Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. on Tuesday, March 6, introduced its S2G chassis, a factory-installed liquid propane gas engine for the medium-duty truck market, at the 2012 NTEA Work Truck Show. Built on FCCC’s S2 chassis, the S2G’s 8-liter 325-hp LPG engine supplied by Powertrain Integration uses GM’s long block and other components as its core.
FCCC says the benefits of an LPG chassis include lower operational costs and reduced emissions without sacrificing payload capability or performance. Designed for the medium-duty commercial market, the S2G chassis is suitable for pickup-and-delivery, student transportation and municipal applications. A limited preproduction run of S2G chassis is expected in the fourth quarter of 2012, with full production slated for the first quarter of 2013.
“The S2G was developed in response to significant industry interest for an LPG solution without retrofitting or aftermarket additions,” said Bob Harbin, FCCC president. “The S2G also perfectly fits into FCCC’s heritage as a custom chassis manufacturer with a successful history in alternative fuel powertrains.”
The S2G was developed in part through direct customer input, said Jonathan Randall, director of sales and marketing for FCCC. “From the start, we invited our end-users, fleet managers and body manufacturers to tell us about their specific needs, from gross vehicle weight rating and chassis component placement to in-cab layout and electrical interfaces,” Randall said. “We didn’t want to just add an LPG engine to our S2 chassis – we wanted to make the best chassis our customers could envision while making the most body-builder friendly truck in the market.”
Like its diesel counterpart, the front-engine S2G uses the Freightliner M2 cab that features a sloped forward-tilting hood for added visibility and engine access. It has a gross vehicle weight rating of 33,000 pounds and comes equipped with an Allison 2300 automatic transmission with PTO provision.
With the support of the Propane Education & Research Council, FCCC partnered with Powertrain Integration and CleanFuel USA in the development of the S2G. Powertrain Integration provides custom solutions for OEM engines and drivetrains from the GM product lineup. CleanFuel USA, founded in 1993 and headquartered in Georgetown, Texas, developed liquid propane fuel injection systems and also manufactures propane autogas dispensers and fueling infrastructure.
