In Denmark, not a single gas car has been registered this year. Not even though the CO2 emitted is less than that from both petrol and diesel cars. Now the fuel is threatened.
Gas cars have been an alternative to petrol and diesel for decades, but subsidies for the fuel have fallen. Two decades ago, motorists were encouraged to switch to LPG (Liquefied petroleum gas), a fuel with lower CO2 emissions.
Back then there were tax benefits, lower operating costs and a growing network of petrol stations. At least in England.
That's what Autocar writes.
Today the situation is different. The tax rebate is gone, the number of LPG filling stations is decreasing. That together makes the number of retrofits in cars. And only one car manufacturer offers factory-fitted LPG systems.
Romanian carmaker Dacia, which offers a Bi-Fuel powertrain as an option for the Duster and Sandero, still thinks LPG is good business. LPG accounts for around 10 percent of Romanians' total sales.
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– We are sticking with LPG because it fits perfectly with what Dacia customers are looking for: easy, simple, efficient and cheap Corsel, says a spokesman.
Although LPG coaches have lower CO2 and particle emissions, there are no longer advantages in environmental zones. Neither at home nor in England.
The savings must therefore come from the fuel itself. Dacia claims it is 40% cheaper to run in a Bi-Fuel model, although fuel economy is around 20% worse when running on LPG. However, the savings depend entirely on where you can refuel.
The website FillLPG has mapped all LPG filling stations in the UK. Just as you monitor the price development of gas.
At the time of writing, the average price is DKK 7.20 per liter compared to DKK 10 for unleaded petrol, but petrol stations close to motorways charge up to DKK 9.60 per litre. litres. The cheapest is in Nottingham at DKK 5.75 – an increase from DKK 4.75 in 2018.
There are now around 500 LPG filling stations in England. But that must be compared to the heyday of the fuel, when there were almost 2,000 gas stations offering LPG charging.
Companies such as Shell, BP and Morrisons have removed all their gas plants. And that is a problem. At least if you ask the suppliers' trade association Liquid Gas UK.
– There are over 70,000 LPG cars on the roads in England today. But with the government's focus on electric cars, we have seen a drop in the number of conversions.
– Although the number of public service stations has been reduced, there is still a good spread throughout the UK. It still offers greener and cleaner diesel as a transition fuel until electric cars or other alternatives are more viable.
At home, according to Drivkraft Danmark, there are only 6 gas stations that have LPG on the 'menu'. By way of comparison, figures from the Motor Authority show that in 2022, just 25 gas-powered cars were registered in 2022.
However, several importers have tried to get sales going. For example, Fiat has had an LPG version of the 500L on the program in Denmark. Volkswagen tried in 2013 with a gas version of the small city car UP!
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