Discussion
Bought a car last march that had it fitted at some point, previous owner never used the lpg so didn't know if it worked? Filled it up and it's worked faultless since!
There is a few apps that help in locating the pumps, and assists via user updates if they have stock of the pumps out of order etc.
I feel that with shell and BP pulling out of selling it a few years ago, it's days are numbered. But if the cars cost is value to others and you have local suppliers, you might aswell use it. Paid 65.9 p a litre last time i filled up.
Apps, FillLPG, Autogas-app , mpLPG.eu . These are all Android based, and you may have to go and hunt for the apks rather than via the appstore.
There is a few apps that help in locating the pumps, and assists via user updates if they have stock of the pumps out of order etc.
I feel that with shell and BP pulling out of selling it a few years ago, it's days are numbered. But if the cars cost is value to others and you have local suppliers, you might aswell use it. Paid 65.9 p a litre last time i filled up.
Apps, FillLPG, Autogas-app , mpLPG.eu . These are all Android based, and you may have to go and hunt for the apks rather than via the appstore.
I have an 05 Lexus LS430 that has been running lpg for 7 years. A 2013 Volvo XC90 that has been using the stuff for 4 years. My cayenne is getting the prins VSI DI installed next month.
Any questions feel free to drop me a pm. In my opinion it’s well worth doing if you live in the continent. It seems the U.K. missed a trick by not having lpg filling stations available as it’s available at 95% of all locations in Europe.
Cost savings are immense. My Mot costs more (in Poland) insurance isn’t affected. The lpg system requires a yearly service and filter change. Otherwise totally hassle free. No valve seat recession either! (That was caused by poor installations in the U.K.) For more expensive metal the companies that build the conversion kits also build a dedicated fuel rail for DI engines.
Any questions feel free to drop me a pm. In my opinion it’s well worth doing if you live in the continent. It seems the U.K. missed a trick by not having lpg filling stations available as it’s available at 95% of all locations in Europe.
Cost savings are immense. My Mot costs more (in Poland) insurance isn’t affected. The lpg system requires a yearly service and filter change. Otherwise totally hassle free. No valve seat recession either! (That was caused by poor installations in the U.K.) For more expensive metal the companies that build the conversion kits also build a dedicated fuel rail for DI engines.
LPG is done for I think. It's great if you happen to have one and there are local suppliers.. But it's in the decline now and that decline will only accelerate. What will people do if they have an LPG converted guzzler and then the local supply ceases? Make extra long round trips to fill up? Try and re-sell the car in to a market where it's value it reduced to a general reduction in fuel availability?
I'd probably hang on to one if I still had one, but wouldn't buy in at this stage.
I'd probably hang on to one if I still had one, but wouldn't buy in at this stage.
TheDeuce said:
LPG is done for I think. It's great if you happen to have one and there are local suppliers.. But it's in the decline now and that decline will only accelerate. What will people do if they have an LPG converted guzzler and then the local supply ceases? Make extra long round trips to fill up? Try and re-sell the car in to a market where it's value it reduced to a general reduction in fuel availability?
I'd probably hang on to one if I still had one, but wouldn't buy in at this stage.
In the U.K maybe but I can’t see it ever falling out of favour on the continent. Skoda, Dacia, Opel, Ford and PSA still offer it as factory fit. I think several others I haven’t mentioned do too. Fleets use it quite a lot for company cars as do taxis. My Uber last weekend was an LPG Prius (couple of years old) I genuinely believe the U.K really missed a trick as LPG is really really common just over the channel. A lot of the “scare stories” from the U.K generally just boil down to poor conversions shortening engine life, Gas leaks etc. (same reason Australians don’t believe in loft insulation) I'd probably hang on to one if I still had one, but wouldn't buy in at this stage.
Lpg is abundant, low emission and hassle free.
Kujawy said:
TheDeuce said:
LPG is done for I think. It's great if you happen to have one and there are local suppliers.. But it's in the decline now and that decline will only accelerate. What will people do if they have an LPG converted guzzler and then the local supply ceases? Make extra long round trips to fill up? Try and re-sell the car in to a market where it's value it reduced to a general reduction in fuel availability?
I'd probably hang on to one if I still had one, but wouldn't buy in at this stage.
In the U.K maybe but I can’t see it ever falling out of favour on the continent. Skoda, Dacia, Opel, Ford and PSA still offer it as factory fit. I think several others I haven’t mentioned do too. Fleets use it quite a lot for company cars as do taxis. My Uber last weekend was an LPG Prius (couple of years old) I genuinely believe the U.K really missed a trick as LPG is really really common just over the channel. A lot of the “scare stories” from the U.K generally just boil down to poor conversions shortening engine life, Gas leaks etc. (same reason Australians don’t believe in loft insulation) I'd probably hang on to one if I still had one, but wouldn't buy in at this stage.
Lpg is abundant, low emission and hassle free.
I remember when petrol first nudged above £1 (look at it now!!) and at that time LPG conversions were in the ascendancy in the UK, for good reason. Particularly LPG converted Range Rovers that people lapped up. It all made complete sense to buy in to LPG when it was in the ascendancy in the UK. But now... it's in the declining I think it's just going to get more of a faff with each passing year. A shame as it bought some lovely old barges a second shot at life when they become otherwise unaffordable.
It it what it is though. We're on the countdown to wave goodbye to ICE in all guises, let alone have much hope of sustaining a niche solution such as LPG. It's frankly more likely that our local petrol stations will close than it is they'll add LPG now.
Very broad figures now but if a tank of fuel costs £100 and an equivalent amount of miles on LPG costs £50, and your high-quality conversion costs £2000, then you start saving from your 41st tank onwards.
If you're burning a tank a week, and you have a convenient supplier, then it really is a no-brainer.
If you're only doing a tank a month, then it probably wants a lot more thought.
If you're burning a tank a week, and you have a convenient supplier, then it really is a no-brainer.
If you're only doing a tank a month, then it probably wants a lot more thought.
SpeckledJim said:
Very broad figures now but if a tank of fuel costs £100 and an equivalent amount of miles on LPG costs £50, and your high-quality conversion costs £2000, then you start saving from your 41st tank onwards.
If you're burning a tank a week, and you have a convenient supplier, then it really is a no-brainer.
If you're only doing a tank a month, then it probably wants a lot more thought.
What if you pay your £2000 or buy a used converted car and then the local supplier stops supplying? That's the big issue I see with adopting LPG these days. Other than that concern, I completely agree that mathematically it works out still - all being well.If you're burning a tank a week, and you have a convenient supplier, then it really is a no-brainer.
If you're only doing a tank a month, then it probably wants a lot more thought.
In similar vein I see a notable increase in post fit electrification of older vehicles. It's amazingly affordable given that the start of the process is to sell the still valuable ICE powertrain and ancillary components. The resulting car is then future-proofed and typically gets a decent slug of extra power and refinement too. Not to mention reliability... It's actually really interesting stuff to read about, as a modern equivalent to LPG conversion back in the day: https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/used-cars/how-p...
The nice thing about electrification is that the supply of fuel will always be local, it'll be at home..
TheDeuce said:
SpeckledJim said:
Very broad figures now but if a tank of fuel costs £100 and an equivalent amount of miles on LPG costs £50, and your high-quality conversion costs £2000, then you start saving from your 41st tank onwards.
If you're burning a tank a week, and you have a convenient supplier, then it really is a no-brainer.
If you're only doing a tank a month, then it probably wants a lot more thought.
What if you pay your £2000 or buy a used converted car and then the local supplier stops supplying? That's the big issue I see with adopting LPG these days. Other than that concern, I completely agree that mathematically it works out still - all being well.If you're burning a tank a week, and you have a convenient supplier, then it really is a no-brainer.
If you're only doing a tank a month, then it probably wants a lot more thought.
In similar vein I see a notable increase in post fit electrification of older vehicles. It's amazingly affordable given that the start of the process is to sell the still valuable ICE powertrain and ancillary components. The resulting car is then future-proofed and typically gets a decent slug of extra power and refinement too. Not to mention reliability... It's actually really interesting stuff to read about, as a modern equivalent to LPG conversion back in the day: https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/used-cars/how-p...
The nice thing about electrification is that the supply of fuel will always be local, it'll be at home..
People have been saying that LPG has had its day for 20 years. In that time, I've saved 5 figures on fuel costs with LPG.
Your point about the convenient filling station is taken, but if you're doing the miles to merit the conversion in the first place, then almost by definition you're passing a lot of places.
SpeckledJim said:
Very broad figures now but if a tank of fuel costs £100 and an equivalent amount of miles on LPG costs £50, and your high-quality conversion costs £2000, then you start saving from your 41st tank onwards.
If you're burning a tank a week, and you have a convenient supplier, then it really is a no-brainer.
If you're only doing a tank a month, then it probably wants a lot more thought.
I think the cost of the conversions in the U.K. made it niche in fairness as £2000 really is a bit of a rip off. If you're burning a tank a week, and you have a convenient supplier, then it really is a no-brainer.
If you're only doing a tank a month, then it probably wants a lot more thought.
I’ve been quoted 6000 PLN for a Prins VSI DI to be installed on my 2013 cayenne with a 120l tank.
It seems they are still developing the systems for newer and newer vehicles too.
https://www.prinsautogas.com/en/news/new-record-10...
6000 pln is about £1100 I currently spend £120 - £150 a week on petrol. The payback period is less than 3 months.
Wife’s xc90 cost 3000 pln £600 to convert 3 years ago. 3.2 petrol. Fuel usage was and is very similar to the Porsche (despite being an ugly slow pos) The LPG conversion paid for itself within 4 months. £20 of lpg is 250 miles.
Lexus cost me £700 to convert back in 2015 and has more than paid for itself. No valve seat recession in over 100k on lpg. Slightly less power than on petrol but not noticeable unless using all of the power which very rarely happens.
I can wholeheartedly recommend it. Driving a v8 as opposed to a diesel in my opinion is so much more relaxing.
That said when we come to the U.K. in the Volvo or the Lexus finding fuel isn’t the easiest. Thankfully the little filling station near my parents in the Lake District stock lpg as does a random run down garage in Bude near my friends place. It’s a shame it didn’t take off as it burns really very clean.
Oilchange said:
I think there's going to be a market for recycling/converting older ice cars to EV, got to be greener than buying a new one and you get to keep the retro look. Would make me look into it if it was affordable.
See my link above regards affordability. Taking in to account the drastic drop in running costs and increased mechanical longevity of the car, I'd say it quickly going to become a no brainer for those who want to give a genuine new lease of life to an ageing car that has become particularly inefficient by modern standards and attracts high road tax.The Lexus they use as an example it that article is an ideal candidate - as is any other comfy old barge that was born with a big old, lazy ICE under the bonnet.
There's also no end of semi valuable old classics getting the treatment. That's a bit more controversial as the car lives on but of course it's nowhere near the 'original' anymore. On the flipside, the owners can use them daily and they don't break down weekly
I think the problem with LPG is that a far superior solution has always been to just buy a more frugal car the next time around. The network is steadily shrinking and you arguably need to be in quite a specific usage band for it to be a clear winner. It'll definitely work for some but you absolutely have to work out, using real thinking as opposed to man maths, whether you're one of those few people.
I have an LPG pump in my village and some old V8s but my mileage is nowhere near enough to justify the investment. The solution for me that is far more logical is to pick up a used EV and convert it over the next decade into a shed using it for all the local work.
I have an LPG pump in my village and some old V8s but my mileage is nowhere near enough to justify the investment. The solution for me that is far more logical is to pick up a used EV and convert it over the next decade into a shed using it for all the local work.
I’ve got Dacia Duster with LPG. It’s a no cost factory fit option (not converted afterwards) and it works for me. There is an independent place down the road that is currently 70p a litre, but you’ve got to phone him first to make sure he’s open. Then there’s Texaco not too far that’s about 5p more and then 2 Morrisons on my way to work that sell it.
LPG consumption is about 20% to 25% more on LPG compared to unleaded but the car is a bit livelier on gas.
The LPG.eu phone app is great for finding gas when your away from home turf.
LPG consumption is about 20% to 25% more on LPG compared to unleaded but the car is a bit livelier on gas.
The LPG.eu phone app is great for finding gas when your away from home turf.
DonkeyApple said:
I think the problem with LPG is that a far superior solution has always been to just buy a more frugal car the next time around. The network is steadily shrinking and you arguably need to be in quite a specific usage band for it to be a clear winner. It'll definitely work for some but you absolutely have to work out, using real thinking as opposed to man maths, whether you're one of those few people.
I have an LPG pump in my village and some old V8s but my mileage is nowhere near enough to justify the investment. The solution for me that is far more logical is to pick up a used EV and convert it over the next decade into a shed using it for all the local work.
This is true - for example, a decent PHEV is going to be even cheaper to run, easier to refuel literally anywhere and cleaner.I have an LPG pump in my village and some old V8s but my mileage is nowhere near enough to justify the investment. The solution for me that is far more logical is to pick up a used EV and convert it over the next decade into a shed using it for all the local work.
But there's a gap in the market for those that want a new car but don't have a huge budget so they buy an LPG affordable run-around. Also for those that have an ageing guzzler that want to hang on to it but avoid ever increasing fuel and tax burdens. But even these two groups of LPG users are already surely reducing as some migrate to electric/electric conversion, which makes sense for all the same reasons in addition to the other benefits it offers.
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