While fuel is taking a big chunk out of many towns' budgets, Knightdale expects to save about $10,000 while running its police cars in the next year.
They installed a propane fueling tank at the police department. And soon 10 police cars will run on propane.
"It burns much cleaner and it's cheaper, about a dollar cheaper. So we'll be saving more and reducing the emissions that come out of these ten vehicles," said town manager Seth Lawless.
It will cost about $5,400 to install a propane tank in each police car. The town received federal stimulus money to pay the costs.
One downside is that propane is not widely available. That’s why the police department had to create its own propane station.
Because of the lack of propane stations around the state, the North Carolina Department of Transportation stopped using propane in its pick-up trucks.
“At 3 a.m. in the middle of a hurricane, you’re probably not going to find a private, local propane fueling station open,” said Drew Harbinson, NCDOT Director of Fleet and Material Management.
Harbinson thinks propane may work better for a department covering a smaller geographic area.
But Harbinson says the price of propane fluctuates, and savings may not materialize every year.
Knightdale’s police cars will be able to switch to gas if necessary.
The move to propane is also meant to reduce pollution.
"It's really part of our effort to do as much as we can for the environment as well as saving money on fuel," Lawless said.
Raleigh police have a similar project in the works.
Click here to learn more about propane and where it’s available.
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