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Every car can be converted

Conversion from a petrol- or diesel-powered car to one that uses autogas is usually simple. It requires the installation of a reservoir (usually in the boot), fuel filler, converter (changes the fuel from a pressurised liquid to a vapour), mixer (mixes the fuel with the air flowing into the engine), phase injectors and electrical and electronic controls. Such a conversion does not stress the engine; on the contrary, due to a cleaner burn cycle, the wearing of mechanical parts of the engine is reduced, resulting in lower frequency of oil changes and increased lifetime of the exhaust system.

A conservative public

However, despite these advantages, autogas is used marginally in Slovenia as most drivers do not see it as a viable alternative. Mainly, this is due to the price of autogas (up to about a year ago, autogas was not substantially cheaper than petrol) and availability (there are a total of thirty-seven gas stations offering autogas), rather than Slovenes being indifferent to the environment. In comparison, neighbouring Croatia has over a thousand of filling stations. In all likelihood, the spiralling price of petrol will force consumers to migrate to alternative fuels in ever greater numbers, and the powerful gas company managers will be forced to listen if they are to keep the public interested in fossil fuels.

The numbers add up

Meanwhile, companies specializing in converting your car to take autogas as fuel are multiplying. Avtoplin Zavoli, Plinex, and G-1 are just a few of them. They all offer a reasonably priced conversion, costing between EUR 800 and 1,500 for a middle range car. This investment pays off in less than a year for those who drive at least 25,000 kilometres per year.

The beauty of conversion is that there is a choice between two fuels as the choice of fuels is maintained. If you choose to use autogas, a few drops of petrol are needed to start the engine; after that, the engine shifts to gas automatically. When the engine is turned off, the safety valve automatically closes the gas supply so the car is ready to start using petrol. Even the safety issue of gas being dangerous and highly combustible has been dealt with effectively with the gas reservoir being heavily reinforced to easily withstand collisions. There is also a safety valve that shuts off the gas in case of an accident.

EU boost

A further incentive to consider an LPG car is the EU policy to reduce pollution in all sectors of the economy. Though currently there is no tax targeting CO2 emissions that applies to all passenger cars, there are strong indications that this might change in the future, especially because the transport sector has shown a substantial increase in CO2 emissions since 1990. The EU will have to use stricter measures than just voluntary agreements between car companies and the European Commission to limit CO2 emissions. What might come out of this is as yet uncertain. What is certain is that petrol and diesel are going to find it increasingly difficult to maintain the dominant position, not only in the long run but also in the near term.

All these facts will make the LPG car increasingly important. Nobody knows this better than car companies as they seem to universally accept this technology as a short-term solution to meeting the needs of the eco-conscious costumer who also finds today's fuel prices to be unacceptable. Some have gained experience with this technology in the past, like Toyota with an LPG only car in the seventies, but most of them have recently started to produce factory converted cars and as OEM (original equipment manufacturer) selling them to the retailers who then sell them under their own brand name.

In any case, LPG cars might be with us for a long while, at least until truly green cars start becoming practical and affordable.