LPG conversion and the cost of motoring

[John.Reddie]

My car had twin underslung LPG tanks etc. fitted long before I bought her, and the system has been erratic "engaging" LPG ever since I coaxed it back to some sort of life having been assured that it worked when I bought it, only to find that it was a tad unreliable (tasteful understatement for a public forum!)

Today I took the car into tassoautogas.co.uk in Hammersmith, who are the Lovato distributors for the UK, Lovato being the system on the car. Well.... around £100 later and wow, wow, wow. Faultless switching into and out of gas, performance is incredible - they obviously tuned the whole engine - and I just did around 120 miles mix of town and motorway cruising laughing to myself nearly all the way - and no stopping to fill the gas up either...

But then I thought about Gordon and his recent budget. So what's the score for a 4x4 running a well set up gas system that's emitting rather less nasty stuff than a Fiesta 1400 now??? I wonder. Of course, a cynic like me thinks that the "green" tax" on 4x4s is nothing of the sort, it's just another chance to hammer those who can and will be hammered because nothing, repeat nothing, is going to induce me not enjoy motoring like this evening's run, and with a relatively clear conscience re emissions too. OK, so a 2 ton car stresses the tarmac a bit more, so expect to pay extra. But I wonder if anyone's even considered dual fuel or LPG vehicles when designing this latest "responsible" tax...

So, one can of worms duly opened.... any takers to continue this debate???

[j,moore]

hi, just thougt i'd say the new higher tax dosent include the csk or any other vehicle built before 2001 as of yet, as that was the year from when vehicles were taxed in catagorys linked to how much co2 emisions they produced and also the new any tax reductions offered for lpg conversions only covers new vehicles and they have to have a conformity standard certificate to proove it. so really any one who buys a new range rover at over £50,000 probibly wont be bothered about £300 road tax and he definatly wont want to lpg convert it so the goverment is quids in, but in five or six years time when it is passed down the line and it is well worn and probibly produces alot more co2 emisions the tax will be doubled and the everyday chap who has managed to stump up the cash to buy one will be stung whith a masive road tax bill and high fuel costs as well as trying to keep the ageing range rover on the road. so once again its the everyday working man who gets ripped off, and its not just 4x4s, big cars are just the same too. i'm sorry but thats my view on the subject.
anyway, keep up the good work.
many thanks, jim