Roush 2010 Liquid Propane Injected F-250
Roush has just unveiled another propane-fueled truck, meant to capitalize off the drastic up-and-down swings of gas prices as of late. The new 2010 Roush Liquid Propane F-250 took a bow this week at the 2009 International Builders' Show in Las Vegas.
A medium-duty truck, the F-250 runs on a fuel that costs anywhere from five to 30 per-cent less than petrol. The cleaner, cheaper-to-operate truck received serious interest from many of the attendees looking for a vehicle that is sturdier than the Roush propane F-150.
"With that in mind, we went to [the Propane Education and Research Council] who has been our strong supporter in developing propane vehicles and took the next steps to expanding the Roush lineup with the F-250. It is gratifying to see that the response has already been so positive," said Roush Performance VP Joe Thompson.
Environmentalists can also cheer the 20% lower nitrous-oxide emissions, and 60% lower carbon-monoxide emissions. Roush claims particulate emissions are also down when compared to petrol machines.
The company has not released comparison details with diesel-powered vehicles.
Changes to the standard F-250 include a 62-gallon in-bed fuel tank, stainless steel fuel lines, aluminum fuel rails, Roush tuning, and related hardware. On a full tank, the truck should be able to travel up to 500 miles (805 km). Purchasers have the option of getting a 31-gallon fuel tank mounted under the bed instead. This cuts range in half, but lets the driver have full use of the entire bed.
Despite the conversion, horsepower and torque ratings will stay the same as the base F-250. Available as either a 4x2 or 4x4, the F-250 has three engine choices. These range from 300 hp to 362 hp, and from 365 to a massive 650 ft-lb of torque. Towing capacity is a maximum 12,500 lbs., with payload maxing out at 3,170 lbs. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, as well as the optional TorqShift five-speed automatic.
Customers wanting a Roush Liquid Propane F-250 will be able to buy either a completely assembled vehicle from the company, or a conversion kit for an existing Ford F-250. The kit retails for nearly $8,000, but qualifies for a U.S. tax credit of about $5,000. Different state, county, and local governments have other tax incentives as well. Deliveries of the assembled truck should take place by September. Customers can place orders beginning January 26.
Source: Roush
Press Release (Click to expand)
ROUSH® EXPANDS PROPANE VEHICLE LINEUP WITH UNVEIL OF LIQUID PROPANE INJECTED F-250 PICKUP
LAS VEGAS (January 22, 2009) - Hammering home their success in offering a propane-powered truck, ROUSH® Performance unveiled yesterday at the 2009 International Builders' Show the next product in the lineup - the 2010 ROUSH Liquid Propane Injected F-250.
The ROUSH propane-powered F-250 immediately received considerable interest among the attendees who had been looking for a medium-duty truck that could offer both lower operating costs and greenhouse emissions.
According to research provided by the Propane Education and Research Council (PERC), propane is the most widely-used alternative fuel today, with more than 10 million vehicles around the world using it as a fuel. Operating costs typically range from five to 30 percent less than those of a gasoline-powered fleet, and on average create 20 percent less nitrous oxide, up to 60 percent less carbon monoxide and fewer particulate emissions.
"We have had tremendous interest in the ROUSH propane-powered F-150 and sold several hundred vehicles and conversion kits, but more than that we had people tell us that they would be much more interested if there was a medium-duty pickup available," said Joe Thompson, vice-president and general manager of ROUSH Performance. "With that in mind, we went to PERC who has been our strong supporter in developing propane vehicles and took the next steps to expanding the ROUSH lineup with the F-250. It is gratifying to see that the response has already been so positive."
With deliveries anticipated to start in the third quarter, ROUSH will make this product available in two forms; customers can choose either a complete ROUSH-assembled vehicle which will have a 3-year/36,000 mile warranty, or a conversion kit to fit existing trucks in the field which also carries the same warranty. The conversion kit will also fit 2009 F-250 pickups that may be in service.
The order banks for both the vehicle and the conversion kit, both of which are true OEM-quality in terms of engineering and materials, will open on January 26. Among the components changed are the fuel tank with multi-valve fuel pump, stainless steel fuel lines, billet aluminum fuel rails, an upgraded custom ROUSH PCM calibration, and all necessary wiring, hardware and instructions.
The kit will have a retail price of $7,995, and qualifies for a federal tax credit of $5,000. There are also a number of state, regional and local tax credits and rebates available for the purchase and implementation of alternative fuel vehicles. Additionally, propane prices per gallon are normally significantly much lower than gasoline or diesel, and with the proper infrastructure in place a fleet user can qualify for a 50-cent tax credit per gallon used.
The ROUSH propane-powered F-250 will come standard with an in-bed tank offering 62-usable gallons of fuel. This will allow a range of approximately 500 miles depending on the chassis and driving habits. A under-bed propane tank will be available (with a range of approximately 250 miles) for users where range is not as important as bed capacity.
There will be no loss of horsepower, torque or towing capacity on the ROUSH propane-powered F-250 as compared to the truck's gasoline-powered equivalent. The truck will have all federal, CARB and Canadian certifications.
ROUSH has long been considered as Detroit's foremost Tier 1 advanced powertrain engineering company and well known for producing massive horsepower from gasoline engines. Now this same company has turned their resources towards helping fleet customers save money and reduce greenhouse gasses by utilizing propane as an engine fuel. The company launched a propane F-150 in 2007 and has plans for several additional vehicles over the next few years.
Based in Livonia, Mich., "The Art of Performance Engineering" takes place at ROUSH Performance. To get a look behind the scenes at what goes on at ROUSH and how the vehicles and parts are designed, manufactured, tested and produced logon to www.ROUSHtv.com. In addition to the array of Ford Mustang and F-150 styling, handling and performance upgrades, a complete line of performance parts and crate engines are offered. For more information see your local ROUSH dealer, visit www.ROUSHperformance.com or telephone toll-free (800) 59-ROUSH.
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carcrazy1234
January 24, 2009 1:49 AM
