According to the British Autogas industry, LPG is now viewed politically as a more viable, alternative road fuel, with emissions on par with petrol-hybrid, compared to last year. Autogas Ltd. has analysed the development of the sector on the occasion of its recent visit to the Commercial Vehicle show, Britain’s biggest road transport show, where they demonstrated how LPG can help businesses transition to a sustainable and low emission fuel, helping to ensure compliance with new urban low emission zones.

The main highlights over the last 12 months are:

• As a transport fuel, LPG is recognised by the European Commission, the UK Government and Welsh Government, as well a host of regional bodies including Combined and Local Authorities, as a supported tool for tackling the air quality crisis in urban areas in a speedy and cost-effective manner.

– At 2018 Autumn Budget, the Chancellor announced that the difference between LPG and main road fuel duty rates will be maintained until 2032 – meaning LPG customers will continue to benefit from a low rate of fuel duty.

– The recently published Road to Zero strategy (from the Department for Transport) noted the important role that LPG can play in helping us to improve air quality whilst we work towards the long-term goal of zero-emission transport. The strategy concluded that “LPG’s environmental performance relative to diesel makes it a good current alternative to diesel, particularly for vehicles being used in urban driving conditions”.

– For the commercial sector (where vans are very common), which includes sole traders and small businesses, there are concerns around the impact of local air quality measures. In particular, the cost of upgrading to a compliant vehicle can be prohibitively expensive and options are restricted. Supported measures include the conversion of vehicles to run on lower emission LPG.

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8 May 2019