For the first time ever Repsol is sponsoring an LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas) or AutoGas powered vehicle in the Baja España Aragón rally. This is the first time an AutoGas vehicle will particpate in a rally, this fuel is already used by 100 private vehicles and taxis in the region.
A buggy powered by this fuel, supplied by Repsol, will start the XXVII edition of the Baja España Aragón rally today, the race between Alcañiz and Zaragoza ends on Sunday and has a route that is over 1 200 km long.
The buggy is a bi-fuel vehicle with two fuel tanks, 15 litres each and a third with 20 litres of additional petrol and has a range of 400km. Each tank is connected to the engine at the press of a button on the dashboard andit is not necessary to stop the vehicle.
Florenci Rius, who has raced five times in this rally, is the driver of the first ever AutoGas buggy in the Baja España Aragón. The aim of this pioneering experience is to highlight the capacities of these LPG bi-fuel vehicles, of which there are already 100 in Aragón and 3 000 in the whole of Spain.
Repsol has a service station selling AutoGas in Zaragoza, and moreover the Cooperativa Autotaxi in this provincial capital has a tank filled with this environmentally-friendly fuel. At the end of 2010 there will be 80 outlets selling this fuel in Spain.
Characteristics of AutoGas
AutoGas, a mix of propane and butane, is the mocst common alternative fuel in the world. It is more environmentally-friendly and safer than other conventional fuels, the system is easily installed on a vehicle and brings considerable cost savings. At the same time it generates lower CO2 emissions and significantly reduces the emission of NOx partícles, hence it helps to improve the air quality in large cities and in addition it lowers noise levels by 50%.
More than 7 million AutoGas-powered vehicles operate in Europe, and their special environmentally-friendly characteristics mean that they have been included in the plans to have 5% of cars in the EU using bifuel AutoGas by 2020, helping to ensure that greenhouse gas emissions are lowered and air quality improved in cities.
