It's not just electric vehicles that are becoming more and more popular. Driving with LPG (i.e. autogas) is also becoming more and more modern. More and more vehicle owners who actually own a petrol engine are subsequently converting to LPG. There are numerous reasons for this. In the following we want to go into the advantages and disadvantages of the LPG and briefly explain the conversion process. In addition, the costs incurred by the vehicle owner are discussed. Finally, there is brief information on which cars are best suited to be converted to LPG.
One of the advantages of a vehicle that runs on LPG is the quiet engine. This is not only particularly pleasant for the driver and front passenger. A vehicle that is not too involved in road noise also does well in city traffic. Apart from that, gas is significantly cheaper than diesel or petrol. The monthly costs for fuel are therefore significantly reduced when filling up with gas. Another plus point in favor of converting to gas is the fact that gas filling stations are relatively readily available these days. Almost all petrol stations now also offer LPG. You are also in the best position when it comes to security. Because if an accident occurs, an explosion or a violent fire can quickly be expected in a diesel or petrol vehicle. This is not the case with LPG. The last point that clearly speaks in favor of converting to LPG is, of course, environmental friendliness. It is well known that LPG contains less CO2 than diesel or petrol and therefore the pollutant emissions are lower at this point.
But what are the disadvantages at this point that speak against the project? On the one hand, a driver should be aware that converting to LPG also means having less space in the trunk. The system is installed in the trunk and thus takes up a lot of storage space. Even if filling up with LPG is cheaper than filling up with diesel or petrol, you should know that converting a vehicle to a gas system costs a lot. Several thousand euros can quickly accrue here. In addition, one should have dealt intensively with the topic before making a decision. Thorough research is therefore strongly recommended.
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How can I convert a car to LPG?
First, you should be aware of the components you need to convert your car to LPG. A gas control unit and an evaporator, as well as injection nozzles, a gas filter and hoses are needed here. A pressure sensor and a level indicator and a switch are also required. The LPG system can now be installed either in the trunk or in the spare wheel well. Mounting below the vehicle floor is also possible. Now the fuel is brought into the engine compartment with the help of a pressure line. As for the engine, there is no change to the mechanical parts. However, there is another system that will be installed in parallel to the original system. The advantage is that no changes to the mechanics of the car have to be made here. Instead, an additional mechanism is simply installed so that the vehicle can be operated with petrol or alternatively with LPG fuel in the future.
What are the costs to me?
The cost of converting a vehicle to an LPG system can vary widely. On the one hand they depend on the type of fuel tank chosen and on the other hand the number of cylinders makes the difference. Also, the performance of the actual vehicle is crucial. If you want to convert a petrol engine to a gas system, you can save on costs. Because said process is much cheaper here than with a diesel. You should expect sums of 2,000 to 4,000 euros. It is important at this point that you should definitely have this work carried out by specialists. Independent assembly is therefore strongly discouraged. The process itself is not particularly complicated, but you could incur expensive follow-up costs if you make small mistakes here.
Which vehicles are best suited to convert to LPG?
In general, there are no advantages here, because actually any vehicle can be used to convert to gas. As mentioned above, however, it is significantly more worthwhile with a petrol engine. So you drive a petrol car and have decided to carry out the procedure? In that case, however, you should first get detailed information from a workshop. Because you have to take into account that the conversion is more profitable for some vehicle models than for others. Why is that? The inspection costs could increase by a few euros for some models. This is because certain spark plugs or other components may be necessary. It is therefore advisable to present the car that is to be converted to the experts in a workshop first. So you are on the safe side and know exactly whether your considerations will pay off or not.
The conclusion and a tip from CarTipsandmore
Fuel prices have been skyrocketing for years. An upper price limit would be nice, but is unlikely. So if prices continue to skyrocket, it could end up being very expensive for vehicle owners who drive many kilometers a day, for example to get to work. Some car owners are therefore completely turning their backs on vehicles with combustion engines and opting for the electric car as an alternative. This is of course possible. However, these cars are not cheap to buy. In your own car – as long as it is a petrol engine – Installing an LPG system is much cheaper. This is the reason why more and more drivers are choosing to convert their petrol engine to be able to use gas from then on and save a lot of money. You have to reckon with less storage space in the trunk, since the system naturally takes up a lot of space. But as long as you can do without it, there is nothing more that speaks against your plan.
In the end it can be said that converting to LPG is definitely worthwhile. But refrain from DIY work and entrust this work to specialists in a workshop. CarTipsandmore recommends that you seek professional advice there.