C.N.G. target ‘beyond reach’

Press, 4 December 1981, Page 4

C.N.G. target ‘beyond reach’

The Government will fail to reach its target of having 20,000 vehicles converted to compressed natural gas by the end of 1981, according to a Hamilton-based supplier of C.N.G. and liquefied petroleum gas, Mr Alan Brown. Mr Brown,. the managing director of Alan Brown Energy Resources, Ltd, said that by the end of October 9000 conversion units had been sold by distributors throughout New Zealand. The shortfall in the number of conversions was even further behind target because the figures did not reflect the number of vehicles .which had actually been converted. Mr Brown said, “In terms of conversion of Government vehicles, the situation is that many of the kits are sitting on departmental shelves.” The Ministry of Energy, in trying to explain the reasons for the shortfall, appeared to be saying that much of the equipment was working unsatisfactorily. The benefits which com-

panics and individual people converting their vehicles to C.N.G. had been led to expect, were not eventuating and the market was becoming hesitant. Mr Brown said, “While in partial agreement with the Ministry’s claims, we believe the Government’s total commitment to C.N.G. is misguided. It is a short-term approach based on the fact that C.N.G. is readily available. “However, L.P.G. is now also readily available but only in the North Island at this stage." Mr Brown said that much of the lack of faith in the conversion programme related to the wrong choice of fuel in relation to what a vehicle was used for. C.N.G. and L.P.G. were both important fuel options but potential users had to be made aware of the advantages and disadvantages of each fuel in different working conditions.