THE Ministry of Defence has taken on its first alternative fuel vehicles by replacing 17 staff cars with liquefied petrol gas/petrol DualFuel Vauxhall Vectras. As part of the 'greening' exercise - organised by Lex Transfleet - BP is installing an Autogas refuelling site at the Aldershot Garrison, the home of the British Army.

The inaugural move by the MoD to LPG follows a Lex Transfleet proposal in 1998 aimed at helping the forces introduce cleaner fuel vehicles and to reduce costs. The company had been awarded a £28million contract two years earlier to supply services to the MoD, the largest to be placed by the British Army under its 'Competing for Quality' initiative.