RUNNING ON NATURAL GAS

Blackburn Council is to date the only legal operator of natural-gas powered vehicles in Great Britain. At present Blackburn has nine gas powered vehicles: two Freight-Rover 3.5-tonne tippers, two Freight Rover vans, and five Bedford Astra vans. These vehicles were converted from petrol-engined vehicles to dual-fuel vehicles. Stop-start and cold-start operations with gas show less engine wear, no sludge formation and no dilution of oil on cylinder bores, so oil-drain periods can be extended. Spark-plug life is estimated at 250,000 miles, and exhaust systems last indefinitely because of the cleaner emissions with negligible acids formation. A gas conversion kit can be transferred from vehicle to vehicle, the initial cost being in the region of 1,000 pounds Sterling. Ultimately, the whole-life cost, including fitting, seems likely to be well within 400 to 500 pounds Sterling per vehicle--cheaper than a catalytic converter.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00203122
• Corporate Authors:

  Institute of Road Transport Engineeers

  1 Cromwell Place
  London SW1 25F,   England 
• Authors:
  • Leeming, D
• Publication Date: 1989-9

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 33, 35
• Serial:
  • TRANSPORT ENGINEER
  • Publisher: Institute of Road Transport Engineeers
  • ISSN: 0020-3122

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cost effectiveness; Costs; Exhaust gases; Natural gas; Performance evaluations; Trucks; Vans
• Uncontrolled Terms: Conversion
• Old TRIS Terms: Dual fueling
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Motor Carriers;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00488562
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 31 1989 12:00AM