Govt ’gas guzzler’ runs on C.N.G.

Press, 3 July 1979, Page 6

Govt ’gas guzzler’ runs on C.N.G.

PA Wellington A Ministerial LTD Ford limousine is now a real “gas guzzler.” The 5.1-litre car. one of the Post Office fleet used to carry Ministers and important visitors, has been converted to compressed natural gas. It was on show at Parliament yesterday morning for inspection by the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) and the Minister of Energy’ (Mr Birch). The Post Office superintending engineer, Mr B. G. O’Donnell, said it was

the first of the department’s national fleet of 6000 vehicles to be converted to run on C.N.G. A feasibility study was under way on converting others, and another 11 cars in Wellington would be converted for trial soon. Converting the LTD limousine cost about Sl5OO and took 10 days. Mr O’Donnell expected costs and time for other conversions to be less as the LTD required experimentation and testing. The LTD has a range of

100 km from its two gas cylinders stored in the luggage compartment. The power output and performance of the huge car was “almost identical” whether it ran on petrol or C.N.G., said Mr O’Donnell. Advantages, other than cheaper fuel, were less maintenance and wear on thy engine, and less air pollution. Mr O’Donnell thought the LTD was the biggest car converted to C.N.G. in New Zealand.