State legislators and Washington dignitaries, including State Representative Katrina Asay and Federal Way City Councilmembers Dini Duclos and Linda Kochmar, recognized the environmental commitment of Sears Holdings during the unveiling of 27 new Roush CleanTech Ford E-250 cargo vans fueled by propane autogas to be deployed in the Sears Home Services fleet in Seattle for in-home service and repair visits.
“Propane autogas has proven safe, reliable and environmentally friendly, and we look forward to putting this fuel to work in our fleet,” said Stu Reed, Sears Holdings senior vice president and president, Sears Home Services. “The conversion of 27 of our product repair vans to propane autogas is one of several initiatives we have under way to improve the efficiency of our fleet of 10,000 Home Services vans. If we get the type of efficiencies we expect by converting these vans to Roush CleanTech propane autogas, we could scale this to all 10,000 service vans.” Other environmental steps SHS has taken include a no-idling policy and installing economizer devices on 4,800 service vans to ensure technicians drive at speeds that optimize fuel efficiency, Reed said.
Fueling with propane autogas leads to significant reductions in exhaust emissions with less greenhouse gases, nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide. Ferrellgas installed three 1,000-gallon refueling stations at two Sears full-line store parking lots and at one parts and repair facility in Seattle, Federal Way and Lacey at no cost.
“The Roush and Sears brands are synonymous with quality,” said Todd Mouw, vice president of sales and marketing for Roush CleanTech. “We are thrilled to forge a partnership with a national retailer renowned for their dedication to their customers, the environment and the products they sell. At Roush CleanTech, we hold these ideals in high esteem, and are committed to creating a superior ownership experience for Sears.”
The Roush CleanTech liquid propane fuel system, available nationwide on a variety of Ford trucks and vans, is designed to deliver the same factory Ford performance characteristics, warranty coverage and serviceability through a network of Ford dealerships across the country. All Roush CleanTech vehicles carry both U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board certification.
