| hi all,
guess the situation depends where you live, but i feel there are some thoughts on LPG conversions out there that need to be set straight.
I bought my used V8 E420 with the sole purpose of converting it (in germany) to LPG. To answer the "why" is quite obvious: filling up a gas tank here is like playing russian roulette or hitting the slots: prices change up to 5 times a day at the pump and you never know where it's heading. Lately however, it's been up up up to record-highs.
LPG has a tax break by the government (many, in europe) given the lower emissions etc. As such, the price is about half or less of regular gasoline, but mostly: that price stays rather fixed (no more daily gambling at the pump).
costs: from 2000 to 3000 Euros for a top-of-the-line system installed by professionals (not something dodgy installed by "mechanics" in, say, poland). Beware, they do need to drill straight into the engine so you don't want to leave that to amateurs...
prices vary due to amount of cylinders, type of tank (and size), location of the nozzle, etc. for 4 cylinders it's 2000, 6 cyl. 2500, and 8 cyl 3000. However, they can do 10 and 12 cylinder engines too. there the price increases a lot because of the complexity and the size of the tank (useful to be able to drive further than 20miles on one filling).
given the higher octane value of LPG, and the fact that it is a bit "dryer", certain engine models require an additional lubrication system (ie Flash lube). Most Mercedes engines (at least mine) however, don't.... speaking for the engine.
downsides are: about 10% increased consumption.... that's it. Yet again, you save 50% on gas!!!!!!
ok, a slight reduction of power, but in my case having a V8 still leaves enough of it.
you don't necessarily lose trunk space, as for most vehicles you can install a tank where the spare tire goes.
and saying that having that tank makes driving more dangerous is completely ridiculous, as it is just as safe -if not more- as the regular fuel system of any car.
To re-coup the costs of installation you need to drive a bit, and calculate the savings over the distance driven based on the price delta between lpg and gasoline. in about 2 years you earn it back. However, also be aware that the resale value of the car is higher, so technically you need to deduct the additional resale value projection from the installation cost, and then calculate the fuel cost savings against that.
don't know how common LPG conversions are in the US, but in Europe it's increasing by the day. My installer's order book is full full full... everyday, people r getting more and more fed up with the prices, so they look for solutions. Remember, in Europe, it's about 8.5-10 $ per gallon... not $4!
Do your research, talk to the guys, etc. If they do V10 and V12 BMW, Mercedes, and trucks (GMC etc) you are probably in safe hands!
Just make sure you live close to a gas station that offers LPG... depending on where you live, this is sometimes still a problem.
other than that, no real downside for somebody who wants to drive a strong car, big engine, keep performance, but keep costs under control.
best of luck! |