Ford LPG car production boosted

Ford Australia will switch its mix of petrol and LPG models as orders rise following the Federal Government's announcement of a $1000 grant for any new car fitted with LPG and $2000 for any existing petrol model converted to LPG.

The new grant means an LPG Falcon costs just $400 more than its petrol equivalent.

The company would have liked to increase its LPG production earlier, but its gas tank supplier needs time to boost its own production to meet Ford's needs.

The increased demand for LPG Falcons has also pushed Ford to re-examine the possibility of producing an LPG version of its Territory wagon.

Ford demonstrated the value and practicality of its LGP Falcon with a 14,000km lap of the Australian mainland that finished last week.

The fuel bill for the trip was just $997.55 and the car had enough gas left to travel another 350km.

Ford estimates the same trip would have cost at least double on petrol. Ford Australia president Tom Gorman says the trip proves how economical an LPG Falcon is.

"Australians are constantly worrying about fuel prices and there has been a lot of talk about a movement from large cars into smaller vehicles," Gorman says.

"We wanted to show Australians that you can have all the performance and package benefits of a large car while enjoying the refuelling costs of a much smaller car."

Ford also wanted to prove it is possible to refill with LPG away from major centres.

Unlike dual-fuel cars, LPG Falcons run only on gas. While this means the engine is optimised to run on LPG, some customers are put off because LPG is not available in some remote areas of Australia.