LPG
The People's Eco-Rally 2008 attracted all kinds of vehicles: family run-abouts, quadricycles, vans, pedal-cars and even a 44-ton truck! The Mercedes Actros tractor-unit runs on pure plant oil and is capable of 56mph. Whereas the Lotus sports car runs on landfill gas and goes from 0-60mph in under 6 secs.
LPG is manufactured during the refining of crude oil, or extracted from oil or gas streams as they emerge from the ground. When LPG is used to fuel internal combustion engines, it is often referred to as autogas. In some countries, it has been used since the 1940s as an alternative fuel for spark ignition engines. More recently, it has also been used in diesel engines.
The VOSA team's reaction after discovering their own Honda Civic Hybrid (shared pool-car) had won the exhaust-emissions part of the Eco-Rally competition.
Up until very recently, whether or not a car is "green" was less important to most British motorists than the actual colour of the paint. However, the most important factor was, and still is, price. BCA - the UK's largest used car seller, has provided proof that motorists are now making the connection between the two by discovering that there is a strong demand for hybrid/electric and LPG powered cars in the used car market. In fact they are selling well above the market price for their petrol and diesel counterparts.
The Eco-Rally is a positive demonstration of the lowest emission vehicles on the market today, plus the most promising forms of future transportation. You can expect to see all kinds of green machines: rickshaws, bikes, pedal-cars, quadricycles, family run-abouts, taxis, sports-cars, limousines, vans and even lorries!
