PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said today members of the public would be able to save on petrol expenses by up to 50 per cent through the use of Hydrofuel, a locally-developed technology.
The Prime Minister said the technology, developed by Hydrogen Fuel Industries (M) Sdn Bhd, a Bumiputera company based in Banting, had been tested and used in several vehicles in the country.
Apart from helping to lower the expenses on petrol, the technology was also proven to be able to reduce carbon dioxide emission from vehicles, he said when launching the Hydrofuel Taxi at the Putrajaya Mosque Square.
“The petrol price is now at RM2.70 per litre. If the saving is 50 per cent, meaning you only need to pay about RM1.35 per litre. This is much cheaper than RM1.92 per litre before the government increase the fuel price,†he said.
Now they know that their petrol cost could be brought down by technology, he said. Hydrofuel is an alternative fuel based on petroleum and hydrogen. It is also a water-based automotive fuel-saving technology. Urging the people to fully utilise the technology, Abdullah said it would be difficult to develop it further if the response was not encouraging. He also called on members of the public not to perceive local technology as being inferior compared to those developed in the West or Japan. Abdullah stressed that such technology was important in the effort to bring about a shift in the people’s mindset from that of technology users to technology inventors.
“The locally-developed technology will help increase energy efficiency,†he said. Abdullah said the technology had the potential and should be given a chance, more so when other countries had also shown interest in it. “When the price of petrol went up to RM2.70 per litre, the people become angry. Rest assured, the government will always look for ways as well as the technology to help them lower their fuel expenses,†he said.
The technology was also able to help increase the taxi drivers’ income following the lower fuel expenses, he added. Speaking to reporters later, Abdullah said apart from taxis, the technology could also be used in private cars with engine capacity of under 2,000cc. He said the technology had been in development since 2006 but was kept at a low profile as it was still in testing stage then. “Now Dr Halim is much more confident to bring the product in the open,†he said, referring to Dr Halim Ali, president of Hydrogen Fuel Industries, who developed the Hydrofuel system. – Bernama
By :
New Sabah Times
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