Money and Mother Earth

Petrol and diesel is getting expensive by each passing day. As a result cars are getting more and more expensive to run. This is where alternate sources of propulsion chip in. This is where the “green fuels” show their worth.

It was not far in the past when carrying a LPG cylinder to a local mechanic’s workshop was a common sight. Such was the rage that it created quite a stir in the minds of many a big name in the automotive industry. Maruti got so tempted by the whole deal that it launched Wagon-R Duo which ran as efficiently on LPG as it did on petrol. LPG and CNG are looked upon as ‘greener’ fuels and the government too is doing its bit to promote them.

Majority of the public transport in the national capital region and other metros are already running on CNG and the emergence of more refueling outlets is a step in the right direction. It is said that CNG is much safer when compared against petrol, diesel or even LPG because even under leakage it does not liquefy or accumulate. CNG dissipates in the air since it is lighter than air. This makes it less prone to explode or ignite. CNG, when being burnt in the combustion chamber leaves no residue or hydro-carbons. This increases the engine life by a substantial margin. Since it is dry in nature, it does not dilute the lubricating oil which ensures that you end up saving on oil changes and filters as well. It is said that tune-up for an engine running on CNG might not be required till close to about 60,000-70,000km. This in turn results in significant lowering of the operating costs.

At the manufacturer’s level, the initiative of introducing a vehicle capable of running on alternative fuel was taken by Hindustan Motors by offering the Ambassador with CNG option. This was followed with the Maruti Omni and Tata Indica while everybody had a dropped-jaw expression when Chevrolet launched its flagship offering, the Optra with the the CNG option. More and more manufacturers launching CNG powered cars gesticulate at the increasing acceptance of alternate fuels.

The LPG run, recently launched Wagon-R Duo has met with decent success and things can only march northwards from here because even the government has levied a tax of only about 15% as against 38% on petrol and diesel.

So, the question here arises that which among the two, CNG or LPG, makes for a better fuel for our cars? It is observed that in a comparative study between CNG and LPG, LPG gains more acceptance. The tail-pipe emissions are also substantially lesser than other fossil fuels. Also, for the same volume, LPG requires a storage tank one-third in size as that of CNG.

LPG can be fuel injected in much the same way as petrol. With the reduction in quantity, in a normal CNG tank, power decreases by upto 20%. In order to maintain optimum level of engine power, pressure inducing pumps/systems have to be installed. The liquefied petroleum gas on the other hand suffers from no such problems. This is further explained by citing the example of use of this fuel in our kitchens. It burns with the same intensity irrespective of the pressure in the cylinder.

Let us then shift our focus to the sources available to us other than the usual suspects (read petrol and diesel). Let us do our bit to save mother earth. Let us do our bit to help the economy. Let us do our bit to save some money. Let us live a good life. Amen!