Alternative Fuelled Vehicles

- LPG Fuelled Vehicles
- Petroleum Filling Stations
- LPG (Autogas) Installations

- Another fuel making a comeback is electricity

LPG Fuelled Vehicles

Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) is by far the most popular type of gas powered car. LPG is a blend of propane and butane and is produced either as a by-product of oil refining or from natural-gas fields. It is more suitable for cars and light vans than larger vehicles and existing petrol and diesel engines can be easily converted, to run on LPG. Diesel vehicles are more expensive to convert. New purpose-built vehicles can also be purchased from some major manufacturers. Despite the looming threat of climate change and the more immediate problems of congestion, most people are unwilling to abandon the freedom of having a car. One way of reducing the air pollution caused by your car is to use it only when needed, and not at all for short journeys. Another way is to buy a new car! What about buying a car that does not use petrol or diesel? What fuels do they use and what advantages do they offer?

Perhaps the best known is Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) which is currently offered for sale at almost 700 filling stations nationally. LPG is sold at approximately half the cost of petrol or diesel, which means that the average car can travel 180 miles on £10 of fuel. LPG is mainly comprised of propane, familiar to most people as bottled gas. Propane burns more cleanly than petrol or diesel, although it has the disadvantage of being less efficient (roughly 75% the efficiency of petrol or diesel). Because it is less polluting, the Government has encouraged the use of LPG by reducing the fuel duty considerably. LPG vehicles are available from most manufacturers, although they tend to cost more than a standard model.

Less common is compressed natural gas (CNG). Natural gas burns very cleanly but needs to be compressed considerably to get a sufficient amount of energy into a normal fuel tank. This makes conversion of vehicles more expensive and is more popular with larger vehicles such as dustcarts and buses. Again the fuel duty is considerably less to encourage greater usage, although very few filling stations offer CNG pumps.

Facts about LPG fuelled vehicles

• It can cost between £900 - £1,700 more to buy a new LPG car or van (compared to conventionally fuelled vehicle) and approximately £500 - £2,000 to convert a car to run on LPG. An LPG car should cost approximately 30% less to run than petrol and roughly the same as diesel.
• LPG vehicles emit less of the two most significant pollutants affecting air quality in London, (Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) and Particulates (PM10s) than conventional petrol vehicles. However the PM10 and NOx emissions are only slightly less than those from diesel vehicles. LPG do however, have much lower CO2 emissions than both petrol/diesel vehicles.
• Some vehicles may be bi-fuel or dual-fuel – bi-fuel vehicles operate on gas most of the time but have a petrol or diesel back-up tank which is used when starting the motor and in emergencies. Dual-fuel vehicles operate by burning a mixture of both gas and conventional fuel together in the engine.

Why Should I buy an LPG Fuelled Vehicle?

If you are thinking about buying another car, it's well worth taking the time to research the most efficient car for its class, as fuel consumption of similar sized cars can vary by as much as 45%. With rising fuel prices, you'll want to get the best economy you can, so we have compiled some useful information on the different types of fuel available and the most efficient cars to consider. More fuel efficient vehicles, or those with a lower engine size fall into a lower rate class of tax.
The Vehicle Certification Agency has details of the fuel consumption, tax classes, exhaust pollution levels and noise for most new petrol, diesel and LPG cars. Visit their website at www.vca.gov.uk/fcb.htm. (Telephone 0117 9524106 to request a booklet).

Other benefits include…

• No congestion charge. (subject to registration fee and conditions) 
• Reduced Vehicle Excise Duty. Contact Vehicle Certification Agency on 0870 240 0010
• Cheaper to run than conventional petrol or diesel vehicles; £10 will take you 180 miles in a typical gas vehicle.
• Quieter than diesel or petrol vehicles
• Enhanced capital allowance rate of 100% in the first year
• Lower Personal Benefit in Kind (BIK) tax liability

Petroleum Filling Stations

Location and map of all LPG stations in UK

http://www.boostlpg.co.uk
http://www.bp.com
http://www.v8dualfuel.com

LPG (Autogas) Installations

At present there are a number of individual, national and international initiatives regarding the introduction of 'Alternative Fuels'.

Green Transport Week is a national programme of events which will normally take place in June each year. Its aim is to promote the use of more environmentally-friendly forms of transport.

Installing an LPG Installation

With effect from 9 December 2002, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 brings the responsibility for the installation of LPG on a Retail Petrol Filling Station under the jurisdiction of the Petroleum Licensing Authority.

Consequently, any proposal or indeed work that is to be carried out on these installation, must obtain written approval from the Council's Fire Safety and Petroleum Officer

Please note that Erewash Borough Council apply the current Codes of practice issued by the LP Gas Association.

LPG Cylinders

Guidelines for safe usage and installation of LPG cylinders.
• All persons working/using the mobile unit must be trained in the safe use of LPG and associated equipment.
• LPG containers should be constructed to BS 5045 or other recognised standard.
• Cylinders should be securely fitted to the vehicle with the valve uppermost. Fitting should be with a non-elastic strap.
• Standards should be in a well-ventilated compartment. The housing compartment should be gas tight to the interior of the vehicle. The compartment should be used solely in connection the LPG cylinders. Electrical wiring may pass through the compartment if it is protected from mechanical damage. The containers should be located in a position to minimise damage in the event of a road traffic accident.
• A sign should be fitted to the outside of the compartment indicating the presence of gas.
• Access to the compartment should be from the outside of the vehicle only.
• The compartment should be separated from the main part of the unit using non-combustible materials to a standard providing at least 30 minutes fire resistance for stability and integrity.
• Adequate ventilation should be provided to the outside. This may be achieved by venting the whole of the one side or the base of one side, using reinforced mesh or by use of a smaller vent. The vent should be at low level to prevent the accumulation of gas should it escape.
• Adequate ventilation is required in the main part of the unit where appliances used are fuelled by LPG. High and low level ventilation is required and should be positioned where it cannot be blocked.
• Pipework should be kept as short as possible and checked on a regular basis for damage/corrosion. Flexible LPG tubing should be secured by crimping or by using a hose clip. Pipes should be constructed of copper and be an appropriate diameter.
Regular maintenance is required to ensure equipment is in a sound condition.

What's best - Petrol vs. Diesel?

There's no easy answer as both types produce harmful exhaust gases. If you tend to make mainly urban journeys, you should choose a small, petrol powered car. Smaller cars use less fuel, cause less congestion and are easier to park whereas diesel cars produce more particles that can aggravate certain medical conditions such as asthma.
Example: Smart cars. These are small cars that are cheap to buy (RRP £6800) and extremely fuel efficient. The two seater 700cc model achieves up to 70mpg and if you pay an extra £2000 for an LPG conversion, its emissions rating is even better.

LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas)

Dual fuelled cars, which have tanks for both LPG and petrol, are now becoming widely produced by a range of manufacturers and are available through many local dealers. Not every petrol station sells LPG fuel, but the car automatically reverts back to petrol if you run out of LPG. When running on LPG less pollutants are generally produced than petrol only cars so it is a much cleaner fuel to use. There is also a large financial benefit as LPG fuel costs around half the price of lead free petrol. Even cleaner than LPG is CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) - it is popular across Europe but only a handful of filling stations in the UK sell it.

Hybrid Vehicles

Cars that have both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine are known as "hybrid cars". There are two main popular hybrids available to the consumer these days: the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic IMA. The car doesn't need to be plugged in as the technology of the car means that it automatically switches between the electric and the petrol, and recharges itself through braking. Both makes of hybrid have impressive fuel economy and low exhaust emissions.
Example: Honda Civic IMA. The latest model was launched in January 2006 (Approx £16000) and can achieve around 60mpg.
Example: Toyota Prius. Endorsed by celebs and politicians, the Prius can achieve around 65mpg. It costs approx £17500.

Another fuel making a comeback is electricity

Electric cars these days are no milk floats of days gone by and often have a top speed of 60-70 miles per hour. Several manufacturers offer electric vehicles, mainly cars and car derived vans. The range of these vehicles tends to be approximately 50 miles between charges, and refuelling is by simply plugging the car into the mains! Perfect for urban use, the electric vehicle produces no emission at the point of use (the power station producing the electricity is the polluter). Buying an electric car can be expensive, but £10 of electricity can buy you more than 500 miles, although you may have to charge it several times to get that far.

Electric Vehicles

These vehicles are efficient, produce low noise and zero emissions in use (although the creation of the electricity in the first place will have had some environmental impact). They can cost as little as 1p per mile to run and you can charge them up from any 13amp socket in up to seven hours. The majority of electric vehicles sold in the UK are made by Peugeot or Citroen and these run for up to 50 miles before they need recharging. Their top speeds are 56mph. They are excellent for those who solely use their cars for shorter, urban trips.
Example: G-Wiz. A two-seater car that can do 40 miles on a single charge and has a top speed of 40mph. The makers say that the cost per mile is equivalent to 600mpg.