LPG drives new trials
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by Toby Clark In Shell and Calor Gas have started trials of commercial vehicles and PCVs powered by LPG—liquefied petroleum gas—to demonstrate the viability of the fuel as an economical, low-emission alternative to diesel. The trials are being funded by the Energy Saving Trust, which has a brief to establish a sustainable market in alternative fuels such as LPG, CNG (compressed natural gas) and electric power.
The Calor Gas trial includes six Vauxhall Combo vans which are part of Vauxhall's fleet on longterm test with police authorities. Also involved are 23 sightseeing buses operated by Ensign Bus of Essex.
All the vehicles use Auto blend, Calor's transport grade of LPG, but a hopedfor demonstration of Leyland Daf and ERF trucks powered by Cummins engines is delayed, apparently due to differences in the formulation of European and North American LPG.
Shell is another participant, demonstrating a lowfloor Daf bus at "roadshows" round the country with importer Hughes Daf. The bus, of a type common in Holland, is fitted with twin roof-mounted tanks for a potential range of 600km—one of the main selling points of LPG is that it offers higher energy density and easier storage than other gaseous fuels such as compressed natural gas (CNG). The engine is a Dutch-built Daf/Gentec GG170 LP which puts out 228hp (170kW), and 693113ft (940Nm) at 1,200rpm. It has a multipoint injection system instead of the more common single-point "mixer".
El The start of a three-year scheme in February by the Energy Saving Trust is aimed at establishing a sustainable market in alternative fuels. This will be done by subsidising vehicle purchase (via procurement groups) and funding workshops to demonstrate vehicles—primarily to depotbased firms who can support the infrastructure and offer facilities to others.
The Energy Saving Trust is a government-sponsored organisation founded in 1992, when some energy companies were privatised.