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Holden Commodore to get LPG

Holden chairman Mike Devereux says the new hi-tech LPG system will provide 'better performance and economy'.

Holden chairman and managing director Mike Devereux admits the long-overdue system will extend the Commodore's appeal and says customers will appreciate the refinements.

"This (dedicated system) allows us to optimise the engine performance specifically for LPG and get better performance and economy," he says.

Devereux says the system will be "very sophisticated" but refuses to confirm it will be a direct-injection liquified LPG unit that is now in use on the dual-fuel HSV vehicles. The HSV system seamlessly switches between the two fuel system and there's no detectable loss of power when running on pure LPG.

Ethanol-complaint engines are also high on the Holden agenda, with the Commodore's 3.6-litre V6 to be modified next year to run on 85 per cent ethanol.

"Our vision is that this technology, and the shift towards ethanol-based fuel, in time, could cut Australia's dependence on petrol by up to 30 per cent and make a major contribution to sustainable motoring and greenhouse gas reduction," Devereux says.

The announcement follows news a new Australian company, Flex Ethanol Australia, will be formed to commercialise the Coskata-developed process of converting household rubbish into fuel.

"I'm pleased to announce we've reached the next and most important milestone in this project. A new company called Flex Ethanol Australia will be formed, supported by GM, to take the project to the next stage of commercialisation," Devereux says.

The plant will be based in Victoria and Devereux says it will convert up to a million tonnes of household waste into more than 200 million litres of ethanol a year.

The fuel will be sold at Caltex service stations under the Bio E-Flex label.

Lightweight panels, including aluminium and plastic, are also being investigated for use in the Commodore as Holden has another six months to finalise the next-generation Commodore, which isn't due for another five years, but the company has confirmed it will continue to use the rear-wheel drive Zeta platform developed for the VE Commodore.

"We're still very confident about the long-term future of locally made, large rear-wheel-drive family and performance cars," Devereux says.