Interest in this alternative is rising. LPG cars can be purchased from some carmakers directly from the factory, in this respect Dacia reigns supreme in the Czech Republic. According to data from the Association of Car Importers, 2,259 were sold in LPG last year, but this year 1421 from January to May. The price of the LPG model does not differ much from petrol, for example 315 thousand crowns.
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However, according to the executive chairman of the Czech LPG Association, Ivan Indráček, motorists have many more cars converted to LPG every year. “Last year, people had around 5,000 cars converted to LPG,” Indráček told Práva on Tuesday. Standard petrol cars can be modified to LPG, the price of such modification ranges from approximately 20 to 40 thousand crowns.
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The cost of modifying the car will return after tens of thousands of kilometers, according to Indráček it is an estimated 30,000 km. Drivers who travel frequently will get the cost of the adjustment in just a few months or a year. There are about a thousand filling stations throughout the Czech Republic, ie about four times less than petrol stations.
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The downside of parking
At current prices, the LPG car will save over one crown per kilometer driven. Dacia states on its website that a petrol sander with a liter engine consumes 5.3 liters per 100 kilometers and a similar LPG model 7 liters. With an average price of CZK 47.43 per liter of Natural 95, a kilometer in petrol dacia costs CZK 2.51. According to Indráček, LPG is now sold for about CZK 20 per liter. A kilometer in a sander with LPG costs CZK 1.40.
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If we compare the cost of a diesel car with a consumption of 5 liters per 100 kilometers, its owner will pay at an average diesel price of 46.63 CZK per kilometer 2.33 CZK, ie about 90 pennies more than with LPG. The popularity of LPG with Dacia also speaks to the fact that the Sandero model sold more LPG this year than a petrol engine.
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According to Indráček, LPG is produced during oil refining or is mined together with natural gas, and in both cases it is waste. The advantage in the current situation is that the price of LPG is not primarily dependent on Russia and oscillates around the level of half the price of petrol in the long run, and this is still the case today. But LPG cars also have some disadvantages. According to Indráček, the tank is usually placed instead of the spare wheel when reworking the car, which can be a problem in the event of a defect.
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An alternative is the tank directly in the luggage compartment, the volume of which is reduced by a lot. Another disadvantage is the frequent inability to park in underground car parks. According to Indráček, this is not a ban, but the fact that LPG can only be parked in car parks that are equipped with sensors, and if a gas leak is detected, the air extraction will increase and the gas will be sucked out. However, underground car parks are often not equipped with these technologies. “For example, in a new car park in Černý Most in Prague, you can park your car on LPG,” Indráček added.
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