AutoblogGreen

LPG, i.e. propane-butane, is a gas at ambient pressure. It becomes liquid only at ~10 bar (depends on temperature).

A diesel-LPG combo therefore requires a separate pressurized tank for LPG plus fuel system on top of the higher cost of the diesel engine, plus co-ordination with the diesel injection system in the ECU software. It might save a little fuel but not enough to ever make up for the conversion cost. Also, diesel engines run lean to avoid excessive PM formation. If you use the LPG to boost power by running closer to stoichiometry, you may get more PM and NOx, not less. Also, the higher engine-out exhaust gas may cause your turbo to fail prematurely, especially if its a variable geometry type.

Note that combined-fuel operation is not new: very large natural gas engines rely on the injection of small amounts of diesel at high pressures to ensure reliable NG ignition and rapid flame front propagation. Passenger CNG cars feature smaller cylinders and can therefore make do with iridium-tipped spark plugs.

PS: any engine with a turbocharger is a hybrid, just not an *electric* hybrid.

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we have had LPG conversion back in oz for a long time. really great stuff. you can retro fit an older car for as little $2000. So you can stuff the complaints of the extra cost in your tail pipe and if you read the documentation at teamgreen you will find a fixed price of $2750.00 aus for the cost of the conversion. not bad indeed. all that is hindering the USA is the limited fueling stations. In oz every major station has LPG and most smaller stations as well.

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In Belgium this Toyota dealer transform the Prius whit Lpg. The only problem is Toyota no longer guarantee your car for free whit mechanical problems.
In Belgium you have 5 years of full support.

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http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/03/17/diesel-lpg-wow/#comments
Diesel + LPG = WOW! - AutoblogGreen. on this site you can see The transformation of the Prius with Lpg.
Fred. from Belgium

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Everyone is on to something, every nation out there has something new and exciting, except us. Why? Because stupid government needs control, so if we invent something, they might not be able to control it. EVERYONE knows diesels get better mpg, so why is no one bringing the diesel hybrid here. mmm!
what about diesel price, its gone up too.
I think it is time We Americans stop trying to pretend that our government is helping us. We all know they spy on us, we know they cheat us, we know they are ripping us new ones.
We need to stand up and fix america before the rest of the world does with war.

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What about road taxes on LPG? If it’s not sold at automotive filling stations for automotive use, how are road taxes collected? If you're caught using LPG without paying road taxes, what’s the penalty?

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This is very similar to a diesel hydrogen system used on tractor trailer trucks except they produce their own hydrogen from water. Water is a lot easier to find than a LPG station.

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Blain Decker -- you could not be more wrong. Plenty of good things being developed in America, from small to large. I'll sayit everytime I get a chance -- only one of the six largest economies has actually reduced GHG in the past 4 years and that the USA. All the others have increased.

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Not new to anyone in the diesel pickup truck community...

I live in Utah where the diesel pickup trucks rule the roads...I swear 1/2 the vehicles on the road hear are monster diesel pickups. I owned a Dodge cummins myself a couple years ago and loved the diesel motor in it. Anyway this trend started years ago in the diesel truck community and it's amazing the amount of power and acceleration by some of these modified trucks. I've seen full-sized 1-Ton pickup trucks beat mustangs and camaros in drag races with a larger turbo and propane injection. You should have seen the look on the kids face in his brand new mustang when he got smoked (literally) by a truck...it was priceless. Diesel engines have mass potential for all the moders out there...in the trucks especially they are de-tuned from the factory so they don't destroy transmissions and other parts. It's very easy to "turn-up" the power and have a lot of fun with diesel engines.

I can't wait to see more diesel powered sports cars like the R8...

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Wis(e) Golden
my name is Blaine Decker, not Blain. But thanks for noticing.
What you have stated does not make me wrong. I know America makes great progress and is very technologically advanced, but what I am trying to say is the government takes control. There are countless numbers of ideas, inventions, and creations that never come fruition. Many of which start, factories get built, and then weeds start growing in the parking lot because some governmental control has kept it from becoming available to the public. There is a lot that the American people have no idea has happened, kept hiden from our eyes, and thats the way the government wants to keep it. And frankly thats they way it needs to stay, for some. Imagine if we, as america, knew what REALLY was happening.

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