LPG, still worth it these days?
Discussion
Hi Guys
Just after some opinions on LPG running costs/value these days?
Firstly i drive around 350/400 miles aweek and want to avoid diesels if possible as had big bills with DMF failure and injector problems on my last diesel. Ive been thinking about buying a larger engined petrol car thats hopefully already been converted or to have converted myself.
Around my way LPG is about 75p per litre and im told that when running on LPG you dont get the same mpg figures as petrol?
I dont have a massive budget (£4k ish all in) and dont want a Aygo/C1/107 type box
Any usefuse info welcome
Thanks
Just after some opinions on LPG running costs/value these days?
Firstly i drive around 350/400 miles aweek and want to avoid diesels if possible as had big bills with DMF failure and injector problems on my last diesel. Ive been thinking about buying a larger engined petrol car thats hopefully already been converted or to have converted myself.
Around my way LPG is about 75p per litre and im told that when running on LPG you dont get the same mpg figures as petrol?
I dont have a massive budget (£4k ish all in) and dont want a Aygo/C1/107 type box
Any usefuse info welcome
Thanks
LPG will always be cheaper to run compared to petrol. And bigger engined cars are cheaper, already converted ones not so much for obvious reasons.
I'm all for it, I'm getting my Escalade converted over winter (6.0 V8). I'd rather pay 70 odd pence a litre at 12mpg compared to £1.37.
Go for it!!
I'm all for it, I'm getting my Escalade converted over winter (6.0 V8). I'd rather pay 70 odd pence a litre at 12mpg compared to £1.37.
Go for it!!
I'm finding it works out well- cant wait til I get paid so I can get a new vapourisor and get back on LPG- ideal for running a larger engined (say over 2.0L) petrol car if you're doing lots of miles.
also, if anything goes wrong its
1. easier to repair/diagnose than a modern Diesel (EGR/DPF/Turbo)
2. Even if the LPG fails, you can still run on petrol
also, if anything goes wrong its
1. easier to repair/diagnose than a modern Diesel (EGR/DPF/Turbo)
2. Even if the LPG fails, you can still run on petrol
matthias73 said:
Does LPG have a longer shelf life than petrol?
Not sure of shelf life but many 1000's of people have LPG tanks for heating their homes. The LPG sits in their pressurised tanks all winter, so this will be considerably longer than LPG in 70ltr toroidal car tanks. Maybe worth picking up the phone and talking to CalorGas. 320touring said:
I'm finding it works out well- ideal for running a larger engined (say over 2.0L) petrol car if you're doing lots of miles.
also, if anything goes wrong its
1. easier to repair/diagnose than a modern Diesel (EGR/DPF/Turbo)
2. Even if the LPG fails, you can still run on petrol
All the above. I have completed a very thorough LPG to Petrol to Diesel calc.xls based on a specific car. I will save £1300+ per annum on only 15,000miles which pays for the conversion. Year.2 it pays for years.1&2 insurance, VED, servicing, and new tyres.also, if anything goes wrong its
1. easier to repair/diagnose than a modern Diesel (EGR/DPF/Turbo)
2. Even if the LPG fails, you can still run on petrol
LPG is definitely worth it provided 1. you can buy at sensible price per litre, 2. our greedy b*****d Govt doesn't tax the f**k out of LPG...in the same way it does with every other commodity, service or product for sale in impoverished Blighty.
It would be cheaper (and easier) to buy something ready-converted, although obviously your choice will be very limited. Obviously road-test it carefully, preferably from cold so you can see how it drives on petrol, at changeover, and on gas. For most vehicles it seems an LPG conversion doesn't add anything to the value.
Run a search on Autotrader with the fuel field set to LPG or bi-fuel and see what comes up and for what price.
Run a search on Autotrader with the fuel field set to LPG or bi-fuel and see what comes up and for what price.
Edited by Gareth79 on Wednesday 17th October 01:21
The standard LPG thread comments go like this:
1. Wouldn't fancy a tank of gas in my front room - why would you put one in your car? (Same goes for a tank of petrol though)
2. You can't use the channel tunnel (get a ferry)
3. The government are going to ramp up the tax on it once a lot of people start using it (has never been the case and doesn't have any evidence to suggest it might be).
4. Doesn't it eat valve seats? (Only on some cars, and then fit flashlube)
5. Just buy a more economical car. (No)
6. You won't find anywhere to fill up (Download LPG POIs for sat nav)
7. You'll have to display a gas warning label (possibly, I never did)
8. The fire brigade won't put out your car if it's on fire due to needing to conduct a 1 hour risk assessment (?)
9. Performance will be heavily compromised (not if the systems set up right)
10. Lose your spare wheel (get a bag for the spacesaver, join the aa or get a can of tyregunk)
I had it done on old Astra, did about 60k and saved a packet and none of the above things ever affected me.
1. Wouldn't fancy a tank of gas in my front room - why would you put one in your car? (Same goes for a tank of petrol though)
2. You can't use the channel tunnel (get a ferry)
3. The government are going to ramp up the tax on it once a lot of people start using it (has never been the case and doesn't have any evidence to suggest it might be).
4. Doesn't it eat valve seats? (Only on some cars, and then fit flashlube)
5. Just buy a more economical car. (No)
6. You won't find anywhere to fill up (Download LPG POIs for sat nav)
7. You'll have to display a gas warning label (possibly, I never did)
8. The fire brigade won't put out your car if it's on fire due to needing to conduct a 1 hour risk assessment (?)
9. Performance will be heavily compromised (not if the systems set up right)
10. Lose your spare wheel (get a bag for the spacesaver, join the aa or get a can of tyregunk)
I had it done on old Astra, did about 60k and saved a packet and none of the above things ever affected me.
My 4.6 RR runs perfectly happily on lpg. I bought it already converted and as mentioned, it didn't affect the cost of the vehicle.
It's now done 150k miles, 120k of which has been on lpg with no problems.
The only niggle I have with lpg is that it can sometimes be difficult to locate petrol stations. I do have a load of POI files on my satnav, but they are sometimes incorrect which can be frustrating.
Also, the cost of lpg varies considerably. My two local stations differ by about 12p a litre and they're both owned by BP!
Still, I couldn't afford to run the Rangey on petrol so I'm more than happy. It costs about as much to run on lpg as my 2.5 V6 Vectra used to on petrol.
It's now done 150k miles, 120k of which has been on lpg with no problems.
The only niggle I have with lpg is that it can sometimes be difficult to locate petrol stations. I do have a load of POI files on my satnav, but they are sometimes incorrect which can be frustrating.
Also, the cost of lpg varies considerably. My two local stations differ by about 12p a litre and they're both owned by BP!
Still, I couldn't afford to run the Rangey on petrol so I'm more than happy. It costs about as much to run on lpg as my 2.5 V6 Vectra used to on petrol.
It can be worth it for some, but it is definitely not clear cut.
Crunch the numbers properly and see if it stacks up, but you need to
1) be doing fairly serious milage
2) plan on keeping the car for 3+ years
For it to make sense.
I crunched the numbers for my old BMW 740iL but it really didn't make sense.
As I said in another thread:
If a decent conversion costs £2500 (£1990 + VAT), and
LPG costs 75p/litre (£3.41/gallon)
Petrol costs 1.40/litre (£6.37/gallon)
The saving by using LPG is £2.96/gallon
You would have to use 845 gallons before you break even which is over 21,000 miles*
(* at 25mpg, which is probably the level you get from a car you would consider getting an LPG conversion performed on)
In fact, the breakeven point is probably even higher than that, as I understand that LPG isn't quite as efficient as petrol, litre for litre.
Plus, LPG isn't 'half-price'; depending on your local prices it will be around 60% of the petrol price per litre, but with LPG having a lower efficiency so the equivalency is probably only a 30% saving.
It's a bit of a gamble that you might save some money in the future (remember - you have lost money for the first 11,000 miles minimum - only after that does it breakeven and then start to yield modest savings e.g. £1k after 2 years? - most people could achieve £500/year saving by just driving more economically)
For what its worth, I'm not in an anti-LPG lobby (and I don't have major shares in BP ) - I just think too many people dive in thinking it's some magic solution to save on your fuel bills without considering the bigger picture.
It remains viable for some poeple, but as I initially said, the case for LPG is becoming marginal and not worth it for many these days.
Crunch the numbers properly and see if it stacks up, but you need to
1) be doing fairly serious milage
2) plan on keeping the car for 3+ years
For it to make sense.
I crunched the numbers for my old BMW 740iL but it really didn't make sense.
As I said in another thread:
If a decent conversion costs £2500 (£1990 + VAT), and
LPG costs 75p/litre (£3.41/gallon)
Petrol costs 1.40/litre (£6.37/gallon)
The saving by using LPG is £2.96/gallon
You would have to use 845 gallons before you break even which is over 21,000 miles*
(* at 25mpg, which is probably the level you get from a car you would consider getting an LPG conversion performed on)
In fact, the breakeven point is probably even higher than that, as I understand that LPG isn't quite as efficient as petrol, litre for litre.
Plus, LPG isn't 'half-price'; depending on your local prices it will be around 60% of the petrol price per litre, but with LPG having a lower efficiency so the equivalency is probably only a 30% saving.
It's a bit of a gamble that you might save some money in the future (remember - you have lost money for the first 11,000 miles minimum - only after that does it breakeven and then start to yield modest savings e.g. £1k after 2 years? - most people could achieve £500/year saving by just driving more economically)
For what its worth, I'm not in an anti-LPG lobby (and I don't have major shares in BP ) - I just think too many people dive in thinking it's some magic solution to save on your fuel bills without considering the bigger picture.
It remains viable for some poeple, but as I initially said, the case for LPG is becoming marginal and not worth it for many these days.
AndyLB said:
If you fill up from a bottle you may find it more expensive (strange but was when I looked into it), it's illegal/tax avoidance as you're not paying any fuel duty and you will have to find an appropriate converter and pump to connect to the bayonet fitting
Tax avoidance is arranging affairs and finances to minimise one's tax burden and, more importantly, isn't illegal.Not paying the requisite duty and hence, evading the tax is illegal.
monthefish said:
It can be worth it for some, but it is definitely not clear cut.
Crunch the numbers properly and see if it stacks up, but you need to
1) be doing fairly serious milage
2) plan on keeping the car for 3+ years
For it to make sense.
I crunched the numbers for my old BMW 740iL but it really didn't make sense.
As I said in another thread:
If a decent conversion costs £2500 (£1990 + VAT), and
LPG costs 75p/litre (£3.41/gallon)
Petrol costs 1.40/litre (£6.37/gallon)
The saving by using LPG is £2.96/gallon
You would have to use 845 gallons before you break even which is over 21,000 miles*
(* at 25mpg, which is probably the level you get from a car you would consider getting an LPG conversion performed on)
In fact, the breakeven point is probably even higher than that, as I understand that LPG isn't quite as efficient as petrol, litre for litre.
Plus, LPG isn't 'half-price'; depending on your local prices it will be around 60% of the petrol price per litre, but with LPG having a lower efficiency so the equivalency is probably only a 30% saving.
It's a bit of a gamble that you might save some money in the future (remember - you have lost money for the first 11,000 miles minimum - only after that does it breakeven and then start to yield modest savings e.g. £1k after 2 years? - most people could achieve £500/year saving by just driving more economically)
For what its worth, I'm not in an anti-LPG lobby (and I don't have major shares in BP ) - I just think too many people dive in thinking it's some magic solution to save on your fuel bills without considering the bigger picture.
It remains viable for some poeple, but as I initially said, the case for LPG is becoming marginal and not worth it for many these days.
When I was looking into buying a LPG car, there was a common comment about the recent 'service' of the LPG system, i.e. it costs more to run the additional fuel system. I'm not sure if you have to do lots of miles in short period of time, or there is simply a additional cost to factor into ownership/ mile.Crunch the numbers properly and see if it stacks up, but you need to
1) be doing fairly serious milage
2) plan on keeping the car for 3+ years
For it to make sense.
I crunched the numbers for my old BMW 740iL but it really didn't make sense.
As I said in another thread:
If a decent conversion costs £2500 (£1990 + VAT), and
LPG costs 75p/litre (£3.41/gallon)
Petrol costs 1.40/litre (£6.37/gallon)
The saving by using LPG is £2.96/gallon
You would have to use 845 gallons before you break even which is over 21,000 miles*
(* at 25mpg, which is probably the level you get from a car you would consider getting an LPG conversion performed on)
In fact, the breakeven point is probably even higher than that, as I understand that LPG isn't quite as efficient as petrol, litre for litre.
Plus, LPG isn't 'half-price'; depending on your local prices it will be around 60% of the petrol price per litre, but with LPG having a lower efficiency so the equivalency is probably only a 30% saving.
It's a bit of a gamble that you might save some money in the future (remember - you have lost money for the first 11,000 miles minimum - only after that does it breakeven and then start to yield modest savings e.g. £1k after 2 years? - most people could achieve £500/year saving by just driving more economically)
For what its worth, I'm not in an anti-LPG lobby (and I don't have major shares in BP ) - I just think too many people dive in thinking it's some magic solution to save on your fuel bills without considering the bigger picture.
It remains viable for some poeple, but as I initially said, the case for LPG is becoming marginal and not worth it for many these days.
I've just had my F150 converted to LPG (120 litre Prins system), and, when running, you honestly wouldn't know the difference between gas and petrol. Full system was a little over £2000, but that included the tank, which is considerably larger than what you'd put in a typical installation.
200 miles in and I'm showing 1/4 tank used. Probably not too accurate, but a guide. For comparison, I would have used £80 of petrol over the same distance. The whole LPG tank cost around £80 to fill, and I must have at least 2-300 miles left in it.
200 miles in and I'm showing 1/4 tank used. Probably not too accurate, but a guide. For comparison, I would have used £80 of petrol over the same distance. The whole LPG tank cost around £80 to fill, and I must have at least 2-300 miles left in it.
I live in West Yorkshire and work in Welwyn Garden City( near the M25)
I have a 10 year old Nissan Primera that I bought last year with 28k on the clock, its got 47k now.
Had it converted to LPG with 2 tanks which give me a 600 mile range on LPG, I don't care about boot space this is my work car. I can fix the price of my LPG by paying upfront, the price now is 62p but I am still paying 59p. I use about 3 tanks of petrol a year, the car runs on petrol until it warms up. Lpg service every 12k at a cost of £65. I get 30mpg on average with LPG. The Primera has a chain rather than a cam belt is boring to drive but it keeps costs down and I have toys at home for the weekend.
The conversion cost £1400 with the 2 tanks which carry 100Lts
I have a 10 year old Nissan Primera that I bought last year with 28k on the clock, its got 47k now.
Had it converted to LPG with 2 tanks which give me a 600 mile range on LPG, I don't care about boot space this is my work car. I can fix the price of my LPG by paying upfront, the price now is 62p but I am still paying 59p. I use about 3 tanks of petrol a year, the car runs on petrol until it warms up. Lpg service every 12k at a cost of £65. I get 30mpg on average with LPG. The Primera has a chain rather than a cam belt is boring to drive but it keeps costs down and I have toys at home for the weekend.
The conversion cost £1400 with the 2 tanks which carry 100Lts
AdeTuono said:
I've just had my F150 converted to LPG (120 litre Prins system), and, when running, you honestly wouldn't know the difference between gas and petrol. Full system was a little over £2000, but that included the tank, which is considerably larger than what you'd put in a typical installation.
200 miles in and I'm showing 1/4 tank used. Probably not too accurate, but a guide. For comparison, I would have used £80 of petrol over the same distance. The whole LPG tank cost around £80 to fill, and I must have at least 2-300 miles left in it.
The indicators for LPG fuel level are not to be trusted, mine will show its in the red after 50 miles then show half after 200 miles. 200 miles in and I'm showing 1/4 tank used. Probably not too accurate, but a guide. For comparison, I would have used £80 of petrol over the same distance. The whole LPG tank cost around £80 to fill, and I must have at least 2-300 miles left in it.
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