Chapter I

Introduction
A. Background of the Study
The objective of this study was to find the difference between Electric-powered and
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) powered vehicles. Due to the unceasing rise on the price of
gasoline, consumers find ways to reduce their consumption of gasoline. Two of the most well-
known alternatives are the electric and LPG powered vehicles. To define, the electric powered
vehicles use an electric motor for propulsion rather than being powered by a gasoline-powered
motor. On the other hand, Auto gas is the common name for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
when it is used as a fuel in internal combustion engines in vehicles as well as in stationary
applications such as generators. It is a mixture of propane and butane.

B. Significance of the Study
The useful and relevant information acquired from the study will benefit the following:
Consumer. This study informs the consumer about the difference between electric and
LPG powered vehicles and helps them choose between these two alternatives.
Environment. This study educates the people on the environmental benefits of using
electric and LPG powered vehicles.
Community. This study gives the community an overview on the health benefits that
they might get from these two alternatives.
C. Statement of the Problem
This study aims to find the difference between Electric-powered and Liquefied
Petroleum Gas (LPG) powered vehicles in terms of:
1. Efficiency
a. Distance Covered
b. Duration
2. Economical Advantages
a. Cost
b. Savings
3. Environmental and Health Benefits










Chapter II
Discussions
A. Electric-powered Vehicles
1.) History
The history of the electric vehicle began in the mid-19th century. An electrical vehicle
held the vehicular land speed record until around 1900. The high cost, low top speed and short
range of electric vehicles, compared to later internal combustion vehicles, led to a worldwide
decline in their use. At the beginning of the 21st Century, interest in electrical and other
alternative fuel vehicles has increased due to growing concern over the problems associated with
hydrocarbon fueled vehicles, including damage to the environment caused by their emissions,
and the sustainability of the current hydrocarbon-based transportation infrastructure.
The invention of the electric vehicle is attributed to various people. In 1828, nyos
Jedlik, a Hungarian who invented an early type of electric motor, created a tiny model car
powered by his new motor. In 1834, Vermont blacksmith Thomas Davenport, the inventor of the
first American DC electrical motor, installed his motor in a small model car, which he operated
on a short circular electrified track. In 1835, Professor Sibrandus Stratingh of Groningen, the
Netherlands and his assistant Christopher Becker created a small-scale electrical car, powered by
non-rechargeable primary cells. In 1838, Scotsman Robert Davidson built an electric locomotive
that attained a speed of 4 mph (6.4 km/h). Between 1832 and 1839, Robert Anderson of Scotland
invented a crude electrical carriage.
A patent for the use of rails as conductors of electric current was granted in England in
1840, and similar patents were issued to Lilley and Colten in the United States in 1847.
Rechargeable batteries that provided a viable means for storing electricity on board a vehicle did
not come into being until the 1840s.
The invention of improved battery technology, including efforts by Gaston Plante in
France in 1865, as well as his fellow countryman Camille Faure in 1881, paved the way for
electric cars to flourish in Europe. An electric-powered two-wheel cycle was put on display at
the 1867 World Exposition in Paris by the Austrian inventor Franz Kravogl. France and Great
Britain were the first nations to support the widespread development of electric vehicles. The
lack of natural fossil resources in Switzerland resulted in the tiny European nation's rapid
electrification of its railway network to reduce its dependence on foreign energy. In November
1881, French inventor Gustave Trouv demonstrated a working three-wheeled automobile at the
International Exhibition of Electricity in Paris. English inventor Thomas Parker, who was
responsible for innovations such as electrifying the London Underground, overhead tramways in
Liverpool and Birmingham, and the smokeless fuel coalite, claimed to have perfected a working
electric car as early as 1884.
1920s to 1980s: Gasoline dominates
After enjoying success at the beginning of the century, the electric car began to lose its
position in the automobile market. This was brought about by a number of developments. By the
1920s, improved road infrastructure was being created between American cities; in order to
make use of these roads, vehicles with greater range than that offered by electric cars were
needed.
The discovery of large reserves of petroleum in Texas, Oklahoma, and California led to
the wide availability of affordable gasoline, making gas-powered cars cheaper to operate over
long distances. Electric cars were limited to urban use by their slow speed (no more than 24
32 km/h or 1520 mph) and low range (3040 miles or 5065 km), and gasoline cars were now
able to travel farther and faster than equivalent electrics. Gasoline cars became ever easier to
operate thanks to the invention of the electric starter by Charles Kettering in 1912, which
eliminated the need of a hand crank for starting a gasoline engine, and the noise emitted by ICE
cars became more bearable thanks to the use of the muffler, which had been invented by Hiram
Percy Maxim in 1897. Finally, the initiation of mass production of gas-powered vehicles by
Henry Ford brought the price as low $440 in 1915 (equivalent to roughly $10,000 today), and
$360 by 1916 (roughly $7,700 today). By contrast, the price of similar electric vehicles
continued to rise; in 1912, an electric roadster sold for $1,750 (roughly $42,000 in today), while
a gasoline car sold for less than half of that, $650 (roughly $16,000 today).
Studebaker electric cars were sold until the sales peak reached in 1912; Ryker, Morrison,
Anthony Electric, and the Electric Carriage and Wagon Company of Philadelphia, all continued
to sell their cars until 1914. Electric vehicles became popular for certain applications where their
limited range did not pose major problems. Forklift trucks were electrically powered when they
were introduced by Yale in 1923. In Europe, especially the United Kingdom, milk floats were
historically powered by electricity. Electric golf carts were produced by Lektro as early as 1954.
By the 1920s, the heyday of electric cars had passed, and a decade later, the American electric
automobile industry had effectively disappeared
Years passed without a major revival in the use of electric cars. Fuel-starved European
countries fighting in World War II experimented with electric cars, such as the British milk
floats, but overall, while ICE development progressed at a brisk pace, electric vehicle technology
stagnated. In the late 1950s, Henney Coachworks and the National Union Electric Company,
makers of Exide batteries, formed a joint venture to produce a new electric car, the Henney
Kilowatt. The car was produced in 36-volt and 72-volt configurations; the 72-volt models had a
top speed approaching 96 km/h (60 mph) and could travel for nearly an hour on a single charge.
Despite the Kilowatt's improved performance with respect to previous electric cars, consumers
found it too expensive compared to equivalent gasoline cars of the time, and production ended in
1961.
On July 31, 1971, an electric car received the unique distinction of becoming the first
manned vehicle to be driven on the Moon; that car was the Lunar rover, which was first deployed
during the Apollo 15 mission. The "moon buggy" was developed by Boeing and Delco
Electronics, and featured a DC drive motor in each wheel, and a pair of 36-volt silver-zinc
potassium hydroxide non-rechargeable batteries.
1990s to present: Revival of mass interest
After years outside the limelight, the energy crises of the 1970s and 80s brought about
renewed interest in the perceived independence electric cars had from the fluctuations of the
hydrocarbon energy market. At the 1990 Los Angeles Auto Show, General Motors President
Roger Smith unveiled the GM Impact concept electric car, along with the announcement that
GM would build electric cars for sale to the public.
Throughout the 1990s, interest in fuel-efficient or environmentally friendly cars declined
among Americans, who instead favored sport utility vehicles, which were affordable to operate
despite their poor fuel efficiency thanks to lower gasoline prices. American automakers chose to
focus their product lines around the truck-based vehicles, which enjoyed larger profit margins
than the smaller cars which were preferred in places like Europe or Japan. In 1999, the Honda
Insight hybrid car became the first hybrid to be sold in North America since the little-known
Woods hybrid of 1917.
Hybrids, which featured a combined gasoline and electric powertrain, were seen as a
balance, offering an environmentally friendly image and improved fuel economy, without being
hindered by the low range of electric vehicles, albeit at an increased price over comparable
gasoline cars. Sales were poor, the lack of interest attributed to the car's small size and the lack of
necessity for a fuel-efficient car at the time. The 2000s energy crisis brought renewed interest in
hybrid and electric cars. In America, sales of the Toyota Prius (which had been on sale since
1999 in some markets) jumped, and a variety of automakers followed suit, releasing hybrid
models of their own. Several began to produce new electric car prototypes, as consumers called
for cars that would free them from the fluctuations of oil prices.
The global economic recession in the late 2000s led to increased calls for automakers to
abandon fuel-inefficient SUVs, which were seen as a symbol of the excess that caused the
recession, in favor of small cars, hybrid cars, and electric cars. The most immediate result of this
was the announcement of the 2010 release of the Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in hybrid car that
represents the evolution of technologies pioneered by the EV1 of the 90s.
The Volt will be able to travel for up to 40 miles (64 km) on battery power alone before
activating an ICE to run a generator which re-charges its batteries.
As of July 2006, there are between 60,000 and 76,000 low-speed, battery powered
vehicles in use in the United States, up from about 56,000 in 2004. BYD of China has created an
electric MPV with a 250 miles (400 km) range, the E6, which it expects to sell in China
beginning in late 2009, and in North America in 2011. In 2009, Mitsubishi Motors and PSA
Peugeot Citron announced a joint venture to produce electric vehicle technology. A number of
electric vehicles are currently being developed by manufacturers large and small, including the
all-electric sedan from CODA Automotive, a Southern California-based company.
2) Characteristics
An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor(s), using electrical
energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device.
Electric cars create less pollution than gasoline-powered cars, so they are an
environmentally friendly alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles (especially in cities). The use
of electric-powered vehicles reduces greenhouse gas emissions from the onboard source of
power, depending on the fuel and technology used for electricity generation to charge the
batteries and it also create less dependence on foreign oil.
Another characteristic of an electric-powered vehicle is that when you drive, often the
only thing that clues you in to its true nature is the fact that it is nearly silent.

3) How they Function
An electric-powered vehicle is powered by an electric motor. The electric motor gets its
power from a controller then the controller gets its power from an array of rechargeable batteries.
To further explain:
Under the hood, there are a lot of differences between gasoline and electric cars:
The gasoline engine is replaced by an electric motor.
The electric motor gets its power from a controller.
The controller gets its power from an array of rechargeable batteries.
A gasoline engine, with its fuel lines, exhaust pipes, coolant hoses and intake manifold,
tends to look like a plumbing project. An electric car is definitely a wiring project.
B. Liquefied Petroleum Gas Powered Vehicles
1. History
In 1910, under the direction of Dr. Walter Snelling, the U.S. Bureau of Mines
investigated gasoline to see why it evaporated so fast and discovered that the evaporating gases
were propane, butane, and other light hydrocarbons. Dr. Snelling built a still that could separate
the gasoline into its liquid and gaseous components and sold his propane patent to Frank Phillips,
the founder of Phillips Petroleum Company.
By 1912, propane gas was cooking food in the home. The first car powered by propane
ran in 1913. By 1915 people were using propane in torches to cut through metal. LPG has been
used as a transportation fuel, mainly in heavy trucks and forklift vehicles, around the world for
more than 60 years.
With fuel prices at an all-time high, more people are looking for ways to cut
transportation cost with the least effect on mobility and convenience. Auto manufacturers are
continuously developing engines powered by electricity and natural gas. However, it may take
more than 10 years before these technologies can be perfected and priced reasonably for
consumers to start buying them. In an effort to help car owners solve the problem of high fuel
costs, Petron Corporation recently introduced, or re-introduced rather, the use of Liquefied
Petroleum Gas (LPG) on gasoline-powered vehicles. This technology, which is popular in
several industrialized countries like Italy, Japan, South Korea and the US, has been in use for
more than four decades. Worldwide, there are close to 10 million motorists already using LPG to
power their vehicles.

In the Philippines, the use of LPG became popular when hundreds of Korean-made taxis
swamped the metropolis during the early 90s. However, the technology did not flourish mainly
because the infrastructure for refueling and servicing of LPG powered vehicles were limited and
none of the big three oil companies gave it support. Fuel prices back then was so cheap that oil
companies saw LPG as a competition and not giving it support only meant that it will die a
natural death and it did.
2. Characteristics
LPG Liquid Petroleum Gas is made up of two major ingredients, namely propane and
butane. The percentage of the two depends upon the season, as a higher percentage of propane is
kept in winter and the same for butane in summer. It is a non-renewable fossil fuel that is
prepared in a liquid state under certain conditions. The mixture is popularly known as propane
for use in cars, and as LPG when it is used in cars and contains 90 percent propane in contrast to
2.5 percent butane. It is obtained from crude oil refining, and is also considered to be eco
friendly because it doesn't cause any lead in the environment as a by-product.

LPG is used in homes as a cooking gas, and in cars as an alternate for petrol or diesel.
With more and more people buying vehicles running on LPG, most of the gas stations provide
refueling systems for LPG-run cars. LPG turns out to be a lot cheaper and efficient in
comparison to petrol and diesel. After petrol and diesel, LPG is the 3rd most extensively used
fuel for transportation the world over. The LPG-fitted cars are very popular in countries such as
Japan, Italy, Canada, and Austria.
However, people making use of LPG cylinders for cooking is not allowed, as the cylinders in
many countries are available at fairly low rates compared to the ones available at gas stations.
Today, the LPG kits that are available in the market offer dual-fuelled or bi-fuelled
systems. Automatic and manual switching to LPG from petrol or diesel or vice versa is available.
Using LPG increases the fuel efficiency of the vehicle as LPG has a high octane value. It causes
less corrosion of the engine because less water is vaporised, however, not everybody is aware of
the safety risks and conservation issues that surround it. Being a flammable gas, LPG is
potentially hazardous. The major disadvantage of using LPG in a vehicle is that because it
doesn't use lead or any other substitute for combustion, it damages the valves, resulting in a
decrease of the life of the engine. Moreover, as it is a low-density energy fuel, in comparison to
petrol or diesel, LPG is consumed more but because of the subsidised rates available, it proves
to be a lot cheaper.
Further, LPG is not recommended for mountains or any kind of rough terrain as it does
not provide power and torque to the vehicle, as with other fuels. Using LPG means the vehicle
drives 20% less than with other sources of fuel, resulting in more frequent refuelling. In contrast
to petrol or diesel vehicles, starting is always a problem with LPG driven vehicles under 32
degrees Fahrenheit (cold conditions), because at lower temperatures it has a lower vapor
pressure. It is considered to be eco-friendly as it reduces the emission of carbon dioxide by more
than 40 percent. The use of LPG in homes and cars is growing day by day, so in future a gradual
increase in its consumption can be seen.


3. How they Function
Fuel tank
"Propane fuel tank is installed, along with a refueling port,fuel lines, and pressure safety valves.
A filter" fuelock" removes particles that may be present in the propane. Propane tanks are
constructed of heavy gauge steel, in compliance with the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code of the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers ( ASME ) to whitstand a pressure of 1000 psi.
Normal working pressures of the tanks vary depending upon ambient temperatures and the
quantity of fuel in the tank. Propane systems normally limit the liquid level to 80% of tank total
tank volume by a stop fill valve. Common operating pressures are in the range of 130-170 psi.
Tanks are equipped with pressure relief valves that will release propane vapors to the atmosphere
to prevent tank explosion under abnormally high pressure conditions." "Mechanical conversions
systems for LPG and CNG are basically identical with some exceptions. Storage tanks are
different with LPG system. Vaporizer is necessary in LPG conversion system. In LPG
conversion system, high pressure regulator is not necessary.
Electronic conversion systems are also available for LPG.




Mixer
Early propane mixers operated as a conventional venturi-controlled devices in a manner
quite similar to gasoline carburetors. Vaporized propane is drawn through a fixed orifice in
response to engine air flow. The basic design principles have remained unchanged over 30 years.
As intake air enters the engine, a venturi effect is created through the mixer air-valve. This slight
pressure drop acts on a spring-loaded diaphragm is proportionally with air flow,. This may be
best described as a highly accurate flow meter which controls engine fuel flow as a function of
air flow.
Vaporizer
Vaporizer converts the liquid propane to a gas. The primary heat source for this
vaporization is engine-jacket water which flows through specially designed water jackets cast
into the vaporizer body. It is necessary that propane fuel systems draw from the bottom of the
tank rather than the top. If engine feed were drawn from the gas phase, the heavier, higher
boiling components in LPG would gradually become concentrated in the liquid phase creating a
liquid mass with a for vapor pressure and a high freezing point. This liquid would create various
problems in the feel feed system .Therefore, L.P.G systems draw from the bottom of the tank and
send the liquid through a vaporizer that is heated by engine coolant.



Regulator
The function of the regulator is to provide precise fuel pressure regulation to the mixer.
As demand on the regulator increases with engine load, regulator allows higher flow; demand on
system decreases, regulator restricts flow to maintain flow pressure. The high pressure regulator
is unnecessary due to low pressure in LPG storage tank."


D. The Significant Difference between Electric-powered and Liquefied Petroleum Gas
(LPG) powered Vehicles
1. Efficiency
a. Distance Covered
Most EVs can only go about 100200 miles before recharginggasoline vehicles can go
over 300 miles before refueling. While on LPG powered vehicles, one gallon of LPG contains
less energy than a gallon of gasoline. The driving range of a propane vehicle is about 14 percent
lower than a comparable gasoline-powered vehicle.
b. Duration
2. Economical Advantages
c. Cost

d. Savings
3. Environmental and Health Benefits