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MotorMouth
has developed an overview of some of the major fuels used by Australian
motorists. For more information on National Fuel Quality Standards
click here.
Regular Unleaded Petrol
Regular unleaded
petrol (ULP) was introduced to market in 1986, to enable new vehicles to
operate with a catalytic converter, a device designed to reduce exhaust
emissions. ULP is the recommended fuel for the majority of passenger cars made
since 1986.
Under the National
Fuel Quality Standards, regular unleaded petrol is required to have a minimum
Research Octane Number (RON) of 91.
Premium Unleaded Petrol
Premium unleaded
petrol (PULP) is designed for engines that have a high compression ratio.
Therefore, it is formulated with a higher-octane level to prevent knocking and
to optimise performance. Under the National Fuel Quality Standards PULP is
required to have a minimum RON of 95, however a number of premium unleaded
products are formulated with a RON of 98.
E10
E10 is a
specially formulated regular unleaded petrol blended with up to 10% renewable
ethanol. For some up to date information on whether your vehicle is suitable to
run on fuel blends of up to 10% ethanol, please visit the
Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries web site.
Please be aware
that MotorMouth can only report the prices for those fuels that have a price
displayed on the priceboard at each service station. So if your favourite
service station is not displaying the price of E10 blended fuel on their
priceboard, then please encourage them to do so.
Lead Replacement Petrol
The sale of
automotive leaded petrol was phased out in Australia by the Commonwealth
Government on 1st January 2002. Lead Replacement Petrol (LRP) was
developed as a substitute to leaded petrol, which was necessary for most cars
produced before 1986. Lead additives raised the octane of the petrol, and
provided protection against valve-set recession. LRP has been designed with the
same octane levels, but other additives are now used to protect the engine from
valve and valve seat damage. LRP has a RON of 96.
Some vehicles that
currently run on leaded petrol may be able to use a high-octane PULP, however
an aftermarket anti-valve seat recession additive or modifications to the
engine may be needed to protect the engine.
Diesel
Automotive diesel
fuel is designed for compression ignition diesel engines. A diesel engine has a
higher compression ratio, resulting in lower fuel consumption than an
equivalent petrol engine.
From 31 December
2002, it has become mandatory for all diesel sold in Australia to contain less
than 500 parts per million (ppm) sulfur, typically referred to as Low Sulfur
Diesel. This compares to previous typical production with around double that
level. For more information on this go to:
http://www.aip.com.au/industry/diesel.htm .
Liquefied Petroleum Gas
Liquefied
petroleum gas (LPG) is the most commonly used alternative fuel for vehicles,
consisting mainly of a mixture of propane and butane.
Cost savings may
be achieved by using LPG, dependant on the price differentiation with petrol
and the engine conversion costs. LPG can also provide some environmental
benefits, with estimates suggesting that exhaust and evaporative greenhouse
emissions are approximately 15 per cent lower from vehicles using LPG compared
to petrol. A national fuel quality standard for automotive LPG is due to be
introduced in early 2003.
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