Why Choose LPG?
The development of environmentally friendly cars is another step towards achieving a cleaner environment. LPG as a vehicle fuel has received considerable financial support from the Government. As a result, it is currently the most viable option as an alternative vehicle fuel in the UK. It is similar to conventional fuels in terms of handling and ease of use, but it is the differences that provide real environmental, economic and social benefits.
Filling up with LPG
Refuelling with LPG is as easy as refuelling with petrol or diesel, and takes the same amount of time:
o Like diesel and petrol, LPG is stored as a liquid, purchased by the litre and pumped into your fuel tank through a hose.
- Like diesel and petrol, LPG is stored as a liquid, purchased by the litre and pumped into your fuel tank through a hose.
- The LPG hose nozzle slots into a gas filling point on the side of your car. It’s locked into place when you turn it clockwise and push down the handle. This opens the safety valve in the LPG tank – all you have to do is press the ‘fill’ button on the LPG pump and the fuel enters the LPG tank as a liquid. The pump will automatically switch off when the tank is full, but you can stop filling at any time by releasing the ‘fill’ button and returning the hose to its original position.
- You can’t accidentally add petrol or diesel to the LPG gas tank because only the LPG hose nozzle fits the car’s LPG filling point.
o Just like cars run on conventional fuels, LPG cars have a fuel indicator. It’s built into the switch on the dashboard that allows you to swap between petrol and LPG.
Environmental and social benefits
- LPG is one of the cleanest vehicle fuels available, producing far less carbon dioxide than petrol and fewer particulates and nitrogen oxides than diesel. In environmental terms. Pan-European tests carried out on new vehicles in 2003 showed that for:
Global warming:
Use of LPG resulted in a 20%saving on CO2 over petrol and a 1.8% saving compared with diesel.
Air Quality:
On urban roads, on average, just one diesel vehicle emits the same fine particles as 120 LPG vehicles and the same NOX as 20 LPG vehicles.
- LPG vehicles can help offset the considerable social costs of pollution damage to health and buildings.
- You get a quieter ride with LPG; noise levels are 50% less than with diesel engines.
Economic benefits
- You can save up to 40% off your fuel bill. Due to cuts in fuel duty, LPG retails for approximately half the price of petrol and diesel. LPG vehicles also qualify for cheaper road tax.
o The Government supports LPG by reducing the level of fuel duty and by giving three years' advance notice in every Budget of any changes compared with petrol and diesel. This means that we know that the price at the pumps will continue at around half the price of petrol and diesel for at least this period.
- LPG is better for your engine. Its simple chemical make-up means it’s clean burning, and, as it is already in gaseous form when it enters the combustion cylinder, it burns more efficiently than petrol or diesel. Fewer deposits build up in your car engine, so it will run smoother and last longer.
- Most cars having a petrol engine with spark ignition can be converted to LPG, but it is essential that you use a fully trained LPG specialist for the work. It costs around £1,500-£2,000 to convert a car or a light van. You can recoup this outlay quickly via lower running costs.
Other benefits
- LPG is a product of the oil and gas industries, so its long-term supply position is at least as secure as petrol, certainly not less than 50 years.
- Currently there are more than 1,200 LPG refuelling stations in the UK, and this number is constantly increasing. For a full list of UK sites click here.
- Converted vehicles can be set up to run on both LPG and petrol. The petrol tank remains in the car, and you can change from one fuel to the other at the flick of a switch.
- LPG is renowned for its excellent safety record where storage, transport and use are concerned. As a vehicle fuel, LPG is as safe, if not safer, than petrol and on a par with diesel. In Vienna, all buses run on LPG; in 30 years of operation there has never once been an incident caused by the use of LPG.
- The cleanest LPG vehicles registered on the PowerShift Register in Band 4 can apply to Transport for London to receive 100% discount on the London Congestion Charge (£8 per day w.e.f. 4/7/2005).
Worldwide success
There are now over 10million LPG vehicles in operation worldwide. South Korea leads the field with over a 1.7 million, followed by Italy, Poland and Turkey with over 1 million vehicles. The UK currently has over 128,000 vehicles running on LPG. The Queen leads by example; several of her vehicles are powered by LPG.
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