Hybrid owner goes greener with LPG conversion
Most people would consider buying a hybrid car as a green choice for their new car, but that wasn’t good enough for one freelance IT Consultant from Scotland.
Mick Gilluley took his Toyota Prius to Martin Motors in Muirhead to boost its fuel economy even further by converting it to run on LPG. According to Mick, his Prius usually returned around 60mpg, so by converting it to run on LPG-which costs around half the price of petrol-he in effect boosts the fuel economy of his car to the equivalent of 120mpg.
Running on electric power at low speeds and now running on LPG at all other times, Mick knows that his car know has very low emissions. Using LPG, a car emits less carbon dioxide and oxides of nitrogen than petrol or diesel models, and 120 times less small particle emissions than diesel vehicles.
Mick has been a fan of LPG for over 10 years, converting cars he has owned over the years to run on the fuel also known as Autogas, including models of BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, smart and Vauxhall.
With Autogas LPG users usually saving around 40 per cent annually on their fuel bills, the fuel is popular with those looking to save money and boost their green credentials.
As Mick explains: “I’ve had the LPG bug for a long time and realised way back that it is an absolute ‘no brainer’ in that instantly upon converting the vehicle your fuel costs are all but halved. There’s something nice about pulling up at the pump and seeing the cost of Autogas LPG versus petrol and diesel. Of course, the environmental angle is also incredibly important and one of the reasons I drive autogas LPG powered cars.”
Mick has also found that his LPG-converted cars resell for up to £1,000 more than the petrol equivalents, covering much of the cost of the conversion in the first place.
Paul Oxford, business development manager of LPG supplier, Autogas Limited, said: “Mick’s a great example of how passionate autogas LPG vehicle owners get thanks to the fuels low price at the pump and its better environmental credentials than petrol or diesel.
“We’ve always long suspected that autogas LPG users are extremely loyal and Mick is proof of this. However, the benefits of driving on the cheaper fuel is also enjoyed by 170,000 other car owners in the UK, so he’s definitely not alone!”