Holden Commodore LPG in the Works

Australian car manufacturer Holden is looking to expand its future product lineup with the introduction of an LPG version of the Commodore that however won’t be able to run on E85 as well. Although Aussie buyers aren’t so attracted by LPG options, such engines registering very low sales in the last couple of years, Holden says the future technology will be very advanced and it could have the power to chance perception over LPG.

"Our objective on our next Commodore will have a very, very sophisticated dedicated LPG system," said Mike Devereux, Holden chairman and managing director according to a report by drive.com.au. "This allows us to optimise engine performance specifically for LPG and get better performance and economy,” he added while mentioning that the LPG Commodore could arrive in 2012.

"We also want to help change the perception of LPG. The future Commodore will become a real alternative to private buyers that doesn't involve any compromises,” he concluded, trying to emphasize that the future model won’t be a regular LPG model.

But Holden does not intend to develop a model that would be able to work with multiple types of “fuels”, so the future Commodore won’t include the ability to run on E85. No technology to combine the three main solutions, gasoline, E85 and LPG, will be released in the near future, Holden representatives told the aforementioned source.

''Holden will continue to keep its mono-fuel (petrol/E85) strategy, and a dual-fuel strategy with petrol and LPG,'' Holden energy and environment director Richard Marshall said. ''We're not going to say anything yet about something that combines all three.''