Winnebago Industries Inc. (Forest City, Iowa) has launched a Go Green initiative for its Metro Link bus, joining with ICOM North America (New Hudson, Mich.) to offer bi-fuel and dedicated autogas systems for the entire lineup. The partnership will allow work-ready vehicles to be shipped directly from the factory to dealers and end users. Also offered are ICOM conversions for existing bus fleets.
Meanwhile, ICOM, the manufacturer of the patented JTG II propane liquid injection system, has partnered with fuel supply companies such as AmeriGas, Ferrellgas, Suburban Propane, and numerous independent firms to provide on-site fleet fueling infrastructure and wholesale autogas pricing. ICOM notes that often fueling infrastructure costs can be built into the fuel price and fuel contracts so there is little out-of-pocket cost for fleet operators.

ICOM’s bi-fuel and dedicated systems are used by fleets across the U.S. and Canada, including many federal, state, county, and city law enforcement agencies, in addition to private industry fleets. More than 12,000 ICOM systems are in use in North America, among them about 1000 units certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for Ford V-10 engines. The company notes that by injecting propane as a liquid into the manifold, vehicles have equal or better performance and torque than gasoline. In addition, liquid propane provides a cold charge, which lowers intake temperatures and helps extend the life of the engine.
ICOM systems are EPA certified and meet NFPA 58, DOT FMVSS 303, and Canadian IGAC codes for safety and durability. The systems operate to temperatures of -40°F, and have been successfully crash tested on numerous vehicles in the U.S. and Europe. In addition, when a vehicle is being sold or taken out of service, ICOM systems can be removed and installed in a similar vehicle, and the manufacturer two-year/70,000-mile warranty remains in effect.