Airport shuttle services, rejoice! Today, Roush Performance unveiled the propane-powered Ford E-250 full-size van, which is set to become available in mid-2010 and will accompany Roush's similarly fueled Ford pickups, the F-150 (already on sale) and the 2010 F-250 shown today for the first time and scheduled for sale later this year.
All of this gaseous hoopla is part of Roush's commitment to "green-collar jobs." Says Jack Roush, patriarch of Roush Enterprises: "By focusing on propane, Roush has been able to engineer green technology that is proven to reduce emissions now. And the upside is that we are hoping to add nearly one-hundred new green-collar jobs." New jobs in the downtrodden Detroit area, we might add.
According to the Propane Education & Research Council, propane is the most common alternative fuel in use today, powering some 10 million vehicles worldwide. That's why Roush continues to serve this niche market, even though Ford itself once offered a variety of propane-powered vehicles direct from the factory but eventually abandoned the fuel.
Roush's propane-powered workhorses use Ford's 24-valve, 5.4-liter V-8 with a liquid propane injection fuel system that includes a new fuel rail assembly and fuel injectors. Roush claims that the propane trucks "sustain no loss of horsepower, torque, or towing capacity."
Pricing for the E-250 wasn't announced, but you can expect it to be similar to those for the F-250. (A Roush-built propane F-250 will carry a $8995 premium, which a tax credit of up to $4500 can help offset.)
