LIVONIA, MI. (December 16, 2009) Competitive Lawn Service of Downers Grove, IL, is on a quest to run their business 100 percent on propane. They already have the mowers, trimmers and their other power tools running on this alternative fuel. The key missing element was the truck which hauls all this equipment to the customer. That was remedied today as Eric Hansen accepted the keys from Jack Roush to the first production Roush propane-fueled F-350 with an under-bed tank.
“We’ve been waiting three-quarters of a year for this day and now it has come to fruition,” said Hansen, president of Competitive Lawn Service Inc. “I’m excited to be here at the factory, I’m excited to meet Jack Roush, and I’m excited that Roush Performance is working on the technology for liquid propane-powered vehicles.” The key handoff took place at the Roush Performance Vehicle Assembly Area in Livonia, MI, where the trucks are converted to run on propane.
Hansen plans to convert the other trucks in his fleet to Roush propane F-350s, and says this will result in a considerable savings for his business by using propane, a predominantly domestically produced fuel.
“A down-and-dirty number would be a savings of around $800 per truck each month,” Hansen explained. “With all the lawn care equipment added in we could be saving $2,500 per month per truck. I’m looking forward to proving that out over the next several months.”
One of the reasons Competitive Lawn Service selected the Roush propane F-350 was the availability of an under-bed tank. While Roush offers an in-bed tank option for users who require longer range, Hansen said an under-bed tank was his only choice.
“We had been looking for a propane truck that offered an under-bed tank because in our line of work we need the full eight-foot bed capacity. Roush was the only company we found that offered this option. On top of that, the truck looks great and operates exactly the same as a gasoline-powered F-350,” Hansen said. With the Roush liquid propane injection system, there is no loss of horsepower, torque or towing capacity.
“It was great to meet Eric today and see how excited he is to bring the Roush propane F-350 into his fleet,” said Jack Roush. “I commend him for converting not only his vehicles but all of his power tools to run off of propane. Not only will it help to save his company a lot of money, but he will be doing a lot to help clean up the environment, literally and figuratively.”
