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Philippine Business Magazine: Volume 12 No. 7 - Photo Essay

Easy on the Gas
Fuel efficiency is the name of the game

By Karen B. Bitagun
Photography by Christian V. Cruz

Thinking about getting a new car? Before you start checking out the latest SUVs, consider the following: Premium gas now goes for over P34.00 a liter from just P27.24 last January. Diesel now costs over P30.00 a liter from P23.41 at the start of the year.

“Practicality” is the buzzword nowadays. Motorists are looking not only for comfort and safety but also for vehicles with high fuel efficiency, clean emissions, and affordability. Those features can now all be found in the high-value, low-cost automobile segment of 1.3-liter (or smaller) subcompact sedans and super minis, which come in stylish designs and cool colors.

For the first eight months of the year, these gas-saving and street-smart small cars cornered 47% of total passenger-car sales in the market.

Perfect Combination, Perfect Combustion

With oil prices soaring, the following gasoline alternatives, which deliver more mileage and cleaner emission, have been getting more attention:

Coco-Biodiesel. Just a 1% blend of coco methyl ester on diesel can help reduce harmful emissions and stretch mileage of diesel-engine vehicles. But for immediate results, the Department of Energy recommends a 10% coco-biodiesel blend or even pure coco-biodiesel. It is now commercially sold in all Flying V stations at P32.45 a liter. According to a study, biodiesel is compatible with all diesel-powered engines and does not require any engine modification.

CNG. Compressed natural gas from the Malampaya offshore gas field in Palawan will soon power around 200 buses in the metropolis. The country’s first CNG fueling station is located in Tabangao, Batangas. Another refueling station is located in Biñan, Laguna, near the South Expressway. CNG will cost P15 per liter.

Autogas. Autogas or liquefied petroleum gas is cheaper than unleaded gasoline by P8 per liter. However, autogas is 100% imported and not renewable energy. Meanwhile, Eastern Petroleum Corp. is currently testing LPG derived out of coco methyl ester and plans to make it available by December this year.

Bioethanol Fuel. Bioethanol or ethyl alcohol from sugar cane blended with diesel can also improve a vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Bioethanol fuel will soon be sold at P28 to P30 per liter.

Photo Essay