Alkane Truck Company will still pursue alternative fuels as its primary source of fuel, but has decided to add the gasoline option to both its line of Class 7 trucks as well as its off-road vehicle, the Dominator.

According to Alkane CEO Bob Smith, “It makes sense to expand potential sales by broadening our audience to include traditional fuel types. Our primary mission will always be the promotion of clean burning fuels. Gasoline, when offered with high a percentage of ethanol, comes pretty close to fitting those criteria."

One major reason for the inclusion of gasoline power, according to Alkane, is the ease with which the transition can be realized. The existing engines, with a few modifications, can burn three types of fuel: propane autogas (LPG), gasoline, or compressed natural gas (CNG).

The Alkane Class 7 cabover truck, which cleared DOT compliance testing in the fall of 2015, includes a 8.8-liter V-8 engine. That truck was certified to run on liquid propane. The same engine is also certified to run on CNG or gasoline. With liquid propane or gasoline, the truck will produce the same horsepower and torque while yielding diesel-like performance, according to Alkane.

The same holds true with the engine used in the Dominator: the 6.0L V-8 is also capable of using all of the three fuel types: LPG, gasoline or CNG.