Propane is produced as a by-product of natural gas processing and crude oil refining. It also is known as liquefied petroleum gas or "autogas." Uses include home and water heating, cooking and refrigerating food, clothes drying, powering farm and industrial equipment, and drying corn. Rural areas that do not have natural gas service commonly rely on propane. The chemical industry uses propane as a raw material for making plastics and other compounds. Less than 2% of U.S. propane consumption is used for transportation fuel.

What Kinds of Vehicles Run on Propane?

The U.S. Department of Energy indicates that there are more than 270,000 on-road propane vehicles in the United States and more than 10 million worldwide.  To learn more about propane vehicle availability or retrofitting existing vehicles, see the U.S. Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center webpage on propane vehicles.

Are There any Propane (Autogas) Vehicle Fueling Stations in Virginia?

List of propane fueling stations in Virginia from the U.S. Department of Energy

In addition, the Alternative Fuels Data Center has a web-based tool that allows you to search for refueling stations offering alternative fuels close to your address: Alternative Fuel Station Locator.

Learn More about Propane (Autogas) as an Alternative Fuel

Virginia Clean Cities is a government-industry partnership designed to reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector by advancing the use of alternative fuels and vehicles, idle reduction technologies, hybrid electric vehicles, fuel blends, and fuel economy.

EPA Fact Sheet on propane.