Installing LPG equipment on a car in Ukraine pays off in a year to a year and a half
Autogas in Ukraine is rising in price slower than other types of fuel, and its cost is approximately half the price of AI-95 petrol. The installation of LPG equipment on passenger cars is most beneficial for drivers with high annual mileage. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine (Ігор Широкун) citing Motor Gas, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
Modern LPG equipment consists of a cylinder, a reducer-evaporator, injectors, filters, and an electronic control unit. The cost of the kit and its installation is about 400 – 700 euros depending on the vehicle brand. Financial savings from refueling with propane-butane reach 30 – 50 percent compared to using conventional petrol.
At the same time, the consumption of gaseous fuel usually exceeds petrol consumption by 10 – 15 percent, and sometimes by 20 percent. An engine with LPG starts on petrol and switches to gas after the warm-up is complete. Some modern types of engines continue to burn a certain amount of petrol even while driving on propane-butane.
Payback period and fuel market
A high-quality equipment kit pays for itself completely after 20 – 30 thousand kilometers of mileage. For car owners with an annual mileage of 15 – 20 thousand kilometers, this period ranges from one year to a year and a half. For drivers with short trips of 5 – 8 thousand kilometers per year, the payback period stretches to 3 – 5 years.
«At the moment, there is no longer any domestic fuel production left in Ukraine. All types of fuel are imported from abroad, mainly from neighbouring European countries – Poland, Romania, Lithuania, only one filling station network has its own import of petrol from Germany (plus diesel from the USA)», — noted Roman Matveiev, head of the Motor Gas project.
The expert added that due to import dependence, the price difference between gas and petrol will be maintained at the European level. In Europe, the cost of propane-butane steadily holds at around 50 percent of the petrol price. Therefore, the conversion of cars to gas remains a relevant financial strategy for many citizens.
Safety and impact on engine life
Propane-butane has a high octane rating within 100 – 110 units, which completely eliminates destructive detonation in the engine. Gaseous fuel does not wash away the protective oil film from the cylinders the way petrol can in certain operating modes. A serviceable and correctly tuned system does not shorten the service life of the power unit.
However, on certain engine models, overheating of exhaust valves and their seats is possible. Because of this, car owners need to regularly check thermal valve clearances in the absence of hydraulic lifters. The ignition system also requires increased attention to the condition of spark plugs and high-voltage wires.
Cylinder design and operation rules
The physical strength of a gas cylinder significantly exceeds the durability of a standard petrol tank, as it is designed for a pressure of 30 atmospheres. The design is necessarily equipped with a multi-valve that limits the filling of the container and prevents a dangerous pressure increase during heating. Drivers are advised not to ignore the smell of a specific odorant in the event of a leak and to contact maintenance stations.
LPG maintenance is usually combined with the scheduled technical inspection of the entire vehicle. The procedure involves replacing two filters, checking the tightness of lines, inspecting the reducer and control unit. Vehicles with direct fuel injection require more complex and expensive equipment kits.
Photo: freepic.com
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