ROCHESTER HILLS – Three Detroit area organizations – Wright & Filippis, ROUSH CleanTech, and Clean Energy Coalition – are growing a greener future through the use of domestically produced, clean-burning propane autogas technology.

Thanks to a U.S. Department of Energy Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant secured by the Clean Energy Coalition, Wright & Filippis, a leader in the rehabilitative healthcare field, unveiled 12 new Ford propane autogas powered Ford E-350 and E-450 cargo vans, featuring ROUSH CleanTech liquid propane autogas fuel systems.

Propane autogas is a low-carbon alternative fuel that produces significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions than diesel and gasoline in a wide range of applications. This fuel burns cleaner in engines than gasoline and diesel, which results in longer engine life and reduced maintenance costs.

Wright & Filippis’ fleet vehicles travel more than 975,000 miles annually to serve patients needing home delivery of medical products. By switching to propane autogas, Wright & Filippis will be burning 48,000 fewer gallons of gasoline and eliminate more than 930,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from its annual carbon footprint. In addition, Wright & Filippis will be saving $3,000 per vehicle, per year, by utilizing propane autogas, showing an immediate return on investment.

“We can’t take chances when we are delivering products that are critical to people’s lives,” said A.J. Filippis, president of Wright & Filippis. “We have to make sure our vehicles are reliable, and we have that comfort level by utilizing propane autogas to power them.”

“Propane autogas powered vehicles help reduce our dependence on foreign oil because 90 percent of U.S. propane supplies are domestic,” said Todd Mouw, vice president of sales and marketing at ROUSH CleanTech. “We’re proud to develop new technologies that utilize alternative fuel sources to help fleet operators, such as Wright & Filippis, meet their goals of reducing both the operating costs and carbon footprint of their fleet.”

“Clean Energy Coalition provides funding and resources for partnerships like ROUSH CleanTech and Wright & Filippis to flourish,” said Sean Reed, executive director for Clean Energy Coalition. “These partnerships are resulting in remarkable advances in alternative fueling options and making it difficult for any transportation company to say ‘no’ to cleaner, more cost-effective alternatives for their fleets.”

By working together, Wright & Filippis, ROUSH CleanTech, and Clean Energy Coalition have utilized propane autogas as a foundation to improve air quality, reduce the nation’s reliance on oil, and stimulate the economy in Michigan.

“It’s a positive thing to emphasize when there are collaborative efforts from local companies to work together, and this was a perfect partnership with ROUSH CleanTech and the Clean Energy Coalition as far as we’re concerned,” said Filippis. “They’re putting into play opportunities for other local companies to take advantage of what they’ve developed and it helps each one of us to grow. We’re fortunate to have these organizations here in our own backyard.”

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