ASHEVILLE, NC - Buncombe County Commissioners CarolPeterson and Holly Jones addressed local media and community members gathering to recognize the advancement of alternative fuel initiatives in the Asheville area on Nov. 9, namely county transportation provider Mountain Mobility's AutoGas vehicle program. The Mountain Mobility alternative fuel project is the first of its kind for a paratransit service in the state of North Carolina.

"Mountain Mobility is so appreciative of all the people and organizations which helped to make this program possible, and would like to extend a special thanks to the French Broad River MPO and the North Carolina Department of Transportation for awarding the ARRA funds that subsidized this program," said Denise Braine of Mountain Mobility. Funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Mountain Mobility has converted 10 vehicles to run on clean-burning, domestically produced propane AutoGas.

"We are so proud of the progress being made in our community, by environmentally conscious programs like Mountain Mobility's clean AutoGas vehicle initiative," said Commissioner Carol Peterson, "and we are grateful for the ARRA funds that make this kind of program possible."

The event took place at German Motor Werks, a local Alliance AutoGas public fueling station and vehicle conversion center, and included a brief press address, as well as a vehicle and facility tour.

Two of Mountain Mobility's newly converted AutoGas vans were featured. "The conversions made possible through this program will mean that nearly a quarter of Mountain Mobility's 42 fleet vehicles are now running on clean and cost-effective AutoGas," Commissioner Holly Jones said. "This kind of momentum is critical to driving continued sustainable development at the local and state levels."

Event speakers included County Commissioners Peterson and Jones, as well as representatives from Alliance AutoGas and Land of Sky Regional Council. The project's vehicle conversions and equipment were provided by Alliance AutoGas partners German Motor Werks and Blossman Gas, Inc., with the support of Land-of-Sky Regional Council.

"It is exciting to have local, government-run organizations like Mountain Mobility setting the pace for alternative fuel development in their communities," said Steve Whaley of Alliance AutoGas. Whaley touted the merits of AutoGas vehicle fuel and the features of the technology at today's event.

AutoGas is a clean-burning and domestically produced fuel that is also substantially less expensive than gasoline. The AutoGas conversion technology used on Mountain Mobility's vehicles is a bi-fuel system, meaning that the vehicles can run on AutoGas or gasoline.

About Alliance AutoGas
Alliance AutoGas works with America's public and private vehicle fleets across a range of industries and vehicle types. Alliance offers a turnkey alternative fuel program which includes vehicle conversion and fueling, as well as safety training and technical support. German Motor Werks is an Alliance AutoGas certified conversion center and program partner.

About Mountain Mobility
Mountain Mobility was established by Buncombe County in 1989 to provide transportation services for residents of Buncombe County. Originally intended to serve the transportation needs of a few core human service agencies, the system has grown to serve a wide variety of organizations, as well as provide general public transportation services outside of the City of Asheville. Mountain Mobility operates 37 vans and five small buses. Direct media inquires to David Finder, Energy Programs Manager, Blossman Gas, Inc. - dmfinder@allianceautogas.com or (828) 251-0027.