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Does it still make sense to buy cars with LPG engines?

Dacia is the brand that sells the most LPG vehicles, an option that it justifies as being the most economical way of driving and, at the same time, minimizing damage to the environment. But is it (still) worth it?

Dacia continues to be the manufacturer that sells the most vehicles equipped with bi-fuel engines, those that can consume gasoline or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), starting with the first, but then consuming the second, with advantages for the wallet and for the environment. LPG is a mixture of propane and butane gases, the percentage of which varies depending on the country and which we are already used to using to fuel the stove or heating at home.

An LPG engine is, essentially, a gasoline unit that uses small modifications to also burn LPG, being an alternative to engines that consume compressed natural gas (CNG). With the advantage of the first only needing to refill the tank at a pressure of 20 bar, compared to 200 bar for the second. The question that arises is to know to what extent, at the end of 2023, it is still worth purchasing an LPG vehicle, for those who want a cheap model that saves their wallet and the environment, or whether it is preferable to move towards a hybrid model. To clarify this, there is nothing better than a conversation with those responsible for Dacia and Galp.

What is LPG like in environmental terms?... Compared to gasoline, liquefied petroleum gas has advantages in terms of emissions. The amount of particles released into the atmosphere is 81% lower, according to Galp, and then the volume of CO2 is 21% lower, with NOx representing similar values.

This advantage per unit of volume decreases, if we bear in mind that the amount of fuel needed to cover the same number of kilometers is slightly higher in gas, which leads to reductions in the case of carbon dioxide, for example, falling to 10% .

Are LPG usage costs better than gasoline?...Although LPG advertises a high calorific value, the engine of a bi-fuel vehicle uses more when burning LPG than gasoline. The difference varies depending on the characteristics of the vehicle, being around 20% under normal conditions. But as the price of LPG is 50% lower than that of gasoline (at the time we write these lines), the advantage in terms of costs clearly favors gas over gasoline.

Considering that, on average, LPG costs €0.83/kg and gasoline €1.85/liter, a car that consumes 7 kg/100 km of LPG would need 5.8 l/100 km of gasoline. This involves spending €10.73 if the driver runs on gasoline or just €5.81 if he chooses LPG, which guarantees a 46% reduction in costs, which can be equivalent to €738 for a driver who travels 15,000 km per year. This is a greater gain than what can be expected even from a similar vehicle with a full hybrid gasoline engine, compared to a similar non-electrified vehicle.

Does an LPG vehicle drive more or less than gasoline?...Considering identical or at least equivalent engines, a unit that runs on LPG provides approximately the same power. The value may even be higher or lower than the same gasoline unit, but this is mainly due to the brand's strategy. And the best example is given by Dacia itself, which uses the same 3-cylinder, 999 cc engine in the Jogger for its LPG (bi-fuel) and gasoline versions. This supercharged unit produces 110 hp in the gasoline version and 100 hp in the bi-fuel version, also ensuring lower torque (170 Nm instead of 200 Nm). And, in this case, the gasoline Jogger reaches a top speed of 183 km/h (compared to 174 for the ECO-G, LPG version), being even faster when accelerating. It takes 11.2 seconds to go from 0-100 km/h, which means it is 2 seconds faster than the gas version.

Interestingly, in the same brand, the Sandero Stepway also offers gasoline and ECO-G versions, but here the scenario is different, since the 1.0 TCe provides only 90 hp, while the LPG version maintains the 100 hp of the Jogger. In this case, the GPL version is the fastest and fastest.

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