ARE DUAL FUELS A REAL ALTERNATIVE NOW?

With an array of fuels available to use in our private cars these days the choice we now have is mind boggling. At one time of day the only dual fuel car was petrol/hand power, meaning you had to push it when it broke down!

All that has changed with major car manufacturers such as Honda, Ford, Renault, Nissan, Citroen, Skoda and Volkswagen, amongst others, producing their popular models as dual fuel straight from the factory, suggesting that the industry is taking the plight to save the environment seriously. The government has followed suit - if you switch from your normal car to a greener fuel you’ll qualify for their Powershift grant to help with the cost of your new venture.

As driver trainers, should we be taking it seriously too bearing in mind a dual fuel car can reduce harmful greenhouse gasses by up to 55%?

Other benefits include cheaper running costs and a complete exemption from the £5 daily congestion charge in Inner London if your vehicle is a “band 4” dual fuel. In plain English that includes vehicles converted to run on LPG and CNG, electric battery and also hybrid electric/petrol vehicles.

Before I get us lost in this quagmire of a subject, I’ll state what the fuels actually are: -

Liquid Propane Gas (LPG) – The gas that is mostly used and is quite common. LPG is a butane and propane mix and is the bi-product of the oil refining process although it does also occur naturally. There are currently around 1200 LPG pumps on forecourts in the UK and that number is rising according to research. In the future gas cars will probably run on gas alone but currently have one gas tank and one petrol tank that the driver can switch between, to avoid running out of gas between fill ups. Kits are available from various internet companies to convert most existing petrol cars to LPG at a price of around £1500.

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) – Being mostly methane and the other 8% a mixture of nitrogen, propane and ethane, CNG is the gas that powers your central heating at home. Being practical, it’s probably best that it stays powering just your heating for now. CNG needs to be stored under greater pressure than LPG, so you’ll need a much larger tank on board for storage, probably turning your average small hatchback into something like an HGV. There’s also the small concern over the lack of filling points although for approximately £2000 you can obtain a private compressor for your back yard. However the mains pressure to private property regulation means it’ll be filling up overnight for 7 hours and there’s the small worry of “leaving the gas on” whilst you’re out cold from a hard day`s graft. Being optimistic though, it does have the edge on LPG with it’s much lower emissions.

Do the government still need to ask why we aren’t taking this greener motoring thing seriously?

Volvo tried their hardest to make us see the light in 1996 with a CNG/petrol model. Remember it? Nor do I. All credit to the Swedes though, just like Sven Goran Eriksson, Volvo refused to give up and have the new S80 range available in both CNG and LPG. Not terribly helpful for driving instructors as all models are a bit large.

And of course the alternative fuel that seems destined never to succeed, and is often laughed about, is electric battery power. This alternative power will never be a million miles from motoring magazine articles, as it is seen to be the ultimate remedy - renewable power without using up natural resources (apart from the power station that powers the recharger when you plug it in at night). Peugeot and Citroen have produced battery electric vehicles that sell in the UK but may not be up to standard for driving instructors with a full diary as they require charging every 50 miles or so - not exactly a money spinner is it? Teaching pupils to be more positive on a dual carriageway could be a tall order too, the top speed for either car is around 56mph.

Honda have tried to shock us into buying their hybrid electric/petrol “Insight” model by boasting massive fuel economy and a respectable 0-60mph time of 12 seconds but seeing one in your local Sainsbury’s car park is still as rare as hens` teeth. I can also imagine the 0-60 figures wouldn’t be half as respectable when you stick your roof sign on. The electric motor/998cc 3 cylinder engine combination will return 85-90mpg for your loyalty and if you’re a motorway user it’s not unusual to get 105mpg. For people who don’t care for multiple figures that’s 600-700 miles on a full tank.

Reading a review from Insight owners (yes, there are some around) I had stumbled on some interesting points, the amazing reliability of this fun little car being one. The only downside being it’s only a two seater rendering it unsuitable for L tests. It also has skinny, low friction tyres to maximise fuel efficiency but without any loss of cornering ability. One owner had quoted “The car corners like it’s on rails”. That’s maybe because it has the looks of your average Intercity 125. Aesthetics aside, Honda have made a name for themselves with this niche even making the whole car fully recyclable.

Various experiments have also been covered on steam powered cars, much to the delight of T.V. viewers. BBC`s motoring programme Top Gear immediately springs to mind with what I seem to remember was a 100mph beast, very handy as long as your lesson doesn’t stray too far from the nearest reservoir!

Most of us would have made our minds up long before reading any of the numerous articles from tabloids or motoring magazines. But remember, if you’re in the “Won’t touch with a bargepole” mindset, we all scoffed at mobile phones 20 years ago, now I don’t know any instructor who can conduct business properly without one.

It’s not necessarily mission impossible…

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