A second look at LPG

LPG can power your car.

That’s a forty year-old knowledge shared by countries such as Korea and Italy and more than 8 million car owners in the world.

In the country, there is renewed interest in exploring the advantages of using LPG for car fuel. Liquefied petroleum gas or LPG is at the forefront in the search for alternative fuel with the rising cost of gasoline and the magnitude of the call for a cleaner environment. Another advantage of the LPG over the other fuel alternatives is it is accessible and practicable right here, right now. Conversion kits are readily available costing only P26,000 to P32,000 and would only take hours to be installed by a certified technician.

In fact in Metro Manila, taxi operators have been using LPG systems in their cars and passengers may not have even noticed that there is an LPG cylinder in the trunk of these taxis because when it comes to power and performance, there are no staggering differences between LPG and gasoline-powered vehicles, especially with urban driving.

The noticeable difference, though, is in the savings one can get from having a Petron Autogas system installed in a vehicle. With the flick of a switch a driver can choose whether to run the engine using gasoline or the LPG. It is an empowering choice considering that with LPG a car-owner can save up to 40% compared to gasoline.

There is not much choice though when the need to refuel arises. So far, there are only a few refilling stations. Petron Xtend Autogas is only available at the Valle Verde 1 Petron Service Station, C5 Road Barangay Ugong in Pasig City, and on Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City. However, soon enough that small kink in the system will be adjusted as Petron intends to set up 10 Autogas dispensing stations in Metro Manila and in key cities and provinces all over the Philippines.

Recently, Petron invited a group from the media to experience driving an LPG-powered vehicle. Petron’s Xtend Autogas has been around for quite some time but interest only got renewed with the current skyrocketing of gasoline prices and the government’s strengthened commitment to a cleaner environment with the Clean Air Act.

Of course, to a meticulous driver, differences between LPG and gasoline power is perceptible. It seems the power one can get out of the Autogas is directly proportional to the amount of gas in the tank. Any driver who is particular with the power of his car, would initially find driving using LPG to be noticeably waning in power as the fuel gauge drops. One other proportionality that must be noted is that LPG works better for a well-maintained car. But this is certainly already nitpicking as the true purpose of Autogas is save and save: save on gas spendings and save the environment. In the long run the advantages are considerably enticing and could outweigh the cons.

At the taxi bay in front of Robinson’s Pioneer, a taxi driver had to turn down the Korean-looking man at the head of the line and, as my luck had it, he opted to take me as a passenger instead. In the car he explained he was low on LPG and had to pick a Makati-bound passenger in order to refuel. Well, he was lucky, too, as the passenger he turned down calmly got off his cab when he declined. The man was even nodding with resigned understanding. Must be that he was really from South Korea which is a country that has about 1.4 million vehicles running on LPG. Of course, the scenario would be a lot different in South Korea where extensive use of LPG meant accessible refueling stations. In such cases, the taxi driver’s choice is either to turn down a passenger and risk getting lashed at in anger or end up with a plate number texted to the LTFRB — or switch to gasoline and avoid such predicaments.

Our Autogas conversations revealed the great divide which now and then ended up as heated debates during breaks, the occasional drinking sessions and in a few company meetings. The taxi driver said that in their company the drivers can’t seem to agree on whether LPG has improved their earnings or not. Some of the drivers reported to have saved up to P800 on gasoline, which meant the same amount added to a day’s earnings. On the other hand, some of the drivers complained about the additional boundary that was imposed by the taxi company to cover for the LPG system installation and frequent car breakdowns which they attributed to LPG use. Even if the taxi company shoulders cost for repairs, casa time meant earnings lost.

He noted that those complaints usually come from drivers who are using old models or drivers who are particularly careless about the vehicles they drive. He also thought that a few of the drivers are so used with gasoline and they are just having a hard time adjusting to LPG.

The driver was hesitant to have his name or the taxi company he works for cited in this article. However, he said he’s accepted both the pros and cons of LPG as realities. He decided to keep on taking advantage of the LPG system that was installed by his company and at the same time take better care of his taxi. He noted that he detects a difference in engine power and performance between using gasoline and LPG but he says unless traffic is peculiarly very light, that difference can’t be felt at all.

According to him, so far the car he is driving has not undergone major breakdowns and that he is quite grateful for the P300-400 savings a day he gets from using LPG. He added that he prefers the additional earnings he gets even if it meant he has to occasionally turn down passengers due to refueling necessities or because they insist on smoking in the vehicle. He is one of the many people who have probably heard of LPG horror-stories (that is aside from the fact that it is against the law to smoke in public utility vehicles).

LPG is 60% propane and 40% butane which is in liquid form in a container but becomes vapor once released (a factor that makes it easier to burn in the engine compared to gasoline). It is non-toxic, odorless, and colorless, thus, an odorant is added to help detect leakages. As LPG is more popularly known as cooking gas, when it comes to doubting its safety, urban legends abound — stories of fires and tank explosions do get around.

However, Petron showed that LPG has a safety record that’s as good as or even better than gasoline. LPG tanks are made of high-quality steel and are tested to withstand high pressure. They are durable and do not easily puncture like gasoline and other fuel tanks, plus, they are equipped with a device that automatically shuts off flow of LPG when filling reaches 80% of capacity allowing for temperature changes, thus preventing release of gas from the tank. Auto LPG engine fuel systems are also fitted with safety devices and shut-off valves that function automatically in case of fuel line ruptures. In the rare case of a leak, LPG has the lowest flammability range (2-10%) and it easily dissipates in air making it a lesser threat compared to gasoline.

As for its green factor, LPG is more forgiving to the environment. Compared to gasoline, LPG yields 50% less carbon monoxide and has 50% less ozone forming potential. Opting to use LPG for environmental reasons may have results that are too miniscule to celebrate, but the choice would definitely come with good intentions and true concern for our surroundings. Adapting LPG for automotive fuel may just be equal to the small act of segregating garbage, not buying fur, or turning the lights and faucets off when not in use, yet in the long run these things do make a difference no matter how insignificant such choices may seem or how futile it can feel like faced with a majority that opts to just settle with how things are. And the hard truth is that LPG is just an alternative to gasoline — maybe even a better alternative — but not the solution to worsening environmental problems.

The real obstacle for LPG is that it requires a great paradigm shift or simply a major lifestyle change for the potential user. In the end, what the LPG consumer gives to the environment, he gains back in savings. For now, Autogas is about P24.53 per liter compared to gasoline which costs P36.16 per liter.

LPG was introduced in the country way before gasoline prices and pollution problems reached the way they are now. Somehow, people never caught on. For all its worth and good intentions, LPG deserves a second look.