§ Mrs. BrintonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what information he has collated on the engine life of vehicles propelled by(a) petrol, (b) diesel and (c) LPG; and what assessment he has made of the consequent whole life sustainability of fuel technology. [146987]
§ Mr. HillThe Government have not undertaken any specific research on the durability of different engine types. Motor manufacturers design engines which easily last the lifetime of the average vehicle, which for passenger cars is around 13 years in the UK. It is widely acknowledged, however, that diesel engines tend to be more durable than petrol engines, due to their combustion characteristics. We have no evidence to suggest the durability of a petrol engine is affected by conversion to LPG.