Sorry all for coming into this forum so
late, as I am a new registered member.
Talking about gas, oil, diesel - I can be considered as technical
qualified personal.
I had experience managing fleet of 60 trucks before.
My previous companies had also tested battery powered
vehicles,
I had seen CNG vehicles - (local/oversea)
Taken LPG powered vehicles (oversea - China)
I had also seen Duel fuel powered vehicles (mixed, electric + (some
thing else)
Few fair practical and commercial points that I would like
to highlight for Taxi only , there are as
follows:-
Time Bomb
Talking about "Time - Bomb" with reference to any motor-engine
vehicles, all can be considered "Time bomb" if no handled and/or
driven properly.
(except solar powered or battery driven vehicles - not
practicable)
Competitive
Fare
As the taxi drivers will be competing with other public transports
such as Bus and MRT. The fare must be kept low but profitable in
order to be competive.
Public
Image
Unfortunately, we don't see much publicities done to promote "Taxi"
as a alternative and cheaper source for replacing other type of
public transport. Hence Taxi can be only classified as a "premium
public transport" to consumer.
[url]Market Competitiveness for Taxi as Public
Transport[/url]
To improve their competitiveness, I would look into various
areas.
a) Cheap vehicle price (Waivered from requiring COE)
b) Import / Land Tax (Waivered for public transport)
c) Road Tax (Waivered for public transport)
d) Alternative fuel
As the first 3 will required the Ministries to look into it. I
would only touch on d) alternative fuel.
D) Altenative fuel
I would not go further for those items that got no valve to
evaluated or explore further:
1) Petrol - Out - Too expensive
2) Diesel - Will be out - Getting too expensive
3) LNG - No practical now as Singapore still no prepared for
4) CNG - Can be considered only but may not be practical
5) LPG - Should be considered.
6) Others, battery, solar - Out (no pratical sense)
Singapore is a very small island country, however, we are fortunate
to have a well built traffic infrastructure that is very well
planned. Hence, with little sacrification of convenience, we may be
able to provide them a cheaper way of operating this public
transport.
2) Diesel is related as a product from oil. Hence any increase in
oil price will direct increase in diesel. It will likely to see
raise as price is likely to be up/up all the way.
3) LNG will be practical when there is the infrastructure
builted.
4) CNG may not be practical in the term of energy in gaseous form
is less then it is in liquid form comparing the same volume
cylinder. To compress gas, there will be a limit that you can go
for.
(For your information, modules can be reduce to 600 times in
liquidified form at very low temperature.
5) LPG As mentioned, it is liquidified, hence the energy is more
than gaseous form. LPG coming from petrol as a by products, can be
easily obtained. Look like the one you used in your house hold,
bottled gas.
Compared LPG to LNG, due to the component inside both. LPG mainly
pethane while LNG mainly methane. (Any chemist to help me on LPG?
please confirm, I don't wish to misled anyone).
LPG will have higher energy compared to LNG (under same pressure
supplier, cylinder volume, supply conditions. There is no need for
high storage of LPG around any petrol service station as this only
mean to serve taxi only. The various distributer can arrange and
collect the bottles for refill at their terminal.
I would have taken LPG powered taxi, you can have air-con etc. Most
importantly, the fare may be able to be capped at a lower
price.
For your reading and thinking only.
I remain
