LPG stands for Liquefied Petroleum Gas. When used as a road fuel it is often known as LPG, Autogas or Motorgas. It is the third mainstream fuel for vehicles and is a much cheaper alternative to petrol. About 60% of the world supply of LPG comes from the separation of natural gas products, and 40% is a by-product from the refining of crude oil. In the past, LPG was considered to be waste and flared off; now it is recognised as a major energy source. The UK produces around 5.8 million tones, of which over 2.5 million tonnes are exported. Increased use of LPG autogas will reduce our reliance on imported petrol and diesel. It is particularly abundant in the North Seas crude oil and offers security of fuel supply for many years.

LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas) In Depth.

LPG has the special property of becoming liquid when under pressure, and reverting to gases at atmospheric pressure. This means it can be easily and conveniently stored as a liquid. LPG will quickly evaporate in the event of a fuel spill. Unlike petrol and diesel, LPG presents no risk of ground or water contamination.

LPG is well established worldwide as an environmentally friendly transport fuel in use in over 12 million vehicles. It is the same as commercial propane and is made up of around 94% propane, 4% butane and 2% other petroleum by-products. For vehicles, LPG offers a performance comparable to petrol in top-end speed, acceleration and refill times.

Using it as an automotive fuel to replace petrol will result in a slight drop in miles per gallon, BUT this will be more than compensated for, as the average price of LPG is less than 50% of the cost of petrol, resulting in half-price motoring costs.

After a vehicle is converted to LPG, the petrol system remains intact so that the vehicle can be used on either fuel, providing an increased driving range on dual fuel where necessary.

LPG autogas is regarded as a cleaner fuel because its simple chemical composition makes it very clean burning. This is important for the quality of the air you breathe, which directly affects your health. Particulates from the burning of fuel accumulate in your lungs and LPG engines were shown to have around 99% less of these polluting emissions than diesels.

Reducing carbon and being environmentally responsible is now a part of everyday life. LPG is a low carbon content fuel and, due to its smaller molecular size, burns cleaner than petrol. This leads to a reduction in all the usual emissions. In particular, the emission of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas responsible for global warming, is significantly reduced.

According to research in Europe, LPG vehicles emit 20% less carbon dioxide than their petrol counterparts. Carbon dioxide, nitric oxides and particulates (soot) are key contributors to problems such as poor air quality and global warming.

It would take around 20 LPG cars to produce as much nitric oxides as is pumped out by just one diesel powered car!

Engine noise from LPG powered engines is quieter than petrol or diesel powered engines, keeping sound pollution to a minimum. What's more, because the engine tends to run more smoothly on LPG, it reduces engine wear - and, as such, may well increase the life of your engine and other key components, resulting in less maintenance. The resale value of vehicles is generally enhanced, particularly for vehicles with large engines.

As the environment climbs higher on the political agenda, various incentives for LPG-fuelled cars are beginning to emerge, such as discounted car parking by local councils, and some insurance companies are now offering discounts. Discounted congestion charges are also available for LPG-fuelled cars. Due to the environmental benefits of LPG, the Government has agreed to maintain the low fuel duty on LPG for the foreseeable future, meaning the price of LPG will remain roughly half that of petrol or diesel.