"I have been on the waiting list for two months now. But they promise I will have my car done next month, for sure. My new car will save me about NT$9,000 on gas money each month. Isn't that great?" cab driver Mr. Wang said with a self-satisfied smile and pointed to a row of yellow taxis parking outside a
refueling station on Binjiang Road, Taipei.
While making no difference to the car's appearance, these taxis are not your average gasoline-guzzling cars. They are cost-saving, environmentally friendly LPG (liquid petroleum gas) vehicles which have been plying the streets and highways of metropolitan areas for the past 10 years.
Soaring oil prices in previous months had made taxi drivers think of ways of saving money. As an information-wired mobile tribe, cab drivers moved quickly to take advantage of a government subsidy policy and have their cars converted to bi-fuel vehicles, which can run on both conventional gasoline and liquid petroleum gas.
Most LPG-powered vehicles are not manufactured. LPG engines are usually fitted as a conversion after they are sold. The conversion adds another independent fuel system which requires a second tank, usually installed in the spare wheel well. Such design makes the car
bi-fuel efficient, allowing conventional fuel and LPG to be used in the same car. And the best part is, when the car runs out of LPG, it will automatically switch to gasoline.
Support from the government
"The government started to promote usage of LPG in passenger vehicles in 1996. Initially, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), Executive Yuan
attractive, especially to cab drivers, since it costs around half the price of petrol.
"The economic incentive to make the switch [to LPG cars] is obviously huge. For example, a cab driver who drives on average 200km to 250km a day can save up to NT$8,000 to NT$10,000 each month." said Yang Zhi-yuan (楊之遠), head of the Department of Air Quality
Protection and Noise Control at the EPA
As a result, almost 90 percent of the 30,000 LPG vehicles running in the country are yellow cabs, according to the EPA. Apart from the savings, LPG is also widely recognized as having inherent environmental advantages and is, therefore, one of the most important alternative fuels for the automotive sector. It is estimated that almost 10 million vehicles run on LPG in more than 53 countries, including the US, Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, Japan and South Korea.
What is liquid
petroleum gas?
LPG is a mixture of butane and propane obtained as a by-product of oil production. In the past, it had been considered waste. The mixture is in a gaseous form at room temperature, but turns to liquid when lightly compressed. It reverts to gas when the pressure is sufficiently reduced. When used as a vehicle fuel, it is often referred to as autogas. It is stored in a liquid state in special tanks that keep it under pressure. The simple chemical nature of the fuel ensures it is clean burning and produces less pollution.
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