The Alternative Alternative

All the current talk about alternative fuels seems to centre around hybrid technology, electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cells. Yet one of the most prevalent and easily accessible alternatives is often ignored. I’m talking about Liquid Propane Gas, or LPG, which is marketed by Calor under the name of Autogas in the UK.

It’s over ten years since I noticed the proliferation of LPG filling stations on the continent and wondered why it had never caught on over here. I even had a dual-fuel Vauxhall Astra on test for a week, seamlessly switching between petrol and LPG without so much as a shudder. The only disadvantage seemed to be the amount of room taken up in the boot by the extra tank.

LPG is a natural gas resource and is also a by-product of oil production. It is also by far the most accessible alternative fuel available in the UK today. There are currently 1,500 public access LPG Autogas stations, 950 of which are forecourt sites, and most petrol spark ignition engines can be converted to run it, including fuel-injected, turbo-charged engines.

Calor claims that the average saving is around 40% of current fuel costs compared with petrol and around 20% compared to the equivalent diesel. The actual savings depend, of course, on conversion costs and equipment used, along with fuel costs and driving style. The fuel is not as efficient as petrol and so mileage is typically 10 – 20% less, but the price difference results in around a 40% saving on fuel costs.

Due to its environmental benefits LPG attracts a much lower rate of fuel duty and consequently retails at about half the price of unleaded petrol and diesel. LPG-powered vehicles typically produce 20% less CO2 than the equivalent petrol vehicle and two percent less than the equivalent diesel.

Conversion costs start at around £1,600, depending on the vehicle being converted and the system installed. The result is a bi-fuel car which runs on either LPG or petrol. A second independent fuel system is added to the car, for which a dedicated tank is required. This is usually fitted in the spare wheel well but can sometimes be installed underneath the car. Some manufacturers, including Proton, Vauxhall and Saab, already offer LPG options on new cars. Bi-fuel cars run on petrol or gas and allow you to change from one to the other at the flick of a switch, without having to slow down or turn off the ignition. I know, I’ve tried one, and the change really is seamless.

In order to get the concept out to a wider public, two LPG-powered cars are to compete in this year’s Dunlop British Touring Car Championship with full backing from Calor. The cars – Ford Focus STs powered by 2.0 litre Duratec engines – will run using a specially designed LPG system, build by Prins Autogassystemen of the Netherlands and will be driven by experienced touring car stars Tom Chilton and Tom Onslow-Cole.

Initial testing has shown the cars to be just as competitive as their petrol-powered equivalents and there is no reason why the team cannot be challenging for wins during the course of the season. It will be interesting to see whether success on the track will result in greater public awareness and take-up.