Chattanooga’s Mach Fuels takes cars and trucks—new or old—and converts them to run on both gasoline and compressed natural gas, which is better for the environment and offers drivers potential fuel savings and less wear and tear on engines. Joshua D. Kapellusch, the founder and CEO of the company, is an Air Force veteran and a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
A few years ago, when gasoline prices rose past $4/gallon, Kapellusch bought a kit and converted his own vehicle. Now his St. Elmo company is converting other people’s vehicles.
Chattanoogans who drive CNG vehicles face a challenge—where to fill up? Mach Fuels offers the only public filling station in the city. However, more stations are coming.
Mach Fuels plans to open another one in Ringgold in 2015. Another company, ampCNG, plans to open a Dalton station in 2015.