London Autogas Taxi Project Receives Positive Reviews

Early results of an autogas taxi pilot project in London are showing positive results in several areas, including fuel cost, maintenance cost, and environmental benefits.

Autogas Ltd. (Sambourne, England), a joint venture between Shell U.K. and Calor Gas, has been in business for 16 years, with a network of LPG refueling pumps selling Calor Gas propane through Shell fuel stations. The company’s website states its mission is to “save motorists from fuel poverty and help us all breathe easier.”

Paul Beesley, marketing manager for Autogas Ltd., said businesses and residents in the United Kingdom have been increasingly focused on improving air quality in urban areas. The government, under a program called the Birmingham NOx Reduction Champions Project, provided funding for businesses to use toward air quality projects.

“Obviously, transport is one of the main causes” of air quality problems in the country, Beesley stated. “Taxis are found in urban areas, so that was a good market to hit.” The classic London black taxis are the heaviest-polluting vehicles on the road because they run on diesel, he added.

Autogas Ltd. decided to use the funding for a pilot project to replace the taxis’ diesel systems with LPG. The project involved replacing the diesel systems on the taxis known by their model numbers TX1, TX2, and TX4. The company plans to place 63 LPG-fueled taxis on the road by the end of this year. As of early September, 12 of the vehicles were on the road.

The project started with an attempt to convert the taxis’ core engines to petrol and then adding the LPG system, but Beesley noted that issues existed with this due to the condition of these engines (and not the technology of the LPG system), many of which had very high mileage. “The next solution was to completely remove the diesel engine and refit the vehicle with a petrol engine kitted out with the LPG system,” he noted. “That’s a solution that works.”

Autogas Ltd., working with Birmingham-based Harborne Garage and two Dutch companies, Kronenburg Powertrain Solutions (KPS) and Vogels Autogas, succeeded in getting the vehicles on the road. The new system earned Euro 6 emissions approval, and Autogas Ltd. reports 80% less NOx and 99% less particulate matter with the new system.

Beesley noted that for alternative-fuel vehicle companies, “there are a number of hoops you have to jump through,” including a 10,000-mile durability test in which the vehicles will run 24 hours per day.

The pilot program as of August had only been in place for about two months, but drivers have reported fuel cost savings of about 5 £ per day or about 20%. Autogas Ltd. reports that with the 20% savings, most cabdrivers will see a return on investment after two years or 80,000 to 90,000 miles.

Another benefit of the project is that it gives the vehicles an extra five years of life. In London, taxis must be taken off the road after they turn 15 years old. But the law allows the vehicles to run longer if they are fitted with a different fueling system.

The taxi drivers seem to be happy with the vehicles’ extended lifespan, with Beesley noting the drivers have commented about the smoother, quieter ride with LPG. Some said the air conditioning and heated seats, which did not work previously, now work after the installation of the LPG system. “When the engine system goes in, you get different parts as well,” Beesley explained. “It kind of makes it almost a new vehicle.”