With nearly 200,000 propane autogas vehicles on U.S. roads, propane autogas technicians to service these vehicles are in high demand, with continued growth projected for the coming years.

On  Feb. 24, the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC) will launch the newly developed Propane Autogas Vehicle Technician Training at the Blue Bird West facility in Fort Valley, Ga. NAFTC National and Associate Training Center members will be given first access to the course at the Blue Bird West facility and will utilize the training in their automotive program classrooms across the U.S. Following this initial training session for members, the Propane Autogas Vehicle Technician Training will be made available to automotive instructors nationwide.

Developed by the NAFTC, this course was made possible through funding from the Propane Education and Research Council (PERC).

PERC Vice President, Safety & Training Stuart Flatow commented, “This course will help us to educate the next generation of alternative fuel automotive technicians, in this case propane autogas, as well as communicating how and why the adoption of this new course into current automotive technology curriculums will benefit students, schools and their communities.”

It is important for automotive technicians to know everything currently applicable to propane autogas technology, along with understanding the advances in engine management and emission controls that affect the design and servicing of these systems.

Participants in the three-day Propane Autogas Vehicle Technician Training will learn how to convert vehicles to run on propane autogas and how to service these vehicles safely, understand the theory of operation and ability to diagnose and repair vapor injected LPG systems, and understand the operation and ability to diagnose and repair liquid propane gas systems. This course is designed for automotive instructors, pre- and in-service automotive technicians, and fleet managers.

The Propane Autogas Vehicle Technician Training is available at the NAFTC headquarters in Morgantown, W.V., or at other locations nationwide. The next training session is scheduled for April 12-14 at the NAFTC headquarters. More information, including where and when the training will be conducted, visit www.NAFTC.wvu.edu or www.propaneautogastraining.com.