Fuels: boost for LPG
After years of lean cow, LPG started to rise again in 2008. Since the beginning of the year, the number of vehicles transformed has increased by 25%. Environmental awareness, rising prices at the pump, falling purchasing power, LPG could experience a fresh start.
Arriving at a time when respect for the environment was less of a concern for people, LPG has not won over. In addition, the numerous concerns of reliability and the few explosions of equipped cars ended up forcing this alternative fuel to a long crossing of the desert.
Only today, ecology is a major subject and LPG emits no particles due to its complete combustion, releases less CO2 than a petrol engine and its production is less polluting than that of petroleum. Considered as clean fuel by the public authorities, a bonus of 2 is granted for the purchase of a vehicle emitting less than 000 g / km or the transformation of a vehicle emitting less than 140 g / km. But perhaps more than its cleanliness, what interests consumers today is its price at the pump. Indeed, LPG is the cheapest fuel with an average price of 0,78 per liter against an average of 1,42 per liter of super.
For Joël Pedessac, director general of the French Butane and Propane Committee: “the environmental qualities of LPG, its price and its availability make it the alternative fuel of the present. It allows, while meeting the needs of mobility, security and preservation of purchasing power, to anticipate the necessary changes to which the fuels of the future are subject ”.
The objective for the CFBP is to multiply by ten the current fleet of LPG vehicles which is only around 140 units. If this figure may seem a bit ambitious, you should know that in Italy the number of LPG vehicles has reached a million and in Germany almost 200 in just three years. And for skeptics who criticize the low number of LPG pumps in France, you should know that Italy only has 000 pumps for ten times more equipped vehicles, France has more than 2.
According to the CFBP, the trigger to significantly increase the number of cars running on LPG is that the manufacturers produce more models fitted to the origin and that they communicate on it. For now, only one manufacturer is really investing in LPG, it's Chevrolet with the Matiz but also the Aveo (photo) and soon other models. To do well, French manufacturers who have a lot of power in their market should invest in this technology, but mentalities are hard to change.
In the meantime the LPG continues on its way and perhaps it hopes for further increases in fuel prices to convert more people and finally come out of the shadows. Strong consumer demand could then force manufacturers to expand their offer.
Friday September 19, 10:12 AM
to meditate.....
