The Gloucester Taxi Website

A team at RBS in Birmingham is funding an environmental engineering firm which converts diesel engines to liquid petroleum gas.

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Gloucestershire firm Clean Fuel Systems secured £150,000 of funding to develop further their clean-engine project. The Birmingham office of RBS provided the company with the loan under the Government’s Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme, to allow the company to take forward the project, initially with taxi drivers to help them meet greener regulations for their taxi fleets.

The Cheltenham-based company is led by chairman Steven Mills and the business bought the technology to convert diesel engines to LPG in 2006. Since that purchase, the company has invested in further modification and upgrade of this technology whilst researching the taxi market with a view to converting cab engines from diesel to LPG,, not only to meet new emission regulations but also to provide savings in fuel and operating costs.

The funding will be used to build the firm’s engine inventory. The company works on conversion projects with a number of cab operators, to minimise the time a fleet is out of circulation. Currently, Clean Fuel Systems is concentrating on the black cabs, either Fairway or TX1 models, but the company said its technology could also be used in the light commercial vehicle market.

Clean Fuel Systems are also in negotiations with a national fuel supplier with a view to increasing their LPG supply through a small number of “LPG bunker sites” throughout the United Kingdom. Steven Mills, chairman of CFS, said: “We sense a real opportunity here. Regulations mean that taxi operators have to address the issues of emissions in their vehicle fleets and the potential is huge. The additional funding raised provides us the platform to develop a quantity of engines to market aggressively. Our negotiations with a fuel supplier are another exciting development and evidence of the investment we have made in this technology.”

Louise Armstrong, commercial banking manager at RBS Birmingham, added: “The development on this scale is a big step forward for a company of Clean Fuel Systems’ size. They are a good example of the entrepreneurial spirit that still exists despite the tough economic conditions that small businesses are facing.”

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Hybrid Cars
For the last few years, fuel prices have been steadily, but surely rising and rising. Petrol is very expensive relative to a few years ago and cutting petrol use has become a necessity for many. On top of this, growing awareness of climate change and the huge amounts of harmful emissions released when driving have prompted a gradual change in mentality amongst drivers and `hybrid cars` have emerged as a green alternative.

How they work
There are essentially two opposite forms of hybrid engine used in cars. The first type is a gasoline-assist engine that features in the Honda Prius and Ford Escape Hybrid. These engines have the capacity to use both electric and petrol power. When the car requires lots of energy such as accelerating from a standstill, electric power is used. On the other hand, when travelling over 25mph and less energy is required, petrol is used. This is the opposite to the other type of engine – the electric-assist model. In these cars it is the electric power that kicks in when extra energy is needed and cars that feature these engines include the Honda Insight and Civic Hybrid.

The Benefits of Hybrid
There are numerous benefits to having a hybrid car over a standard petrol-powered vehicle. Firstly, hybrids equal regular cars in terms of aspects such as comfort and performance. Vast amounts of time, research and funding has gone into developing hybrid cars and there now several stylish and comfortable hybrid cars available. Furthermore, given the huge improvements in the technology in recent years, hybrids perform at par with traditionally-powered vehicles if not better. The dual capabilities of hybrid cars combine clean and emission-free electrical energy with petrol and this offers a considerably better mileage to regular cars. Less petrol is required and the increased efficiency of these engines means that fewer harmful climate-changing gases are emitted and this will also result in lower petrol bills for drivers.

The Top Hybrids around
Currently, the two top hybrid cars around, in terms of technology, popularity and comfort, are the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, although numerous competitors promise to widen the market. In third place is probably the Lexus GS 450h, for example. The Prius is the oldest hybrid around and has become an almost iconic model as it began a minor green revolution in the car world. Their energy efficient and innovative engines alongside their stylish designs have made them very popular. Civic Hybrids are catching up in terms of reputation and their greenness is favoured by increasing numbers of drivers.

Buying a Hybrid car
There are a range of hybrids around and it can be tricky to choose and buy a car. The most important aspect to consider is where and when the car will be used. Different engines conserve more energy in different ways and a city user will benefit more from a gasoline-assisted engine whereas electricity-assisted cars benefit long-distance journeys.