US: Technical college and PERC host Autogas training in North Caroline

Wake Technical Community College, located in Raleigh, North Caroline, hosted a two-day "train the trainer" program on Autogas vehicles on the Scott Northern Wake Campus. According to the institution, the initiative was aimed at the next generation of technicians in clean-energy transportation.

Representatives from the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) provided comprehensive, hands-on training to instructors from Wake Tech's Automotive Systems Technology program, as well as representatives from the City of Raleigh and the City of Durham and several educators from other states who are grant recipients of PERC's Propane Autogas Vehicle Inspection Grant Program.

The Propane Autogas Vehicle Inspection training included an overview of the science and safety of LPG, what to look for in an Autogas vehicle inspection and component identification. The training equipped instructors with the skills they need to bring LPG vehicle instruction to their students.

For Rick Sapienza, Wake Tech's dean of Transportation Technologies, expanding training in clean-energy systems like Autogas “will help shape the workforce of tomorrow.” "We want to give our students an extra skill set and expand their career opportunities. By training technicians on propane-powered vehicles, we are removing a roadblock, making it easier for fleets to adopt propane," he said.

Jim Bunsey, Senior Manager for Business Development at PERC, explained the goal is to train students so they are familiar with Autogas systems and how to service them. "We're showing the components, tanks, fuel injectors and how they are similar to the gasoline engines that they are working on today – but it's being utilised for propane," he added.

Source: Wake Tech

Photo: Wake Tech