Lpg

Why don't we have more cars running on LPG in the UK?

I just came back from a trip in Bangladesh and 80-90% of all the vehicles are running on LPG. From the small 3 wheeler taxi's to big trucks which all run on LPG, very few people in the country now use petrol & petrol wasn't that expense when people were using it.

I spoke to a few people and from rough calculations it works out to 10p a litre and to fit a LPG tank and convert it to run on a petrol car costs roughly £50. I know in the UK it costs roughly £1,000 - £2,000 depending on car, tank and kit.

Surely it would save burning fossil fuels and be cheaper to run, though not sure of any long term effects on the engine. As far as I am aware the LPG is still in liquid form and just injected into the cylinder like normal petrol would.

Just curious

Guess its the conversion costs? Plus if you get the early style systems they aint very economical. Vauxhall and a few other manufacturers did dual fuel cars from the factory but Im like you, wonder why it hasnt taken off. LPG is vapourised and turned into a gas before its burned so its not injected like petrol.

Almost everyone has bought a diesel these days anyway.

LPG is a fossil fuel and i think the set up costs put people off, especially if you change cars often, I wonder how long before the government start to cash in on this anyway, I brought a new C200 CDI for economy last December and I paid £1.34/L for BP diesel on Monday !!!!

Diesel is (for the vast majority of drivers) the cheapest option by a mile. Even the hybrids struggle to compete.

Especially with modern diesels, hell my old Golf TDi used to scrape 60mpg on motorway miles.

Especially with modern diesels, hell my old Golf TDi used to scrape 60mpg on motorway miles.

Whereas our long-term Auris HSD is hitting 41mpg

(might be somewhat down to how you drive it though )

Lol very much so. Id love to get another Seat Arosa TDi as my motorway miler, used to have one as a city car when I lived in Norwich, 3 cylinder PD engine and 75hp for the mpg win

Tell you what, the most impressive car I've driven MPG-wise this year is the Passat Bluemotion. It's 105ps from the 1.6-litre diesel, but more tellingly I managed 600 miles to half a tank of normal driving. That's simply incredible. In fact, another motoring organisation set a record in the Passat this year. I reckon given the right set of parameters I could have beaten the record in the car I tested.

Tell you what, the most impressive car I've driven MPG-wise this year is the Passat Bluemotion. It's 105ps from the 1.6-litre diesel, but more tellingly I managed 600 miles to half a tank of normal driving. That's simply incredible. In fact, another motoring organisation set a record in the Passat this year. I reckon given the right set of parameters I could have beaten the record in the car I tested.

I spoke to a guy on the motorway services that told me he was getting 70mpg out of his :s

How big was the tank....So was the Polo even better in that case? VW deffo lead the way in diesel engine technology advances.

I spoke to a guy on the motorway services that told me he was getting 70mpg out of his :s

We managed 78mpg over 600 miles

LPG in the UK used to be 50% of the price of 'normal' unleaded, but iirc (and i dont buy much petrol at the pumps these days) its climbed up a lot. Plus the tank loses you boot space, insurance companies may frown upon it (i may have made that bit up)

We managed 78mpg over 600 miles

I find that amazing, if i was to have a company car, that would be it.

I guess the benifit in kind/tax implications are nigh on zero?

LPG in the UK used to be 50% of the price of 'normal' unleaded, but iirc (and i dont buy much petrol at the pumps these days) its climbed up a lot. Plus the tank loses you boot space, insurance companies may frown upon it (i may have made that bit up)

It still is 50%

I find that amazing, if i was to have a company car, that would be it.

I guess the benifit in kind/tax implications are nigh on zero?

You're looking at a BIK banding of 13%, which is the lowest possible for a diesel car. The exact amount you pay depends on the exact car you choose though.

If it was me I'd wait, because I'm a bit of a tart and the Passat CC BlueMotion is coming next year

It still is 50%

Fair point, its gone up, but so has normal.

The rest of my argument still stands

You're looking at a BIK banding of 13%, which is the lowest possible for a diesel car. The exact amount you pay depends on the exact car you choose though.

 

If it was me I'd wait, because I'm a bit of a tart and the Passat CC BlueMotion is coming next year

Im happy with my 40ppm thanks

Im happy with my 40ppm thanks

You are a lucky man. What costs you that much? Fabia?

You also can't go on the Channel Tunnel with LPG, as I found out on the Le Mans trip..!!

H.

You are a lucky man. What costs you that much? Fabia?

I claim 40ppm and use a private car(s)/bike(24ppm), if thats what you are asking?

I claim 40ppm and use a private car(s)/bike(24ppm), if thats what you are asking?

I was talking about company cars, like you were

I was talking about company cars, like you were

Oh right, I use my private car, I dont want a company car until it becomes unprofitable to run private

LPG is a fossil fuel and i think the set up costs put people off, especially if you change cars often, I wonder how long before the government start to cash in on this anyway, I brought a new C200 CDI for economy last December and I paid £1.34/L for BP diesel on Monday !!!!

I take it the main reason is that it is expensive to do the conversion which has put people off, I remember the government doing a grant but from what I have heard this will (or has) be killed off. With regards to grants the London Congestion Charge use to exempt LPG cars from the charge, but from the new year onwards they won't be taking on anymore LPG cars to be exempt from charge. Also any current LPG cars which are exempt from the charge will have this taken away from them in 2 years time.

"It is proposed that the Alternative Fuel Discount be closed to new registrations on 24 December 2010.Owners of vehicles registered with TfL before that date would continue to receive a 100 per cent discount for a two year period."

I have to agree with a lot of comments though about Diesels and VW do seem to be leading the way!

Though Toyota aren't doing too bad either a few new Diesel cars which I drove from them were superb on fuel!

 

I have to agree with a lot of comments though about Diesels and VW do seem to be leading the way!

Though Toyota aren't doing too bad either a few new Diesel cars which I drove from them were superb on fuel!

I drove my brothers 09 plate Golf 2.0 TDi down to London the other day, seemed almost as quick as my NA Supra, yet easily managed over 70mpg with cruise control at 75mph.

I think LPG is higher octane than the best petrol at the pumps too.