A Sussex off-road motor racing team hopes a fuel-saving gadget will help win

an African endurance driving competition.

Team Gumtree of Plumpton will be taking part in the annual charity Kenyan Rhino Charge, a one-day dash by 4x4 vehicles to reach ten checkpoints in the shortest distance possible.

The team vehicle, a Land Rover 90, will be flown out later this month in advance of the June race.

A Powerplus fuel conservation device, designed and produced in Eastbourne, has been installed into the fuel line to enhance the vehicle's performance and enable the unleaded system to run on lower-grade petrol commonly available in Africa.

John Bowden, head of the racing team, said: "We competed in 1998 using a 30- year-old Land Rover. It had no adaptations to help us, not even a winch, but we still managed to come 26th out of a field of 55 starters.

"The main problem was the lack of unleaded petrol in Africa made it difficult to get a modern vehicle to run efficiently.

"Being able to cover a greater distance than other competitors on one fuel tank is also an obvious advantage."

The technology behind the Powerplus was invented during the Second World War but interest in the device has grown rapidly in recent years, as the environmental benefits of fuel conservation have begun to be realised.

London Mayor Ken Livingstone has called for the device to be used on all vehicles entering the capital to reduce pollution in a bid to meet targets set by the environmental Kyoto Summit.

Chairman of Powerplus Rick Bird said: "The idea was first used by the Ministry of Defence to help conserve valuable military fuel resources during wartime and devices have been installed on NATO and other military vehicles for decades.

"Now more people in the general public are becoming aware of its existence and, since it became commercially available in 1990, we have fitted more than 400,000 to vehicles on British roads."

The Powerplus can be fitted into the fuel line of any vehicle using liquid petroleum gas (LPG), leaded or unleaded petrol and diesel to reduce emissions by burning fuel more effectively.

Magnets inside the unit realign the molecules in the fuel so it burns more efficiently. The unit also contains tin which is washed into the engine and acts as a conditioner.

The conditioning also allows cars designed for leaded petrol to be run on unleaded fuel. Powerplus costs between £100 and £200 to fit most versions.

British Airways World Cargo has agreed to fly the Gumtree Land Rover free of charge. The team is now seeking other sponsors.

www.powerplus.be
www.worldoffroad.com/
gumtree www.rhinoark.org.uk