Converting A Regular Car to An Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV)

You can also convert a regular gasoline powered car to an AFV. A converted vehicle is one that was built to operate on gasoline or diesel but is modified to run on alternative fuels, such as compressed natural gas or propane the two most common types of fuel conversions.

The Environmental Protection Agency has very specific criteria as to how a car must be converted to an AFV. All vehicle conversions must be certified according to Mobile Source Enforcement Memorandum 1A (Memo 1A), the Addendum to Memo 1A, and the Revision to the Addendum to Memo 1A, which were issued by EPA.

A dedicated converted vehicle is one that operates only on an alternative fuel or a dual fuel which means that they can operate on either an alternative fuel or gasoline. These types of vehicles have separate tanks and fuel systems for each fuel.

Bi-fuel vehicles are those designed to run on combinations of an alternative fuel along with a conventional fuel like gasoline. Dual fuel systems allow the use of only one fuel at a time, but bi-fuel systems supply both fuels into the combustion chamber tat the same time.

The Environmental Protection Agency certifies converted vehicles rather than the conversion systems or conversion kits. The EPA refers to a fuels converter as a small volume manufacturer that holds the certificate to perform a conversion. An individual who wants to have a vehicle converted to run on an alternative must do so through a company associated with a certificate holder.

The companies or organizations that would hold Certificates of Conformity issued by the EPA would include the designer of the conversion equipment, the producer or manufacturers of the equipment and the person who plans to perform the installations.

It is the responsibility of the certificate holder to insure that the equipment is properly installed and that the system is safe, durable, and results in the vehicle meeting the emission standards of the original model year of the vehicle.

Converting a gas-powered vehicle to an AFV is not an easy process, so unless you are an experienced mechanic, you should leave the conversion up to professionals. Conversion involves changing the fuel cells, the gas tank, hoses, and such. The cost will vary, but expect to pay somewhere around $4,000 to $6,000.

There are some incentives that states are offering consumers for conversions. Many mechanics who do conversions will probably know about specific grants for this, but you can also check with your state or local government’s website to see what types of incentives are offered.