The Italian order that all commercial vehicles shall by 1937
be run on home-produced fuel, primarily charcoal, will surprise no one familiar with the results achieved by charcoal-driven cars and lorries in certain countries. I say in certain countries, because in 'Great Britain, for example, the cost of charcoal robs it Of any advantage Over petrol. But users in India report that they can carry for is. 10d. on charcoal a load that costs them 28s. 6d.' for the same distance on petrol. Similar stories come from Canada and various parts of Asia and Africa. Very little alteration in the ordinary combustion engine is needed,' except in the throttle, which has to control a gas-flow instead of a carburetter. The producer-unit is fairly bulky, but it can be fixed quite comfortably on the running-board of an ordinary saloon car behind the front wing.
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