19th August 2008

Source: showrromroadtest.co.uk

The main benefits are that it is greener, cleaner and cheaper than both petrol and diesel. Its combustion generates 20% less CO2 omissions than petrol and 2% less than diesel. Particular emissions are a staggering 120 times lower than the oil-burning equivalent. It’s biggest trump card however, and the selling point that will undoubtedly prove most appealing, is that is costs around 60 pence per litre – half that of petrol and over 70 pence cheaper than diesel.

Despite there being a 20% trade off in economy, the good news is that performance is largely unaffected and due to LPG’s higher octane rating, it burns more completely than petrol, generating less carbon. With less carbon build up, spark plugs often last longer and oil changes are needed less frequently. Also, because LPG burns in the gaseous phase inside the engine, it results in less corrosion and internal wear.

The conversion involves adding a second, independent fuel system, resulting in a bi-fuel car that is able to run on either petrol or autogas fuel. The additional fuel tank needed for the autogas is usually fitted in the spare wheel compartment, but can sometimes be installed underneath the car.

Obviously it is important to make sure an authorised garage carries out the installation. There is a scheme operated by UKLPG, which lists around 200 approved installers. The full list is available on www.drivelpg.co.uk. The UKLPG Approved Installer Scheme, established in consultation with the Department for Transport, incorporates nearly 200 conversion companies around the country. Choosing an Approved Installer ensures that the conversion to autogas is carried out in full compliance with all safety, regulatory and warranty requirements.

Over 95 per cent of currently available petrol-engine cars are suitable for conversion, although at the movement there is not a system in place for converting diesel engines.
However, according to uklpg.org, there are future plans to develop systems of converting diesel engines to run on a mixture of LPG and diesel.

Of course the cost of the LPG conversion has to be taken into consideration. Approved conversions cost from £1600, up into the region of £3,000 and despite what the conversion companies might say about it taking as little as 12 months to get a return on your investment – the reality is that you would need to have a very high annual mileage (an excess of 20,000) to recoup in this time period - for many drivers it will be closer to two years.

The good news is that provided the conversion is carried out by an LPGA Approved installer, you won’t lose out when it comes to selling – quite the opposite in fact. It is estimated that LPG converted cars will hold a second-hand premium, with buyers keen to save on fuel costs.

Taking into account the fact that diesels typically cost more than their petrol equivalents to buy, together with the extra savings you will make at the pumps, and the argument for LPG starts to look even stronger.

In the past, a valid concern against LPG has been lack of availability at petrol stations.

The good news is that Autogas is now widely available throughout the country – there are some 1400 outlets, including many petrol stations, and the network is continually growing.