Ten Quick Facts About LPG Conversions

By:Simon OShea




Savings on fuel

LPG offers huge financial savings when compared with petrol, this fact is hard to deny. However, LPG as fuel is not as efficient as petrol in terms of miles per gallon, so the best way to calculate savings is to estimate the cost of driving 1000 miles on petrol compared with 1000 miles on LGP fuel.

Drivers of commercial vehicles can make substantial savings. A vehicle with an annual mileage of 50,000 miles can expect annual fuel costs of £6,500 (petrol) or £5,356 (diesel). The average cost to cover the same number of miles with LPG is just £3,744.

Costs no more to insure

Many motorists believe that vehicles with LPG Conversions will be more expensive to insure. However, a survey carried out by the LPG Association (LPGA), essentially showed that this isn’t the case. The top 20 insurance companies all said they insure a LPG converted car so long as the LPG conversion had been carried out by an LPG approved installer. Only two insurers advised they would charge an extra premium.

LPG is safer than diesel or petrol

According to the LPG Association (LPGA), the gas is substantially safer to use than petrol or diesel. This is largely attributed to the fact that the LPG fuel is stored in a robust tank. Also, in the case of an accident, LPG tanks close down the gas supply automatically.

Filling up has never been easier

The number of LPG stations in the UK is in excess of 1,300, and increasing steadily. Traditional petrol pumps work much in the same way as LPG pumps and all LPG stations are fairly similar in the way they do things. Most LPG pumps have clear diagrams to help on your first visit and it's impossible to put diesel or petrol in your LPG tank by mistake.

LPG is popular worldwide

Travelling with an LPG vehicle is a dream; you can achieve almost double the mileage for the same cost as a petrol vehicle can. LPG is readily available in Europe, however it is more commonly known as Autogas or GPL.

Autogas also enjoys great popularity in Australia, The Netherlands, Italy, Serbia, Poland, Hong Kong and Korea. The former Soviet republic of Armenia may, however, be the world leader in autogas use.

Reduced maintenance levels

LPG is clean burning, contains no lead or carbon deposits and LPG car owners enjoy on overall reduction in engine wear and tear. Maintenance costs on spark plugs, pistons, rings and valves are also reduced.

Government grants

The Government are offering grants to car owners, fleets and businesses who consider LPG conversions or other eco friendly alternative fuels.

LPG Conversion or buy an LPG car

If you have a relatively new petrol car or light commercial vehicle, or even a black cab that needs a new engine, then you can convert to LPG. If you have a diesel car or van, or an older petrol car or light commercial vehicle that is on its last legs then the answer is not to convert to LPG but to buy a new LPG vehicle.

You can switch back to petrol at any point LPG conversions work in such a way that, at anytime you choose, you can change back to petrol at the flick of a switch. The switch is mounted on the dash board of your car and is used to switch between LPG and Petrol. Converting a car back from LPG to petrol is also a painless process and reputable dealers should offer this as part of their guarantee.

Environment

Fuel emissions cost society financially and economically. The financial costs are calculated based on city population sizes in the UK, and grams of pollutants emitted per 1000km travelled by each automotive vehicle fuel type. These figures are directly related to the ecomonical costs in terms of health care expenditure.

The benefits of alternative fuels are reduced health problems such as Congestive heart failure, Respiratory problems and Bronchitis, which all relate to poor air quality. Individuals and organisations that adopt the environmentally-friendly alternative automotive fuels and technologies are not only generating cost savings for themselves but also for the larger society.

About the author:
Simon OShea recommends you visit http://www.fuelture.com for more information about LPG Conversions in the UK. Fuelture Ltd. works closely with performance engine specialists Nicholson McLaren Engines Ltd. to deliver LPG Conversions in the UK.