How much more economical is gas 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?

A car with gas equipment: how profitable is it to drive on gas?

Gasoline is expensive these days, so you have to think about ways to save money. One of them is the installation of gas equipment. Another thing is that such systems are still shrouded in rumors and myths. Which of them is true and which is not?

On the Internet you can find resources dedicated to exposing gas cylinder installations. What is there to expose... Real online propaganda campaigns are being launched against HBO! The systems are described as absolute evil that has no place on cars. Of course, such a position is quite radical, but at the same time one cannot help but admit that HBO has certain disadvantages.

Bureaucratic procedures

The first thing the owner of a gas-powered car will face is the need to register changes in the design. Moreover, according to the regulations of the Customs Union “On the safety of wheeled vehicles”, before introducing innovations it is necessary to undergo a preliminary technical examination and obtain a permitting conclusion from one of the accredited laboratories. To do this, send a list of upcoming changes, a scan of documents for the car, and pay an amount of up to approximately 5 thousand rubles (depending on the laboratory). Did you get the go-ahead? That's not all - what follows is a trip to the technical supervision service of the traffic police, where you will have to write a statement and provide the car for inspection and photography. After this, you can install gas equipment in one of the companies. There you will be given a bunch of documents, including a copy of the certificate for the right to carry out work and a certificate for components, a declaration of the scope of work performed and various certificates.

After that, you provide a car with installed gas equipment, documents and an identity card to the traffic police department where you came for the first time. And only after that you receive the corresponding entry in the PTS and change the STS of the car. This is what the process looks like in a nutshell.

What, did you get scared? But we live in Russia, where the severity and sometimes nonsense of the laws is compensated by the optionality of enforcement. After talking with experienced gas workers, we learned that not all of them agree to the seven circles of bureaucratic hell, but simply install the most advanced system (for example, from the Italian brand BRC) and drive. Don't get us wrong - this is not a guide to action, but a statement of fact. For unregistered equipment, the driver faces an administrative fine under Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation in the amount of 500 rubles.

Checking cylinders

Did you install HBO and forget about it? No matter how it is! The tank must be submitted for inspection, that is, for monitoring of its technical condition. Propane cylinders must be checked every two years, but with methane cylinders the situation is more complicated - the frequency depends on the material of the body. For example, composite tanks are tested every two years, and, for example, steel tanks are sent for testing every five years. The procedure for examining cylinders is as follows. First, the car owner will have to independently dismantle the empty cylinder.

A special company, of which there are very few, will conduct a visual inspection of the external surface, welds, hydraulic tests, drying and branding. Cracks, leaks and deformations? Then the cylinder is considered defective. Based on the results, the owner will be issued an appropriate test certificate. Of course, all this is not free - the cost of the procedure can be about 5 thousand rubles. Yes, a common procedure aimed at ensuring safety, but requiring time and money. We don’t recommend saying that “five” is mere pennies, because for some it’s nothing, but for others it’s quite a sum. These are the realities if you act strictly according to the letter of the law, which not everyone does.

Reduced trunk volume and additional weight

As practice shows, issues of saving occupy the minds of owners of a wide variety of vehicles - from Ford Focus to Chevy Tahoe. Everyone pays for the long range by reducing the volume of the trunk, because in most cases the cylindrical cylinder is placed there.

As a result, the transformation capabilities noticeably deteriorate if the rear sofa, into the back of which the additional fuel tank rests, can be folded out. This is, firstly. Secondly, you will constantly carry around fifty kilograms of excess weight with you – taking into account the weight of the cylinder and propane-butane.

Methane deficiency

The installation of methane gas equipment is less common than propane-butane systems. Interestingly, in Russia there are factory “methane” cars, for example, Lada Vesta CNG or Largus CNG. But in Moscow, for example, there are only one or two gas stations with this type of fuel, and they are all located on the outskirts, which is not entirely convenient from a logistics point of view.

Difficulties in adaptation

Operating a car on gas fuel is associated with another unpleasant issue that owners talk about.

After a long drive on an economical and more environmentally friendly “fuel” car, the car cannot immediately come to its senses and return to gasoline - it loses traction and drives worse. Sometimes the effect is reminiscent of switching from AI-95 fuel to 76-octane gasoline. Adaptation can take hundreds of kilometers.

Difficulty in selling

Often, applicants close the ad after seeing the line about the installed gas equipment. Not everyone needs the system and few people want to bother with dismantling it. Finally, a strong deterrent is “gas phobia” - people are afraid of “getting” an engine repair, which the installation can supposedly lead to. There are different versions about the effect of HBO on engine performance. On the Internet you can find stories about burnt valves and destroyed cylinder heads, but adherents counter: these problems were typical for gas equipment of the first generations and were found on engines without knock sensors, and systems of the fourth generation are much safer. The main thing to remember is that the combustion temperature of the gas mixture is higher than that of gasoline, the speed of the process is lower, and the octane number differs higher. The engine will not thank you if you turn it to high speeds on a gas mixture. Nevertheless, the fact remains that it is a priori more difficult to sell a car with LPG only if the buyer is not looking for an economical option.

There are nuances, but gasified cars do not seem to disappoint their owners. Let's make a reservation - we mean the most advanced systems of the latest generation, which, as the experience of our respondents shows, do not harm the health of the engine for many tens of thousands of kilometers. The economic justification is quite compelling: the difference in fuel costs turns out to be almost twofold, despite the fact that gas consumption is higher. Do you have experience driving on gas? Share in the comments!

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

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.

Practicing lawyer with 10 years of experience. Specializations: criminal law, insurance law, administrative offenses.

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)