Update: DOE is changing its recommendation on the use of a Diesel LPG system in PUV’s.
Philippine President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, announced the P1B budget allocated for the public utility vehicle drivers so that they can convert their jeepneys from diesel to Diesel-LPG.
It boils down to P80/day charged to the driver for repayment of his debt for converting his jeepney so that it can accept the cheaper priced Auto LPG. The diesel engine will then run at a mixture of 70% diesel and 30% LPG.
According to her Excellency, the current price of converting a diesel engine to intake partially LPG is P70,000. A brand new vehicle that is Auto LPG ready costs around P550,000.
Interested jeepney drivers just have to go to the Development Bank of the Philippines to apply.
I don’t know which is better economically? Converting your diesel engine to accept a 30% mixture of LPG or ditching your diesel engine with a regular combustion engine and converting it to run on 100% LPG?
Doing a search in some local Philippine Buy and Sell sites, the price to convert your gasoline engine to run on LPG is around P30,000. At a junk shop before, they were charging me P15-P20k for a second hand Toyota 1.6GLi fuel injected engine found in a recently totalled Toyota Corolla. Ad in P10k for labor and miscellaneous to the conversion and engine change process and you get P60k tops.
The math is a bit close as it comes out slightly cheaper if you go for the gasoline engine conversion instead of the diesel-LPG. I’m not really sure how much mileage you get with auto LPG, but it costs something like P29-31/li versus the P50/li that diesel is selling at right now. Not to mention, that at least you are just wrestling now with a single fuel system rather than a dual fuel system (diesel and LPG.)
Update: According to a mechanic I talked to, one of the drawbacks of AutoLPG system being offered in the market, is that there is a noticeable powerloss in the engine when going up inclines or during high revs. Not something you’d want if you were driving a jeep full of passengers. It is suggested to use the newer electronic injection type of Auto LPG systems in order to prevent this power loss problem.
Update: According to the Shell, its a 15% -25% increase in consumption compared to gasoline. here’s a more comprehensive FAQ on Auto LPG Conversion.
Of course there is also the slight problem of LPG being used to cook food in the kitchen. Right now there are only a few cars running on AutoLPG, but what would happen if majority of all cars run on LPG? Wouldn’t that raise the price of LPG to astronomical proportions because of the demand from the transportation sector? I hope not.
Auto LPG isn’t free from being affected by the surging oil markets either. Between 2007 and 2008, the price of auto LPG increased from P23/li to P29/li, a 26% increase.
Reference : $1 = P44
[source]
Category: Automotive, Autogas, Diesel, Diesel Engine
August 6th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Dear sir
We would like to know Diesel conversion to LPG, about the information and the price
Sincerelys.
TSK
T.Nakachet
Manager
August 6th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
Dear sir
We would like to know Diesel conversion to LPG
Sincerelys
TSK
T.Nakachet
Manager