Large Scale Central

AT&T to use natural gas

General Discussion
#1

This from a Pickens Plan e-mail

“AT&T is going to replace 17 percent of its fleet - which is one of the largest in America - with vehicles running on natural gas and other renewable fuels. They are going to purchase 8,000 truck chassis built by an U.S. automaker and then they’ll work with domestic suppliers to convert those chassis to run on natural gas.
A big portion of AT&T’s fleet is going to domestic natural gas and is using vehicles built in America to do it. AT&T will also be working with natural gas suppliers - domestic natural gas suppliers - to build the fueling facilities they will need for these vehicles.
AT&T is also going to replace some 7,100 cars which are running on gasoline with cars using battery and other alternative sources. When this is done, AT&T will have one of the largest alternative fueled fleets in history”

So here is some good news most of us can agree on. Keeps the money at home and cleaner too.
Ralph

#2

I’d say At&T’s stock is probably going to go up.

#3

I never understood why natural or LP gas hasn’t been used more extensively. It is old technology with minimum alterations required.

#4

I have been using LPG exclusively in my vehicles since 1968.
I still use the American Made Impco dual fuel system. It is the most reliable one made even if it is not the most fuel efficient.

The valves, valve stems and guides need to be hardened or they wear very quickly.

I run a tank full of gasoline (about 300 km) with an upper cylinder lubricant, through the system per 5,000 km.

#5

I saw the internal components of a car back in 1971 or 72 that had over 100,000 miles on propane gas. It was immaculate and very little wear. Certainly it was cared for, but no varnish build up as I’d expect with a petroleum based fuel.

There are folks west of me in Pennsylvania I know that have their own low-volume natural gas wells and they run heat and refrigeration from their own source.

Good for you Tony.

#6

BTW. The engine oil stays so clean that it is hard to see it on the dipstick after 5,000 km. My mechanic swears I could not have travelled the 5,000 km RT to Brisbane and back again when I take it in for the regular service.
I run mostly on Autogas which is not pure propane and currently sells here for around A$0.45 a Litre which is about US$1.20 a US gallon.

#7

Does the Autogas have a lubricant mixed in? Why we don’t make that fuel more accessible here is just plain stupid. We have so many billions of c.f. of natural gas on this continent and yet the dim-wits in D.C. are pushing for yet unproven technology.

I never said we had the common sense God gave a goat here.

#8

David.
No offence, but, you really do need to reed a posting through more fully.

Please reread the last line in first posting.

#9

The Scale Barbarian? Just kidding. Oh I agree, that’s a start, and really private enterprise needs to be the ones to do this. As I said, I first realized this technology was available 35 years ago. Slow in coming.

#10

I recall almost 30 years ago the local newspaper had a fleet of Chervy pickups converted to run on LPG I believe? Those trucks were old then I would bet the bodies adn frames rusted out before the engine gave out but then again maybe not? They ran them until they died and replaced them with conventional gasoline trucks.

Chas

#11
TonyWalsham said:
BTW. The engine oil stays so clean that it is hard to see it on the dipstick after 5,000 km. My mechanic swears I could not have travelled the 5,000 km RT to Brisbane and back again when I take it in for the regular service. I run mostly on Autogas which is not pure propane and currently sells here for around A$0.45 a Litre which is about US$1.20 a US gallon.
Here they charge us more for propane than gasoline. A bunch of crap considering propane is a by-product of the refining process and is what you see being burned off at the refinery.

David…The Scale Barbarian…of course it is a joke.

Ralph

#12

The pump price of A$0.45 a litre for LPG compares to A$1.30 per litre for lead free gasoline = about US$3.50 a US Gallon.

#13
TonyWalsham said:
The pump price of A$0.45 a litre for LPG compares to A$1.30 per litre for lead free gasoline = about US$3.50 a US Gallon.
What is the efficiency rating of LP vs. oil? That may be the problem, getting enough range per tank. What is your experience?
#14

Propane is around $4 a US gallon here. In quanities under 50 gallons it is usually sold by weight.
If you get 100 gallons or more it gets cheaper.
Gasoline today was $1.83 a gallon. Of the $1.83, I believe .39 is tax.
Ralph

#15
Ralph Berg said:
Propane is around $4 a US gallon here. In quanities under 50 gallons it is usually sold by weight. If you get 100 gallons or more it gets cheaper. Gasoline today was $1.83 a gallon. Of the $1.83, I believe .39 is tax. Ralph
$.39 at the state level, add another $.20 or so for the Federal taxes.
#16

LPG reduces your fuel mileage 10-20% over gasoline.
Not enough where range would be a problem.
If we paid what Tony did for LPG, even with our currently cheap gasoline, the LPG would be cheaper.
Ralph

#17

The prices I have quoted for gasoline and LPG in Australia are inclusive of all state and federal taxes.

#18

[color=blue]AT&T to use natural gas[/color]

Phew! That’s a relief. For a moment there, I thought they might be using an unnatural gas, or even a Classical Gas! :stuck_out_tongue: