CHANTILLY, Va. & NEW HUDSON, Mich., Mar 03, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Icom North America, a leader in alternative fuels, will bring its patented liquid propane injection technology with its environmental and fuel economy benefits to the U.S. automotive aftermarket.
At the two-day Propane Engine Fuel Summit, in Chantilly, Va., outside of Washington, D.C., Icom CEO Ralph Perpetuini announced that his company will begin offering both mono-fuel and bi-fuel versions of its liquid propane injection system and fuel tanks for installation on vehicles in service.
“The Icom JTG Propane Liquid Injection System can be installed on virtually any gasoline vehicle with multi-point injection,” Perpetuini said. “It will have excellent drivability, performance and torque, with reduced emissions. The gasoline mode is not disturbed; it can still be used.” “It’s especially suitable for fleet vehicles, including taxi and livery; law enforcement; state, county and municipal vehicles and other high mileage vehicles,” he said. The company is preparing for U.S. Environmental Protection Authority and California Air Resources Board certifications of the most popular fleet vehicles.
Icom’s system is in service on more than 100,000 vehicles globally in the bi-fuel (also called “hybrid”) version. In the U.S., some 5,000 vehicles have been converted to propane use in the mono-fuel application.
“The Icom JTG approach is very innovative,” explained Perpetuini. “It injects liquid propane (not vapor) through an actual injector in the vehicle’s manifold.
The vehicle’s OEM powertrain control module (or “brain”) controls our system, eliminating the need for additional computer mapping. Installation is fast and simple,” he said.
Icom JTG is available in more than 15 countries, through a large network of installation centers.
“We have begun to expand our professional sales, installation and service network in the U.S.,” Perpetuini said. “We have found a high level of technical expertise among our first partners. Many are propane fuel providers capable of providing a one-stop service for fleets.” The company is interested in working with professional installation centers, propane fuel supply companies and fleets nationwide.
Icom North America, LLC, founded in 2004, is the U.S.-based partner of Icom S.p.A. of Italy, a pioneer in the development and manufacture of liquid propane gas conversion systems and tanks for commercial and passenger vehicles. The company assembles the Icom Liquid Injection Propane system and additional Icom products, including the proprietary Icom toroidal and cylindrical propane tank, for commercial and passenger OEM and aftermarket vehicles in North America and selected other markets. North American headquarters are in New Hudson, Michigan.