Elwood Police Department’s police fleet will become the first alternative fuel police vehicles in Madison County. The Elwood Board of Works and Public Safety approved an agreement with All In One Propane and True Alternative Fuel Systems to upgrade the current fleet to include LPG tanks free of charge.
“The objective was that the customer can begin saving without laying out any money to begin with,” said Adam Goldstein of All In One Propane. “The deal that we offered was we’ll come in and set up the dispenser at the street department garage and supply the conversion systems for the vehicles. We are pricing the propane at exactly one dollar less than what they’re paying for gasoline.”
The money saved from purchasing the Autogas at a cheaper rate could be used for new equipment, safety gear, or whatever else the department may need. Goldstein commented that the only thing they ask for in return is a five year contract to ensure they recoup their expenses for converting the vehicles. “It’s a win win from day one,” he added.
The company’s objective is to use Elwood as the pilot for the program that can later be used to show savings to other county and municipal police departments. “This program is new, in that we’re providing everything – the turnkey solution for the fuel and the fuel for the vehicles,” continued Goldstein. “Ordinarily, our customers pay for these systems, which can range from $7,000 to $10,000 per vehicle. That was always somewhat of an obstacle to get municipalities to adopt it.”
Goldstein explained owning both the conversion systems company and the fuel company allows them to offer this program to municipalities without asking them to come up with funds from already stressed budgets. Goldstein hopes to expand this offer to all Madison County departments, and even into Tipton County.
All In One Propane will begin converting the Elwood police cars at a pace of about two vehicles a week. The entire conversion process is expected to take about three months, due to the size of Elwood’s fleet. After the conversion is complete, the police feet will be bi-fuel vehicles.
“The Mayor Jones Administration is excited about using an alternative fuel that will save the city money, but more importantly, leave a lighter footprint on our Earth. I look forward to the transition as we continue to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, while running a more efficient Government,” said Mayor Todd Jones.
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