Auto-LPG Conversion Thread

[webmiester]

Dear Web & Ghost,

Distance driven on a tank of gas 600 km/trip
Litres used on trip 60 litres/trip
Annual vehicle distance 30000 km/year
Propane economy as % of gasoline economy 75.00% conservative estimate
Price of gasoline 45 P/litre
Price of propane 27 P/litre
Cost to drive trip distance on gasoline P 2700/trip
Estimated litres of propane used on same trip 80 litres/trip
Cost to drive trip distance on propane P 2160/trip
Fuel Savings per km P 0.90/km
Annual Savings P 27,000 P/year
Cost to convert vehicle P 23,000
Payback 0.851852 years

Thanks Steve... again its the "Annual Vehicle Distance" which is in contention. If the guy uses his car for like 100km/year, then it might not be worth it.

What is 30000km a year like anyway? If I make like 500km in 3 weeks, what will be my yearly distance?

[userfriendly]

Thanks Steve... again its the "Annual Vehicle Distance" which is in contention. If the guy uses his car for like 100km/year, then it might not be worth it.

What is 30000km a year like anyway? If I make like 500km in 3 weeks, what will be my yearly distance?

500 km/3 weeks = 167 km/week * 52 weeks/ year = 8684 km/ year

[ssalonga]

Thanks Steve... again its the "Annual Vehicle Distance" which is in contention. If the guy uses his car for like 100km/year, then it might not be worth it.

What is 30000km a year like anyway? If I make like 500km in 3 weeks, what will be my yearly distance?

Web, I figured my own mileage was about 100km/day average, 300 days of the year. My actual experience is very close to that every year. I live in Valley Golf and work in Pasig, my wife in Mandaluyong and I regularly use the car to get to appointments during the day, thus 100 day.

I have always believed that converting to propane is not for everyone.
To many people doing something that 98% of the people do not do, is reason enough, not to do it, any economy considerations be damned.

I was a great believer in diesel engine technology using vegetable oil fuel, as it was originally designed, but to this day many people still consider a diesel engined luxury car an oxymoron!

My point in posting my own cost-benefit statement is to show that to some of us it does make a lot of sense. If I drove only 8k kms/yr I'd buy that 1987 500SEL selling for 170T in todays Bulletin classifieds. But driving as much as I do, I'm happy with my KIA.

There will be moments this winter, when LPG will be in greater demand due to heating requirements in the temperate zones and will rise more aggressively than gasoline - but if you annualize the price cycle it probably evens out and will still reflect substantial saving for me.

On the other hand, many of today's car owners don't really care whether they save or not, they just keep ordering those new V6 and V8's. Makes you wonder?

steve