WHAT IS LPG?
LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) is a mixture of Propane and Butane that comes from oil refining and natural gas fields. It is a cleaner fuel for the environment than petrol as it contains less CO2, less oxides of nitrogen, less hydrocarbons and lower contaminating components such as sulphur. The main advantage of LPG is its cost. It is cheaper than both petrol and diesel due mainly to the significantly lower fuel duty imposed by the government.
The rate with which LPG has grown in popularity in recent years is quite remarkable. This is not surprising as the cost savings can be significant. Currently, the average cost of LPG at a retail filling station is circa 36p per litre (compared to the typical cost of unleaded petrol at approx 75p per litre).
To meet this demand, the network of fuelling stations that supply LPG is growing at a rate of 1 per day, and this trend looks set to continue for the foreseeable future. There are currently over 1000 LPG filling stations available nationwide.
The cost benefits are even better for companies with large fleets that decide to have their own supply of fuel. Systems can be installed at little or no cost depending on the amount of fuel to be supplied. Typically such companies would expect to pay around 22.5p plus VAT per litre for this service.
To encourage the switch to more environmentally friendly methods of travel, the Government have introduced several measures:
MG Rover Group and EcoGas Systems Ltd have developed an aftermarket LPG conversion for new and used (typically less than 12 months old) MG Rover vehicles. Converted vehicles can switch between petrol and LPG at the touch of a button.
LPG conversions will initially be made available for 1.8i manual derivatives of Rover 45, Rover 75, MG ZR and MG ZS.
Work is currently ongoing to establish the opportunity to prioritise extending availability to more MG Rover products.
HOW THE LPG SYSTEM WORKS - A GUIDE TO COMPONENTS INVOLVED
LPG Tank – An additional LPG tank is fitted in the spare wheel well of the vehicle. The tank is designed to take high impact collisions and also has many in built safety systems. The customer will be provided with an Instant Mobility System that will substitute the need to carry a spare wheel. Customers will still receive a spare wheel for which an optional wheel bag may be purchased from Ecogas.
2. Regulator – This device regulates the flow of LPG from the tank. The regulator is connected to the coolant system of the vehicle and allows the liquid gas to achieve its gaseous state using the heat from this system.
3. Actuator – The actuator controls the flow of the gas to the engine.
4. Distributor – This distributes the gas to the injectors allowing the gas into the engine inlet manifold.
5. ECU – The Electronic Control Unit receives information from the vehicles own electronics system. These signals are used to run the gas system in the same way as the petrol system.
6. Interface – This allows the fitting of the gas electronic system to the vehicle system without the need of cutting wires or interrupting the function of the vehicles own systems.
7. Switch – This allows the vehicle to be used on either gas or petrol hence the “bi-fuel” description given to this system.
WARRANTY & AFTER SALES
The LPG conversion will be ‘MG Rover Approved’, carrying full Dealer and LPG system warranty to 3yrs, compatible with MG Rover’s standard terms.
More information about LPG and Powershift can be found on the following web sites: