Propickup Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/93729
FIRSTDRIVE By Steve Temple pickup owners, since one of their biggest overhead expenses is fuel. C No surprise, then, many are considering a variety of mileage extenders, using everything from computer tuning modules to fuel additives to alternative fuels. We've been checking out one in particular, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), after spotting several bi-fuel pickup conversions at this year's NTEA Work Truck Show. In addition to already taking a Bi-fuel Ford conversion runs on both gasoline and CNG – but is it right for your operation? ontractors and fl eet managers feel pain at the pump more than most hard-nosed looked at the fi nan- cial pros and cons of CNG (see Money Matters in our June 2012 issue), we wanted to check out one on the road for a hands-on driving experience. So we turned to Venchurs Vehicle Systems (VVS) to get seat time in a 2012 F-250 running a dual-fuel 6.2L. DRIVING CNG The VVS conversion has the abil- ity to operate on two separate fuel supplies, injecting either gasoline or compressed natural gas with the simple fl ip of a dash- mounted rocker as you drive. The transition between the two fuels is seamless, with no obvious changes in performance. Venchurs system ports CNG directly into the cylinder, and by optimizing the tune and air/ fuel ratio, using CNG loses only three percent in power, which is said to be within the fi ve percent variance found in manufacturers' OEM engine ratings. Clean Energy, a key supplier in the natural gas market, says a CNG-only engine would normally provide the same power output, but noted it's diffi cult to optimize an engine for dual fuels, suggest- ing one possible reason for the slightly lowered output of the Bi-fuel application. Even so, the VVS conversion does not signifi cantly aff ect cargo hauling or tow ratings, and the fuel economy is claimed to be 11 mpg in the city and 14 mpg on the highway. In gasoline mode, the dash readout indicated 15 mpg on the highway at 65 mpg (Ford does not publish fuel economy ratings on this size of truck). Also, the truck's onboard computer does not pro- vide fuel consumption data when propickupmag.com PROPICKUP 17