Oil Engines for Light Vehicles
Page 30
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WITH the growing use of the oil engine in the lighter types of vehicle, the time has passed when it was economical to use oilers only when the annual mileage covered was high. It is, in fact, quite evident that we are approaching an entirely new era in the application of the oil engine to road transport.
The development that is taking place is leading towards a cheapening in production and the less the disparity between the price of the oil-engined vehicle and its petrol-engine counterpart, the nearer are we approaching the day when the oiler must become the first choice, irrespective of whether the vehicle runs a small or large annual mileage.
In the past, a feature that has been a deciding factor in the choice of the more efficient power unit has been its greater economy in fuel consumption, and unless the annual mileage was high the operator did not feel justified in incurring the extra outlay, because it could not be offset to any considerable extent by the saving in fuel. As the difference in price becomes smaller, as recent developments have shown is possible, operators will not be so concerned about the fuel-economy aspect.
It is already appreciated that the increased reliability of the oil engine is, in itself, a big economy and this feature alone might counterbalance the extra cost were this less than £100.
There is every possibility that the near future will see the production of 3-ton oil-engined chassis for as little as £50 more than the equivalent petrolengined chassis and when that time comes the petrol engine will be relegated for use in only the lightest types of commercial vehicle.