Mechanic converts cars to propane power

A local mechanic said he can help motorists fuel up for half the cost.

Bryce Stallings, owner of Stallings Automotive Repair in Rigby, said since he converted his pickup to run on propane, he can’t remember the last time he filled it with gasoline. He said it’s been a couple of months since he made the switch.

“I like it,” Stallings said. “I’ll drive it over anything else.”

Stallings said a Rexburg-based propane company approached him earlier this year, asking if he could learn to convert gas vehicles to run on propane. He took a class in New York before converting his own truck, which he said can now travel about 500 miles on one 45-gallon tank.

“It does burn cleaner,” Stallings said. “And I think it has more power — more BTUs in propane.”

Stallings also installed a button on his dash, which allows him to instantly convert his truck back to gasoline power.

Propane is much cheaper than gas. The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded in Idaho is $3.76, and according to GasBuddy.com, it’s rising. Propane costs about $1.25 less per gallon. Once a motorist converts a vehicle to propane power, they’ll have to go through the proper legal avenues. Then, they can subtract the 18-cent Idaho road tax and factor in a 50-cent per gallon tax credit.

There is one possible drawback of switching to propane, Stallings said.

“The kits are fairly expensive. $6,000 to convert over,” he said.

Stallings said motorists with larger trucks or SUVs might get a better bargain with propane. Motorists with more fuel-efficient cars that get more than 20 miles per gallon might be better off sticking to gasoline, according to Stallings.

To see if switching to propane power can help save you money, try the savings calculator at aafuel.com.