How much more does gas consume than gasoline?

Is it profitable to use gas instead of gasoline?

Gasoline is becoming more expensive, and for a long time they have been trying to replace it with other types of fuel, for example, synthesized gases and liquids. Currently, the best replacement for gasoline is gas. Let's try to understand the advantages and disadvantages of gas. And let's try to answer the main question: will there be savings on gas ?

Anyone who decides to replace gasoline with gas has only one main goal - saving. However, in addition to this, there are a number of other distinctive features that can please or upset car enthusiasts:

Disadvantages of a gas car

In order to switch to gas-cylinder equipment (LPG), a number of adjustments must be made. (adjust the ignition timing angle, increase the valve clearance, etc.).
A gas cylinder adds extra pounds and reduces trunk space (optional).
The car's traction on gas is worse.
Difficulty starting the engine in winter.
It is necessary to regularly monitor the gas equipment (drain the condensate, as it corrodes the membrane, adjust the valves after 10 thousand km, etc.).
Gas is dangerous. Not only is its leak dangerous, but an accident in a car with LPG also raises additional concerns.
Additional paperwork when passing technical inspection with gas equipment. It is required to present papers to verify the serviceability of the gas equipment, and this also costs time and money.
The combustion temperature of gas is higher than the combustion temperature of motor gasoline, therefore, in the summer the engine heats up more intensely (which means special attention to the cooling system),
Gas stations are much less common than petrol stations.
Gas consumption in a car is higher, and depends on the adjustments. On average, it is 15% more than gasoline.
The engine suffers more from gas, so major overhauls of the internal combustion engine are more frequent.

Advantages of a gas car

A gas engine runs smoother, the octane number of gas is about 105, as opposed to 90-95 for gasoline.
Engine oil lasts longer because it is not saturated with gasoline combustion products. Consequently, the mileage between engine oil changes is longer.
Gas cannot be stolen by definition and no matter how much one wants to.
The exhaust gases from a gas car are less dangerous.
If you use gas and gasoline, then the mileage without refueling can be doubled.
Saving ?

How much does a car save on gas?

Let's start with a simple calculation:
The price of gas is more than two times less than gasoline.
Let’s say you drive 100,000 km a year. If gasoline consumption is 10 l/100 km, then there is 15% more gas, which means 11.5 l/100 km. Let’s say the price of AI92 gasoline is 26 rubles/l, and gas is 9 rubles/l. As a result, we will spend 260,000 rubles on gasoline, and 103,500 rubles on gas.
Total, 156,500 rubles in savings per 100 thousand km. mileage _

It seems that the savings are obvious, but do not forget about the problems when operating on gas .
The service life of a gas engine is significantly reduced, because The engine suffers more from gas. This means that engine overhauls will have to be done more often. In addition, subtract the cost of installing LPG on a car (about 25 thousand rubles).

From the above, we can conclude that those who drive a lot (enterprise trucks, minibuses, taxis, etc.) will
from saving on gas For normal use in the city with mileage up to 20 thousand km. Over the course of a year, if there is any savings, they will not be significant at all. In addition, there is no point in installing LPG on cars with high mileage (more than 100,000 km).

It is very profitable to use gas instead of gasoline in large cars. For example, gas-powered cars are widely used in Europe, and in Italy as much as 70% of the vehicle fleet is gas-powered.

Is it profitable to drive on gas instead of gasoline in a passenger car with a mileage of up to 20 thousand km/year?

What determines the gas fuel consumption of a car per 100 km?

The price of motor fuel is high, but we are already so accustomed to cars that no one is going to give up using them. The solution to this problem lies in the use of fuels that are cheaper than conventional liquid fuel. Electric cars are probably the future, but at present they are still too expensive, and the network of charging points is poorly developed. The solution is obvious - gas. But won't it turn out to be more expensive than gasoline in terms of overall costs? Let's talk about gas consumption per car per 100 km.

Gas equipment (LPG) for cars

The choice of HBO is currently extremely wide. It is possible to purchase equipment both for outdated carburetor cars and for cars equipped with the latest injection systems. The development of this area of automotive equipment began quite a long time ago, and currently there are six different generations of gas equipment on the market.

For most injection machines, equipment of 2-5 generations is suitable. The first generation is intended for carburetors and mono-injectors and its presence on the market is explained by the large number of old cars in service. The sixth generation of HBO is intended for the latest cars and cannot be used on older cars. Generations differ in price and quality, which allows you to choose LPG for any financial opportunity.

HBO kits can operate on both compressed methane and liquefied propane or propane-butane mixtures. For a number of indicators, methane plants are better, but they are more expensive, take up more space and provide a shorter fuel range.

What affects a car's gas consumption?

There are many reasons that affect fuel costs. In particular, these include climatic conditions. Gas consumption in a car is higher in winter; additional fuel is spent on warming up the engine. Naturally, it affects fuel consumption and the condition of the fuel system itself. Therefore, we will assume that it is serviced in a timely and high-quality manner and will consider only those reasons that we can influence when choosing gas equipment:

generation of gas equipment;
type of gas.

Dependence of fuel consumption on the generation of gas equipment

Fuel consumption depends on driving style, engine power and a large number of parameters. However, drivers are interested in the opportunity to save money. Therefore, it is not so much the gas costs per kilometer that are being studied, but the difference between these costs and the consumption of liquid fuel. The comparative costs of gas are usually higher than gasoline. There is a widespread belief among people that there is a 10% overspending. However, well-known manufacturers of high-quality HBO talk about 20% overspending. Experienced specialists are inclined to say that there is a 25% overrun. However, taking into account the fact that propane and propane-butane mixtures are approximately half the price of gasoline, the economic feasibility of switching to gas fuel is obvious.

This indicator depends little on the generation of HBO. Gas consumption for cars with 2nd generation gas equipment has decreased compared to the first generation, due to the installation of an electromechanical gas dispenser. These costs remained virtually unchanged. Systems were introduced to make it easier to start a cold engine, and other systems that improve the quality of operation. However, these innovations had little effect on fuel consumption per 100 km. Differences exist, but for a non-specialist they are almost invisible.

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Dependence of fuel consumption on its type

Fuel consumption depends greatly on the type of fuel your gas equipment uses. We said above that gas is usually consumed more than gasoline. This is due to the fact that most of the gas equipment used operates on propane-butane mixtures. However, methane consumption in a passenger car in city mode is approximately equal to gasoline consumption, and on the highway it is even lower. The reason lies in the properties of the gas itself. This gas is used in LPG not in a liquefied, but in a compressed state. Despite the fact that the octane numbers of both gases are in the range of 100-110, less methane is consumed.

Methane is also cheaper than propane. It is about three times cheaper than gasoline, while propane is only two times cheaper. The small number of methane gas equipment in operation is explained by the fact that this compressed gas requires more durable, thick-walled cylinders, and refilling 1 cylinder lasts for fewer kilometers than a propane cylinder. The equipment itself is cumbersome. There are not enough methane filling points. All this determines the predominance of gas equipment running on propane. However, on commercial vehicles that are constantly in operation, installing such equipment is advisable. The low gas consumption of trucks, multiplied by huge distances, can bring serious benefits to the owner of such a system.

Gas consumption standards for cars

Speaking about gas consumption standards for road transport, it should be clearly understood that this parameter depends on a huge number of indicators. Climatic conditions and terrain in which the car is used are only a small part of them. Most of them relate to the design features of a particular machine.

Naturally, automakers know all the parameters of their car and, based on them, calculate fuel consumption depending on operating conditions per 100 km. These data are indicated in the technical documentation of the machine. Naturally, they are given for the fuel for which the automaker prepared its car.

There is no single norm of gas consumption for a car of a specific engine size or power as an established parameter. Indeed, it would be strange to establish uniform standards for cars of different classes and manufacturers. However, based on the fuel consumption per 100 km indicated in the technical documentation of the car, you can calculate how much gas your car will consume if it is in full working order.

Calculation of gas consumption for a car

All motorists considering installing gas equipment are interested in how to calculate gas consumption for a car. This indicator, multiplied by the monthly mileage of the car, will help calculate the payback period for the purchased gas equipment and the work on its installation. These systems themselves are not cheap, so it is important to make sure that their installation is appropriate.

You can determine the gas consumption in the car based on the formula

Where:

Рг – gas consumption,
Рб – gasoline consumption according to the technical documentation of the car or its real consumption known to you,
Kt – fuel coefficient, depending on the specific gas.

Workers involved in the sale, installation and maintenance of gas equipment have empirically established that for liquefied gas (propane-butane) this coefficient is on average 1.25, and for compressed gas (methane) - 0.83.

Thus, if you have a new car that has gasoline consumption at average levels of 7 liters per 100 km on the highway, 10 liters in the city and 8 liters in the combined cycle, when running on propane it will spend 8.75/12.5/ 10 liters per 100 km respectively. If you install gas equipment with methane, the consumption of this gas will be 5.81/8.3/6.64 liters per 100 km, depending on the operating mode.

Reasons for exceeding the calculated gas consumption parameters for a car

High gas consumption in a car with LPG can be caused by a number of reasons. Experts in this business count 21 possible reasons for excessive fuel consumption. In general, they can be reduced to three groups:

Car malfunctions (clogged air filter, old spark plugs, low or high tire pressure, etc.).
HBO malfunctions (failure or incorrect operation of various sensors and dispensers).
Terms of Use. First of all, we are talking about overloading the car, using trailers, and moving on hilly terrain. Secondly, we are talking about climatic conditions.

The reasons for the high gas consumption of 4th generation LPG gas in winter lie in starting and warming up the engine on gas. Experts advise starting and warming up the engine on gasoline in winter. Such warming up for 3–5 minutes will reduce gas consumption by approximately 5%. For 5th generation HBO, warming up for 1 minute is sufficient to achieve the same effect.

There are many possible reasons why gas consumption in a car has increased. If you are not a specialist, in order to identify and eliminate them, it is better to contact a specialized service station.

How to reduce gas consumption

Motorists whose fuel consumption has suddenly increased sharply are wondering how to reduce gas consumption in their car. It is necessary to diagnose the machine under appropriate conditions and eliminate faults. However, there are some things you can do yourself.

Check the condition of the air filter and spark plugs - if they are in poor condition, they can significantly increase fuel consumption. If you know how, check the ignition timing - shifting it by 5 degrees increases gas consumption by 0.5 liters. Experts will help you deal with more complex cases.

Finally

Fuel consumption per 100 km when switching to powering the engine from gas equipment can either increase or decrease. This depends on the gas on which the equipment operates. When using propane and its mixtures with butane, fuel consumption increases by approximately 25% compared to gasoline. When using methane systems, fuel consumption is reduced by approximately 17%. Propane for cars is about 2 times cheaper than gasoline, and methane is 3 times cheaper. In this regard, in both cases, the transition from gasoline to gas is economically feasible.

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Fuel consumption on methane: comparison of consumption with gasoline and propane

Comparison of methane consumption with gasoline

Natural gas (methane) is confidently moving into the leadership of the motor fuel market due to its efficiency. The trend of switching to “blue fuel” has already reached its peak in the USA, China, UAE, Europe and has developed rapidly in Russia. Throughout the world, our country has the richest reserves of this fuel.

The reason for the popularity of methane is not so much its environmental friendliness as its attractive price. The cost of refueling a car with natural gas is 2-3 times lower than with gasoline. The average cost of methane in Russia is 16 rubles.

Based on these data, let's try to compare methane consumption with gasoline consumption. To make such calculations, it is necessary to know the calorific value of the fuel. For methane it is equal to 13175 kcal/kg, and for gasoline - 10572 kcal/kg. Let's calculate the energy of 1 cubic meter of each of these types of fuel. Methane has a density of 0.71 kg per cubic meter. m, respectively, its energy is 9354 kcal per cubic meter. m. The energy of gasoline with a density of 0.73 kg/l is 7718 kcal per liter. Calculations lead us to the conclusion that 1 liter of gasoline is equivalent to 0.83 cubic meters. m of methane. This means that methane consumption is 10% less than gasoline. The design, category, purpose and driving mode of the vehicle are not taken into account here. For example, with frequent stops associated with boarding and disembarking passengers, loading and unloading, the fuel consumption rate increases by approximately 10%.

Even if we assume that methane consumption is equal to gasoline consumption and is 15 cubic meters. m per 100 km, the financial costs of gasoline fuel are much higher than those of the competitor. With an annual mileage of 30,000 km, refueling with methane will cost approximately 40,000 rubles per year. Annual gasoline costs under the same conditions will be about 135,000 rubles - this is 95,000 rubles more.

The benefits of working on methane fuel are obvious. In this regard, it is expected that the popularity of gas fuel will only grow in the near future.

Comparison of methane consumption with propane

First, let's remember the main differences between methane and propane. The latter is a by-product of oil production. While natural gas is used as fuel almost in its pure form, directly from the main gas pipeline. This makes it more environmentally friendly and significantly less explosive than propane and traditional fuel. The difference between propane and methane in pressure is also significant: the first is transported under a pressure of 10-15 atm, and the second - as much as 200-250 atm. For this reason, durable and heavy cylindrical cylinders with multi-layer protection are made for methane, which will not be damaged in emergency situations. For propane, cylinders with a wall thickness of 4-6 mm are also suitable, which are more often destroyed in an accident.

So, if your car consumes 10 liters of gasoline fuel, then for propane the consumption will be about 11 liters, and for methane - 8-9 cubic meters. m. While propane consumption exceeds gasoline consumption by 10%, methane consumption under certain factors can be even lower compared to gasoline fuel. In city traffic conditions, the ratio of methane consumption to gasoline consumption is 1:1, and on the highway - 0.8:1.

When cost is taken into account, methane is significantly superior to propane in terms of economics. It beats its competitor not only in terms of consumption, but also in price. The cost of traditional petroleum fuel in our country averages 30-40 rubles and continues to grow day by day. The price of methane is much lower: today it is approximately 16 rubles. However, price increases are not expected in the coming years. If the average annual mileage of your car is 30,000 km, and propane consumption is 15 rubles per 100 km, then you will spend about 157,000 rubles on refueling. Under the same conditions, the cost of refueling with methane will be about 42,000 rubles. Each kilometer driven on propane will cost you about 3 rubles, and on methane - about 1.6 rubles.

Comparison of methane consumption with gasoline

The benefits of working on methane fuel are obvious. In this regard, it is expected that the popularity of gas fuel will only grow in the near future.

Comparison of methane consumption with propane

HBO gas consumption

Before installing gas equipment on their car, each driver first calculates the economic meaning of such an action. To calculate the economic benefit, you need to understand what gas consumption on LPG your car will have. Further, knowing the consumption of propane-butane mixture, gasoline, and the price of these types of fuel, we can calculate the payback period for the installation of gas equipment.

Gas consumption theory

If we don’t go into physics, but take figures that are understandable to the average person, we find that the average gas consumption for LPG will be 10-20% more than gasoline consumption. Let's look at the numbers, taking the average sedan. Let's imagine that the gasoline consumption of a sedan is about 8 liters per 100 km in the city. This means that average gas consumption will be about 9-10 liters in the urban cycle.

But such calculations are valid, in most cases, for the summer. Do not forget that during the winter, sellers change the qualitative composition of the gas mixture. The propane-butane mixture consists of propane and butane, respectively. The latter is 10-15% more energy efficient than propane, and its share in the gas mixture in summer is about 45%. By switching to the “winter mixture” the share of propane increases to 75%, and the energy efficiency of the mixture decreases. Of course, such a change in mixture components cannot but affect the vehicle’s consumption. There are generally accepted consumption rates for propane-butane mixtures, which are:

1.19 liters of summer mixture are approximately equivalent to 1 liter of gasoline;
1.25 liters of winter mixture is approximately equivalent to 1 liter of gasoline.

Thus, gas consumption in winter and summer, other things being equal, will be different, and this is normal.

What is normal consumption when driving on gas?

The theoretical gas consumption for LPG can be calculated by knowing the rated gasoline consumption. To do this, gasoline consumption is multiplied by 1.19-1.25 (for summer and winter, respectively), and gas consumption is obtained.

The actual consumption is calculated as follows:

Choose a quality gas station from a well-known brand.
Fill the gas tank full.
Drive about 200 kilometers. Do not let the fuel in the cylinder run out completely.
Refill the full cylinder again at the same gas station. Do not change the gas station, because... At different stations, cut-off pistols can be configured differently. In this case, it will not be possible to determine the exact consumption.
Divide the kilometers you drove by the liters you received when refueling.

Table of normal gas consumption in winter/summer

Gasoline consumption in the combined cycle (l/100 km)

Approximate normal consumption of propane-butane mixture (l/100 km)

Gas consumption in a car with 4th generation gas equipment

Almost every car enthusiast who has installed gas equipment on his vehicle is faced with finding a solution to a problem called: “how to reduce gas consumption on a 4th generation LPG car?”

There may be several reasons for an increase in engine appetite. And not every one of them is worth sounding the alarm and rushing to the gas installers. Some you can identify yourself using the tips below. For their practical implementation you will need a sober mind, common sense and acquired knowledge.

What affects gas consumption

First, you need to carefully familiarize yourself with the design of the gas installation - study the instructions, understand what fuel it runs on. There can be several types of fuel:

Important. We immediately need to dispel common misconceptions and illusions.

Read this article about which is better – methane or propane.

In terms of gas consumption in a car with 4th generation LPG, methane is ahead of everyone else. Approximately 10 liters of gasoline are comparable to 8 m3 of gas. A similar situation is observed for the propane mixture: no matter what the installers say (or what the owner himself would like to believe), the consumption rate of blue fuel will be 10-20% higher - this is about 11-12 liters. The situation can somehow be changed only by adjusting the entire gas supply installation, and that is not a fact.

Another reason is a malfunction of the injection system (nozzles or injectors). In exceptional cases, on older engines with a phased supply of the fuel mixture, gas-cylinder units of the latest versions, with an ignition variator, allow achieving gas consumption equal to gasoline consumption. But this is the exception rather than the rule. The next point is related to the driver’s subconscious attitude: gas is cheaper, you can drive as much as you like, and at maximum speed. Hence the increased consumption. After a month or two, the owner gets used to the new modes, and everything naturally returns to normal: the same 10-20% increase compared to conventional fuel.

The vast majority of reasons are hidden not in problems with the fuel system, but in “little things” that are usually not paid attention to: spark plugs, high-voltage cables, sensors, catalysts, chokes, etc. You need to start looking for the problem with them, and only then try to bring the engine into operation using computer diagnostics. Or blame everything on the crooked hands of the gas installation masters.

Attention. Tuning according to the program, no matter how perfect it is, unfortunately, is not capable of working a miracle and normalizing fuel costs if the main reason is hidden in problems with the main equipment.

Consumption rates for HBO-4

Experts usually call the figure 10-20% relative to gasoline consumption (in liters). The explanation for this is simple. The first clients of gas workers were taxi drivers, for whom the car was, first of all, a source of income. Therefore, every liter counts, and it’s even better if you managed to save it.

The vehicle fleet mainly consisted of inexpensive products from the Korean automobile industry, Daewoo small cars of the Nexia and Lanos models, on which it was possible to adjust the gas consumption of the 4th generation LPG to the desired 10%. At the same time, the owners did not have any special requirements for dynamic performance or speed; they were interested in other criteria for engine operation.

Further. Every self-respecting manufacturer of gas-cylinder units, in response to the question about normalized consumption after switching to gas, will give an indicator of 1.2 in relation to driving on regular fuel. Adjusting the ignition timing (installing a variator) will allow you to gain another 5 to 10% - no more.

Important. Many drivers incorrectly determine the consumption - hence the misconceptions regarding its value. You cannot measure consumption until the cylinder is completely empty: first you need to fill a full tank with gas, drive approximately 200-250 km, and then refuel again. It is advisable not to change the dressings - this may affect the purity of the experiment. The ratio of the distance traveled in km to the cost in liters will give the consumption indicator.

The gluttony of a four-wheeled horse also depends on the state of the environment; this is pure physics: at low temperatures, gas consumption will always be greater. Ultimately, this parameter falls within the specified 10-20%. This especially needs to be remembered by those who want to preserve the life of the engine and not speed up the overhaul. Incorrect setting, among other things, increases the temperature of the exhaust combustion products by almost 2 times - up to 1400ºС, and all this is due to a lean mixture.

How to reduce gas consumption

Methods that help reduce the cost of refueling a car are, for the most part, simple and straightforward. This is also the answer to the standard question: high gas consumption of 4th generation LPG – what are the reasons.

Firstly, a passenger car, even converted to gas, is still a small car for transporting passengers. There is no need to turn your car into a truck for delivering bags of potatoes, sugar or other heavy loads: this will inevitably lead to an increase in fuel consumption. In addition, an overloaded car forces the engine to work in extreme conditions, losing on average up to 12% of power. Even computerized gas supply systems, which include 4th generation units, are not able to cope with overconsumption in this situation. Moreover, according to experts, with increasing load it literally grows exponentially.

Secondly, any mechanism needs to be serviced - and, of course, qualified, using special equipment, and not a garage service. You need to make it a rule to do diagnostics every six months, check the condition of the cylinder, sensors, injectors, lines and electronics. For example, a very miniscule, but still, increase in consumption by 1-2 liters can occur due to an increase in the normalized gap in the membranes. We must not forget about the quality of the fuel: this is the main factor influencing the increased appetite of the engine.

So, when the main aspects of the high gas consumption of the 4th generation HBO are clarified, all that remains is to follow the rules outlined above and not save on car maintenance. And the last piece of advice that owners usually forget about: the more expensive the system, the more reliable and durable it is, by default.

Having installed 4th generation gas equipment in my car, I decided that I would be more economical in terms of fuel costs. And so it was, at first. But then, I began to think about how I could reduce gas consumption even more. My LPG runs on methane, and after reading this article, I realized that it is enough to simply reduce the load on the machine and do diagnostics every six months. Thanks for the great article!

After installing the 4th generation HBO, I began to spend much less money on fuel. But for some reason the costs were higher in the last month. And I couldn't understand what this was connected with. After reading this article, I understood why my fuel consumption is so high, and at the same time I figured out how to reduce it. Thanks to the author for a good and informative article!