Why Can't CO2 be Easier to Understand - for Taxi Drivers

“Carbon footprints, Electric Vehicles, Hydrogen Fuel Cells, CO2, NOX, Benzines, and Particulates” just what are the environmentalists/local authority air quality people/licensing authorities talking about. And how can I ever reduce my Taxi’s running costs?

Well it’s all a question of priorities. The ‘Greens’ want electric and hydrogen fuelled vehicles right now; trouble is they are just not practical at the present, and nor are likely to be within the next 5-10 years. It’s the infrastructure you see. It’s not there. …Infrastructure?

When there is a hydrogen filling station every few miles, that is not subsidised by millions in grant support, then we might have an infrastructure. And when battery power allows you to re-charge in 5 minutes tops, then we will have an infrastructure. But both those are a long way off, decades maybe.

Right now there are ‘alternative’ inexpensive fuels out there and there is already the infrastructure – filling stations. Not only that, our partners can install a re-fuelling station right now. And you could be filling up at around 65p per litre including VAT at 20%. This fuel is called LPG. Its big in Europe, 7 million vehicles use it already. But in the UK we only have 155,000. Not only that the EU (in one of their more intelligent moves) has made the suggestion that by 2020 that 20% of all vehicles run on a fuel other than petrol or diesel. The front runner here, again is LPG or Liquefied Petroleum Gas.

LPG Bi-Fuel Brand New Taxi

At Autogas Network Sales Ltd we and our partners the Taxi Shop can supply ready converted Petrol/LPG vehicles for extremely competitive prices. In fact sometimes less than diesel equivalents. We are changing the way the ‘public’ perceive LPG.

LPG is a by-product of Natural Gas exploration and the Petrol Refining Industry. In the UK we actually export LPG as we cannot uses all that we have available. Which is pretty daft with petrol and diesel hovering around £1.40 per litre irrespective of the Chancellors 1p discount (to the current 59 p of duty!).

So we have in the UK a ready supply of inexpensive LPG. We have the technology and availability to supply bi-fuel petrol/LPG Taxis. But what is missing is the understanding and the ‘mis-information’ bandied about by the electric and hydrogen lobby who are looking for massive Government handouts.

The truth is that compared to the diesel engine LPG is exceptionally ‘clean’ and at least 99% more ‘environmentally friendly’. But the ‘powers that be’ only compare by CO2 levels. They don’t do the full job. If you talk to the environmental officer in any local authority, they will talk about ‘Air Quality’. But it’s the diesel engine that’s the biggest culprit here. You all know about soot and particulates – I mean you can see them every time a diesel driver puts his/her foot on the accelerator pedal. That stuff is bad. Especially in built up areas with diesel buses, taxis and cars all queuing in a congestion charging ‘nightmare’. No wonder more kids have asthma than ever before.

Emissions by Fuel Types: Gas Fuels are Cleanest

But there real damning stuff is what you cannot see. The Benzines and NOx in both petrol and diesels fuels. It’s all down to the complexity of the molecules. Diesel is the most complex, LPG far far simpler. The more complex the molecule the more pollution. That’s why the Hydrogen lobby are so powerful, it’s the simplest molecule of all.

So to help your wallet AND the environment think LPG. On the face of it diesel and LPG have similar CO2 levels, but in reality LPG has none of the other pollutants. It’s the sensible choice for the next 10 years until we perfect the ‘fuel cell’. But that’s another story we can tell another time.”