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Autogas Challenge Showcases Lpg Conversion Equipment Developments

The first Autogas Challenge was held on September 10-12, with the drivers of 14 lpg autogas vehicles competing to achieve the smallest difference between the mileage their cars could accomplish on petrol and lpg autogas.

Vehicles competing in the challenge included Audi, Land Rover, Rover and Volvo, and conversion systems included BRC, Fema, Landi Renzo, OMVL and Romano. A tri-fuel Toyota Prius, which can run on petrol, lpg autogas and electricity, was also entered.

Gas Power UK customer Stephanie Brown was the winner in her BRC converted Range Rover with a -5.7 per cent difference from petrol using the What Car? used vehicle guide figure for petrol consumption. In second was Karl Lowe of Worsley Autogas, also in a Range Rover with a BRC system, with -6.9 per cent, and in third was Kathryn Fricker of Gas Power UK in a BRC Fly system Rover 75 with –16 per cent.

Cllr Carolyn Rule, Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration, started the challenge on September 10 at Lima Autogas in Lands End, Cornwall, and the vehicles drove on to an overnight stay in Preston via filling stops at Countrywide in Gloucester and F1 Automotive in Bolton. They then continued on to Inverness the next day via BP Gas in Livingstone, and arrived at John O’Groats via Gleaner Oils in Evanton on September 12.

Organiser Stephen Fricker of Gas Power UK Ltd said: “One of our aims is to highlight the benefits of new and existing technology, which reduce carbon emissions thus causing less damage to the environment. Given the number of vehicles on the road, it has the potential to make a huge impact on the carbon footprint across the world. In addition, the potential financial savings for drivers using autogas technology are considerable.

“This is the beginning of a motor sport than anybody can compete in, as it’s not solely down to the equipment or car, it’s down to driving styles and planning a route that the vehicle is the most economical on. This is a motor sport that an eco-warrior can easily be part of as it is developing new systems that use fuel more efficiently, and therefore helping the environment.

“In the last five years, the lpg autogas trade has made many leaps forward from the old single point mixer system with its inherent problems, through the multipoint IGS systems to the modern phased sequential injection systems, which can have a higher brake horsepower on lpg autogas than the same engine on petrol. This has all developed to make more reliable lpg autogas systems that we call ‘fit and forget’.

“The lpg autogas industry has now come of age and we are showing the public what we have been working on, from clearing up the problems left by the sub-professionals to showcasing the new developments within the lpg autogas industry – and having fun to boot! “I would like to say a big thank you to all the people who sponsored us, especially Gleaner Oils, who stepped in at the last minute to save the event. There are plans to organise a capital tour of London, Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin and Cardiff next year, although we might reduce that to three capitals, depending on cost.”

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