LPG Cars - Chauffeurs link up with Calor Autogas

Fleet operators throughout the UK have much to gain from converting vehicles to run on Calor Autogas (liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG). Organisations offering transport services, such as taxi and chauffeur companies, can benefit very significantly from the considerable savings in fuel and maintenance costs which result from running vehicles on Autogas. Consistent high mileage and the requirement for reliable, quiet vehicles are just two reasons why chauffeur companies are increasingly turning to vehicle conversion as a means of reducing fuel bills and levels of environmental pollution.

Chauffeur Link, based in Bath, offers limousine and luxury minibus travel for a wide range of corporate clients, and to the many tourists and holiday makers visiting the historic town. Established for ten years, Chauffeur Link employs up to 15 drivers to meet the demand for its services, and operates a fleet of luxury vehicles, including Mercedes S and V-Class, a top of the range Ford Scorpio and a VW Caravelle 9-seater Transporter - all converted from new to run of Autogas, which is over 50% cheaper than petrol or diesel. Form two offices in Bath, the company offers executive transport to locations throughout the country, including regular journeys for corporate clients to Manchester, Leeds and London, and even into Europe.

Managing director Keith Davis explained: "Bath has one of the poorest air pollution records in Europe and as a local business I felt we should contribute in any way possible to reducing levels of pollution in and around the town. Of course, the considerable savings on fuel costs were also a major influence on our decision to start converting new vehicles to enable them to run on either LPG or petrol. Further key requirements are that our vehicles run as quietly and smoothly as possible, in order to offer the quality of ride that our customers expect, and by running them on Calor Autogas we can meet those requirements."

The cars average up to 90,000 miles per annum, and are replaced every eighteen months to two years with around 150,000 miles on the clock. New vehicles are sourced locally and converted by a nearby garage which also carries out all servicing and maintenance on Chauffeur Link's fleet.

Keith Davis added: "We can buy Calor Autogas at less than half the cost of petrol, and on average it takes just three months to recover the cost of conversion. Over the remainder of the life of the vehicle, we save thousand of pounds in fuel costs. The performance is no different and, of course, cars running on LPG are much quieter than their diesel equivalents. We fund new vehicles in a variety of ways, including hire purchase, leasing and outright purchase, and we have found that converting our cars to run on LPG as well as petrol affects neither the funding method nor the manufacturer warranty: we simply maintain service intervals as dictated in the vehicle handbook."

By running vehicles on LPG, fleet operators can often recoup the cost of conversion in a short period. Nevertheless, grants towards the cost of conversion, or the price differential between manufacturer's petrol and LPG powered vehicles, are available for qualifying vehicles through the Energy Savings Trust "Powershift" programme: an added incentive to companies wishing to benefit from the cost and environmental benefits offered by LPG.

The network of filling stations offering Calor Autogas is growing rapidly as Calor continuous to invest heavily in developing the refuelling network, including initiatives to provide Autogas alongside petrol and diesel on the forecourts of leading retail outlets nationwide.

As the majority of the journeys undertaken by Chauffeur Link are either local, or round trips, the company - like many fleet operators - finds it particularly convenient to refuel vehicles from its on-site Calor Autogas bulk storage tank. Bulk purchase of LPG and centralised invoicing bring added cost benefits and streamlined administration and, as the UK's leading supplier of LPG, Calor can offer unrivalled technical expertise in the siting and installation of bulk tanks, supported by a nationwide computerised delivery service to regularly refill bulk storage tanks.

Keith Davis is delighted with his Calor Autogas vehicles, some of which he had converted over a year ago. He concluded: "I plan to continue having as many of our fleet vehicles as possible converted to run on Calor Autogas: the fuel cost savings speak for themselves and we can also enjoy the feel-god factor from helping to reduce air pollution in our town, in however small a way. I would certainly recommend conversion to any other fleet operators wishing to cut fuel costs, and at the same time control environmental pollution."