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Yes. LPG vehicles are sold in America. Ford has several models including the “Transit Connect” and the “F-150.” I’ve seen several of these models. I’m told that GM offers the Silverado with LPG.
There are conversion kits available that can convert a gas engine to run on LPG.
Many city buses run on LPG. Some delivery vans run on LPG. There are even fleets of Taxi’s in some cities that run on LPG.
Still probably less then 2%.
Perhaps it’s just me, but I didn’t see anything in the post to respond to.
LPG has turned out to be a bad idea 'round here. Though doable, it’s Highly impractical.
– Even the LPG distributor burns gasoline in his bi-fuel truck ! –
Finding the stuff in a timely manner to fill up is a headache, taking a trip and finding fuel is near impossible.
So unless you’re planning to fuel up monday through friday from eight to five… ?
At one of just four places… ?
mountainbike … I just took a shot in the dark. There are a lot of small children in my extended family so I’ve become accustomed to “small talk.”
I’m guessing maybe the OP was going to say where s/he lives and maybe ask for ideas about feasibility? I don’t know, but I’ve looked at LPG conversions before. I ran into two show stoppers.
One is that the kits are expensive and you’re not allowed to DIY - at least I’m pretty sure you’re not allowed to. I wasn’t all that upset by that. I’m ok with the Darwin Award principle and people putting themselves in danger, but I don’t need to be surrounded by little bombs more than I already am.
The second was what ken green mentioned - refueling.
When one of the car mags set up to drive cross country with a LPG powered vehicle they found that even when you could find places to fuel up, the pumps are part of regional/local networks where you need to have a special card to use that pump. Local commuting would possibly work but you’d need to plan any trips with care.
I think here in Calif Honda sells an LPG version of one of their econoboxes, Civic maybe.
My work truck, an 04 f150 lpg or regular gas vehicle has the condition you only run lpg gs 1 time I think before you use regular gas, I might consider it but the closest lpg gas fill up is 12 miles away.
One of the area trucking companies is partly buying LP fueled 18 wheelers. The price for each tractor though as reported was $250K, substantially higher than the diesel models. Plus the problem with making sure they were dispatched where refueling was available to be able to get back home. Its another alternative but its just not there for the general car driving population, except under certain circumstances.
Tacky statement to follow: What a website, you can get response’s with out really asking a question.
The LPG conversion is more popular in countries like the UK where you can run a big suv for a cheaper fuel cost than on petrol. Here the network for refueling has a ways to go to catch up with gas/diesel powered cars.
Yup…at least around here, it’s even more expensive then gasoline. We use it for a few things but presently it’s just too inconvenient. LNG has a chance if your house is hooked up and you have a pump to fill your car over night. Then, maybe as a commuter car the next day. But for now it has the same limitations as electricity.
Let’s clear up the abbreviations:
LPG = Liquefied Petroleum Gas = propane, like for a grill, also used in LPG conversion cars and trucks. That’s the OP’s inferred question.
LNG = Liquefied Natural Gas = methane, carried in huge ships, not used by consumers
CNG = Compressed Natural Gas = methane, that’s what is being used in cars and trucks, that’s what you end up with when you have a home compressor fueling your CNG car or truck from the low pressure gas line to your house.
You sure propane is not also used? I’m pretty sure propane is commonly used for fork lifts.
Propane is LPG
And now I think we’ve identified the problem
Although there are many different alternative fuels out there…and many are good ideas in their own rite…it doesn’t do much good if they’re not accessable to the masses.
They can make alt fuel vehicles right and left but if there’s no infrastructure to support it…what good is it.
They would need to invest in the ‘‘build it and they will come’’ theory to get the alt fuel to become the norm, and that is a huge undertaking.
Dual fuel, gasoline and CNG vehicles make the most sense. CNG is used in local driving where you have good access to the CNG compressor and gasoline is used for extended range. This way, they can be built and in consumers hands. CNG fueling stations would then follow so that CNG only cars could be offered. Honda used to offer a CNG Civic model and home fueling station. It only gave a 125 mile range and only ran on CNG. I think they dropped it.
From an engine point of view, LPG and CNG are pretty much the same in a low-pressure-mixed-with-air form. Similar energy content, similar equipment to feed it to the engine. The tanks are wildly different; 3600 psi for CNG and 50 psi or so for LPG.
I thought the “big boys” ran LNG in thermos-like fuel tanks.