Research Council PM10 particulate matter measuring between 2.5 and 10 micrometers in diameter vi SAFETEA LU Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users TCPA Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts TDOT Texas Department of Transportation UCS Union of Concerned Scientists VSI vapor sequential injection VOC volatile organic compound WLPGA World LP Gas Association