KYPERC, Icom collaborate on autogas training program

KYPERC hosted an autogas technician training event at Owensboro Community & Technical College in Owensboro, Kentucky. Photo courtesy of KYPERC

The Kentucky Propane Education & Research Council (KYPERC) partnered with Icom North America to host a three-day propane autogas training program and open house at Owensboro Community & Technical College in Owensboro, Kentucky.

KYPERC and Icom visited the college’s automotive technician training class during the first two days of the event to teach about 20 students how to convert a 2016 Dodge Ram 1500 SSV to dual fuel with an Icom liquid-injection system. The students also performed maintenance on a 2014 Dodge Pursuit police car equipped with a Prins dual-fuel system.

“The students were highly involved in the course,” says Tom Underwood, executive director at KYPERC. “They were very motivated and turned most of the wrenches on these installations. They even came back early from their lunch break to work on the conversion.”

On the third day of the event, an open house welcomed attendees to a display of vehicles that were worked on during the course. An autogas dispenser was also showcased.

Albert Venezio, chairman at Icom, spoke at the open house about his company’s fuel system within the vehicles. Attendees had the opportunity to test drive the vehicles, as well.

KYPERC plans to use the vehicles featured at the event as part of demonstrations to police departments and city officials, Underwood adds.

“We use the vehicles in shows for sheriffs and police chiefs,” he says. “We also let marketers check the vehicles out like library books to demonstrate them to their local departments.”

According to Underwood, propane autogas’ presence has steadily grown in Kentucky over the last four years.

“Kentucky was the last state to allow propane buses about four years ago,” he says. “Now, there are propane buses in 13 school districts. We’re also reaching out to law enforcement with one of the sheriff’s departments using it.”