MILEAGE TAX

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24408, 20 September 1940, Page 6

MILEAGE TAX

GAS-PROPELLED VEHICLES OWNERS GRANTED EXEMPTION (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Sept. 19. Regulations gazetted to-day repeal the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act requiring the owners of vehicles propelled by producer gas, coal gas or other approved substitute fuels to pay a mileage tax. In future no such tax will be payable. The operators of- the vehicles concerned are, however, expected to furnish at the usual time this month a return of the mileage up to September 19 Under the new regulations heavy vehicles not driven by petrol are allowed an extra quarter of a ton in respect to laden or unladen weights permitted on classified and unclassified roads. If. by reason of the fitting of any apparatus for using substitute fuels, the, statutory dimensional limitations of a vehicle are exceeded, written permission may be given by the Commissioner of Transport for the vehicle to operate with the increased sionsUSE OF PRODUCER GAS GOVERNMENT SURVEY The possibility of producer gas plants as an alternative fuel supply for automotive use are surveyed in a brochure issued by the Minister of Supply (Mr D. G. Sullivan), which summarises the findings of an expert committee which has been conducting experiments since before the outbreak of war. The committee finds that producer gas is a desirable alternative fuel to petrol, but that its chief disadvantages are a loss of approximately half the power, the initial cost o* the plant, the bulk and weight of the equipment, and the time occupied in filling and cleaning. More efficiency can be obtained from producer gas by raising the compression of the motor, the experts found. Another way to get more power from the gas is to advance the ignition. N 0 other motor modification is necessary. The loss of power, however, does not affect running as seriously as might be expected. Trials were carried out with a oOcwl truck, carrying a load of five tons ’and a-quarter, and performance under various conditions was charted oh a series of runs. It was found that producer gas did not seriously affect performance on the flat, with a maximum speed of only 10 miles an hour less than when petrol was used. Loss on Hills It was while accelerating or climbing hills that the loss of power became noticeable. It took three or four times as long for the truck to reacn 30 miles per hour than it did using petrol, and speed over a uniform grade of 1 in 12,7 was only half. For satisfactory operation of a producer gas plant, frequent servicing is essential, the brochure states. Cleaning tte producer gas filters occupies about "half an hour daily. Weights of various plants vary from 2cwt to Bcwt. Turning to a discussion on fuels for producer gas plants, it is stated that wood and coal, because of the presence of tarry matter and moisture, cannot be used except in specially-designed producers. , , . , Charcoal, brown coal (char), and some special types of coke are suitable fuels. Some types of fuel produce quantities of ash or clinker, and this limits the distance which can be covered without cleaning. Charcoal, •without- this disadvantage is bulkier, and produces more dust. The weight of each fuel consumed a mile is approximately the same, and by comparison with petrol, about 151 b of charcoal is equal to a gallon of spirit. Plans for Plant Full details, with drawings, are given of a type of producer gas plant which is of simple, yet efficient, design. It is capable of being made from materials easily available, has low cost, ease of manufacture, rapid starting from cold, and ease of control and flexibility, and generates good quality gas. The plant is particularly suitable tor in corporation in a truck, the general lay-out providing for the producer on one side of the cab, the filter on the other, and the cyclone, or cleanerseparator. at the rear of the chassis. Such an arrangement gives even distribution of load. The plant is suitable for various types of fuel, and the brochure states that investigations are now being made as to the. production of suitable fuel from the carbonisation of coal. A future brochure will give maintenance and operational details for such plants. In a foreword, the Minister says: I earnestly commend this publication to all concerned with the transport industry, and hope that advantage will be taken of the information it contains to aid the Government in its efforts to conserve supplies of motor spirit.