GSPK Multifuel Technology - Find Out More

GSPK Multifuel FAQs

Commercial

Does It Really Save Money?
How Can I Tell That It Is Saving Money Once It Is Fitted?
Can I Move It To My Next Vehicle?
How Much Do Conversions Cost?
What About My Vehicle Warranty?
Will My Insurance Be Affected?
My HGV Is Leased, Will This Make A Difference?

Environment

Do Carbon Dioxide Emissions Increase?
What About Other Emissions?

Operations

Will My Converted HGV Suffer A Loss Of Performance?
Where Can I Fill Up With LPG?
What Happens If I Run Out Of LPG When Driving?
How Much LPG Can I Carry?
Is The Range Of My Vehicle Reduced?

Safety

How Safe Is The System?
How Safe Is LPG?
Is Engine Power Increased?
Is Engine Temperature Increased?
What Happens If There’s A Fault With The System?

Installation

Will It Work With My Specific Vehicle?
Which Engines Are Suitable For Conversion?
Where Will Tanks Be Fitted?
How Long Will Conversion Take?

Other

What Is LPG?
Why Haven’t Vehicle Manufacturers Done This Themselves?

Commercial

Does It Really Save Money?

Yes. This isn’t a theoretical calculation or an assumption. The system is being used by real customers and they are saving real money (typically between 10% and 20%). In addition, it has been independently tested by mi Technology on their rolling road chassis dynamometer, and they confirmed the expected savings.

The amount you save will vary depending upon a variety of factors:

Vehicle Make: different vehicles have different engine technology. The GSPK Dual Fuel System works with every make of HGV, but results can vary between different manufacturers.
Driving Conditions: the system works best on vehicles making long motorway or A-road journeys.
Original consumption: obviously those vehicles spending the most on diesel per year will see the swiftest return on their investment.

How Can I Tell That It Is Saving Money Once It Is Fitted?

The best way to tell that you are saving money is to establish a baseline. You do this by accurately measuring the weekly mpg and cost per mile for the vehicle you plan to convert; then, once the system is fitted, you measure the new combined mpg and costs for both fuels, and you can calculate your saving.

There are a few things to consider when you establish your baseline:

All HGVs have better mpg in the summer compared to the winter; winter diesel (used from October to March) does not have the same energy per litre as summer diesel, roads are busier and there is more congestion, and weather conditions such as wind and snow reduce performance. So, if you measure your baseline in the winter the system will look better than it really is in the summer; and if you measure it in the summer the system will look worse in the winter. You really need to adjust your baseline depending on the season.
There are lots of factors that affect a vehicle’s mpg, including driver style, load, types of routes being driven, etc. The same vehicle can vary by as much as 1.0mpg from week to week, so you need an average of either a number of vehicles or a number of weeks.

A simple way to prove that savings are being realised is to connect the truck to a load, pull up a hill on a motorway, and switch off the system while watching the vehicle mpg readout – you will want to switch it back on again in a hurry!

Can I Move It To My Next Vehicle?

Yes, the product can be easily removed and fitted to a new vehicle. Please discuss the cost of removal and refitting with your distributor/installer.

How Much Do Conversions Cost?

GSPK Multifuel Technology does not sell direct to the HGV user. We sell our products to distributor/installers who provide additional components such as the LPG tanks, fit the product and provide after sales service, maintenance and support. We therefore can’t quote a fitted price; please contact one of our distributor/installers who are listed on the ‘Network’ tab and they will be pleased to provide an accurate quote.

What About My Vehicle Warranty?

You don’t necessarily lose the manufacturer’s warranty when the system is fitted. Different manufacturers take different views. By and large it is customer pressure which persuades the manufacturer to be cooperative and helpful.

If needed, GSPK Multifuel Technology’s distributors can introduce customers to Fleetband, who offer a separate engine damage warranty specifically to cover the installation of the GSPK Dual Fuel System. Many manufacturers will retain their warranty for everything bar the engine as long as the separate engine warranty is in place.

Some of our customers are even warranting the vehicle themselves using the savings they make on their fuel bills!

Will My Insurance Be Affected?

It should not be affected at all, but it is wise to keep your insurance company informed about any changes made to the vehicle.

My HGV Is Leased, Will This Make A Difference?

If the vehicle is leased you must keep the lease company informed. However, the best thing is to do a conversion in partnership with them; they pay for the system and you pay a monthly cost. Because the monthly cost will be smaller than the monthly fuel savings you start to save money from day one.

Environment

Do Carbon Dioxide Emissions Increase?

Quite the opposite. The exact reduction in carbon dioxide depends upon a variety of factors, but is directly related to the fuel cost savings. For a typical customer saving about 15% the carbon dioxide reduction will be over 8%. This does not come about due to anything magical - it is simply because LPG has a lower carbon content than diesel.

What About Other Emissions?

There is good news here too. Again, exact reductions depend upon many factors such as engine design and the exact fuel cost savings achieved, but both noxides and particulates are reduced.

Noxides are reduced because the LPG displaces some of the air in the manifold - less air (oxygen and nitrogen) means fewer noxides.

LPG is a cleaner fuel than diesel, and has a lower carbon content. Both of these factors reduce the amount of particulate matter.

Operations

Will My Converted HGV Suffer A Loss Of Performance?

The engine feels more flexible, which means fewer gear changes and an improved ability to pull a load up a hill.

Where Can I Fill Up With LPG?

The LPG network in the UK is continuously expanding, and is already very extensive. A list of LPG filling stations which can accommodate an HGV with trailer is provided on the ‘Network’ tab.

What Happens If I Run Out Of LPG When Driving?

Just continue driving. The system is designed to be completely fail safe. Because there are no modifications to the way the engine works, if you run out of LPG you just continue on 100% diesel. Of course, you will stop saving money, but your journey is not interrupted and you can get to another filling station or back to base.

How Much LPG Can I Carry?

This depends entirely upon the vehicle and where tanks can be fitted. By and large most tanks fitted will hold somewhere between 100 and 200 litres.

Is The Range Of My Vehicle Reduced?

On the contrary, unless the size of the diesel tank has had to be reduced to make space for the LPG tanks, you are now carrying more fuel in total and the range of your vehicle will have increased significantly.

Safety

How Safe Is The System?

Extremely safe. The system senses a number of engine parameters such as knock and coolant temperature, and senses system parameters such as gas pressure. If any signs of a problem are detected then the gas valve is immediately closed, stopping the flow of LPG gas to the engine, and the LPG fuel lines are isolated.

How Safe Is LPG?

LPG is a colourless, odourless, non-toxic gas. It is a very safe fuel when stored and distributed correctly within the guidelines laid out by the LPG Association. Like petrol it is flammable and therefore there should be no naked flames or sources of ignition when filling tanks.

To ensure that LPG gas cannot leak the LPG tanks meet very stringent standards and are designed to withstand impacts far exceeding those that petrol or diesel tanks are designed to withstand.

Because LPG is odourless an odorant (often ethyl mercaptan, or sometimes dimethyl sulphide) is added to the gas so that it is immediately obvious if a leak ever happens.

As a final precaution our distributor/installers have gas leak detector kits and can test any vehicle for you. These kits are quite inexpensive and can be sold to you if you are interested.

Is Engine Power Increased?

Yes, but very importantly not maximum engine power or torque. The increases at less than maximum make the engine feel more flexible. As engine power approaches maximum the gas flow is reduced to zero, ensuring that peak power/torque are not increased. This is very important as it keeps the vehicle within the manufacturer's design specifications and eliminates the possibility of engine or drivetrain damage.

Is Engine Temperature Increased?

No. During independent testing at mi Technology on their rolling road chassis dynamometer careful measurements were taken of exhaust gas temperature, and the variation from the normal diesel-only temperatures was not only insignificant, but with the system turned on the exhaust temperatures were normally lower.

What Happens If There’s A Fault With The System?

There are internal diagnostics in the system, and if any fault is detected the system shuts down, stopping the flow of LPG gas to the engine and isolating the LPG fuel lines.

If, for any reason, the engine control unit (ECU) within the system fails then all the parts of the system automatically close down. Everything is designed to be in the ‘off’ mode when the system is not turned on, and has to be opened or made to operate by the ECU. This is described as a ‘fail safe’ system.

Installation

Will It Work With My Specific Vehicle?

We have not yet come across a vehicle to which the system cannot be fitted, or a make it does not work with.

The GSPK Dual Fuel System delivers best results when used with an HGV on long motorway or A-road routes. If your annual diesel consumption is low, your vehicle does a low mileage, or it spends most of its time off motorways and A-roads then please speak to one of our distributor/installers for advice.

Which Engines Are Suitable For Conversion?

Any large HGV diesel engine with electronically controlled diesel injection.

Where Will Tanks Be Fitted?

The LPG tanks are normally fitted into any spare space within the vehicle chassis. It all depends upon the specific vehicle; please contact one of our distributor/installers for advice. We have yet to find a vehicle where the system cannot be fitted.

How Long Will Conversion Take?

Conversion normally takes around 1.5 days. The first conversion on one of your vehicles will take a little longer as any issues regarding tank location and vehicle settings for optimum performance are worked out.

Other

What Is LPG?

Liquefied petroleum gas (also called LP Gas, or autogas) is a mixture of hydrocarbon gases. It includes mixes that are primarily propane (which is the case in the UK), mixes that are primarily butane, and mixes including both propane and butane. A powerful odorant is added so that leaks can be detected easily. LPG is manufactured during the refining of crude oil as a by-product of the process, or extracted from oil or gas streams as they emerge from the ground.

At normal temperatures and pressures, LPG will evaporate. Because of this, LPG is stored in pressurised tanks. In order to allow for thermal expansion of the contained liquid, these tanks are not filled completely; typically, they are filled to between 80% and 85% of their capacity.

The pressure at which LPG becomes liquid varies depending on its composition and temperature, and is typically between 4 bar and 10 bar. LPG has an octane rating (RON) between 90 and 110.