Why So Many LPG Vehicles Available?

[uptheos]

As the title suggests.

Been looking around for a good late model vehicle and I'm amazed at the number of LPG vehicles for sale.

It's as if people are desperately trying to get rid of them......any reason for this?

Is the price of LPG set to skyrocket or something?

[eyecatcher]

Is there still room to get in the car after the LPG cylinder tank is fitted? you cant go shopping with one can you?

[uptheos]

Is there still room to get in the car after the LPG cylinder tank is fitted? you cant go shopping with one can you?

You can't even get a spare passenger in there!

Personally, I've never been interested in LPG but obviously a lot of people are (have been), but now it seems they want to get rid of them.

[quidnunc]

Lots of LPG vehicles aren't converted but actually manufactured to be LPG. As for why so many are available, it's probably the same reason why so many used vehicles of any description are available: the former government program to subsidize the purchase of a first vehicle.

[MESmith]

Just had cooking gas cylinder delivered. 10% up on the last time.

The gas delivery guy told the wife, the price will go up 10 baht every month until it reaches 420 baht for the standard gas cylinder (15kg?). Cooking gas is the same lpg the cars use?

Edited December 23, 2013 by MESmith

[uptheos]

Lots of LPG vehicles aren't converted but actually manufactured to be LPG. As for why so many are available, it's probably the same reason why so many used vehicles of any description are available: the former government program to subsidize the purchase of a first vehicle.

I recall reading somewhere that almost a year ago there were well over a million vehicles registered as having LPG.

I'm sure I also read somewhere that there's likely to be a massive increase in the price of LPG, but can't find the article.

Edited December 23, 2013 by uptheos

[onthedarkside]

Off topic posts removed.

[uptheos]

The article I read said it was about 45 baht in Cambodia, 49 in Lao and about 35 in Myanmar. The article is about a year old so I presume prices have increased. Will this affect Thailand's LPG price when ASEAN comes into affect. Are LPG car owners trying to offload now?

[lazeeboy]

To off load a car with lpg is stupid as they still run on petrol at the flick of a switch .the price may go up but by a huge hike the tuk tuk drivers and taxi would cause a riot ..

Sent from my GT-N5100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[smileplur]

LPG is cheap! 10.50 .... You can't beat that price; however, they have proven to be unsafe. Too many shops doing conversions without having the slightest clue what they are doing. The fuel is subsidized (like diesel). If they remove the subsidy and allow the price to 'float' at market rate, taxis would have a very difficult time operating since they were mandated to make the switch. A poorly thought out decision somewhere up the food chain that made many people very wealthy indeed!

[fcgprg]

I am sure that the government subsidy is being removed from LPG if not already in the near future.

[cloudhopper]

Just had cooking gas cylinder delivered. 10% up on the last time.

The gas delivery guy told the wife, the price will go up 10 baht every month until it reaches 420 baht for the standard gas cylinder (15kg?). Cooking gas is the same lpg the cars use?

Yes it is. So the price is subsidized for political reasons and it sounds like they are ratcheting it back until it's 28 baht/kg. Still cheaper than petrol. LPG is heavier than air so it can pool if there is a leak - I notice cars running it are prohibited from entering underground parking areas for this reason.

[smileplur]

LPG is 10.50 per liter. It has been for a long time. Whenever they even talk about lifting or easing the subsidy, the taxi drivers protest. They don't get very far. It's the same way diesel is stuck at 29.99 per liter.

[seedy]

17.46 per litre here in Chiang Mai

[ignis]

Is there still room to get in the car after the LPG cylinder tank is fitted? you cant go shopping with one can you?

You can't even get a spare passenger in there!

Personally, I've never been interested in LPG but obviously a lot of people are (have been), but now it seems they want to get rid of them.

Likewise not interested in Gas, been there done it 35 odd years ago, nothing but a pain back then and from what I can see not much different now a day....

Are people getting rid of LPG cars ? or are they getting a newer model and also fitting gas ?

Is not easy to buy a non converted car, not so many about.. why someone with a new eco engine needs gas is beyond me, Have seen S Class Benz with great big CNG tanks in them, even Rolls-Royce with LPG or CNG fitted.. guess must be a Thai thing if it has an engine must have Gas. why anything from 350 cc to 1.2 lt needs gas = extra weight on a already baby engine.. why anyone that has the money for a 40 million baht car then need to fit LPG, I simply do not understand..

On the PLUS side an older car with one owner and low KM and no gas fitted is likely to be true KM reading and a good buy....

Maybe time for me to start looking again ? Bought a 10 year old Audi A6 early 2008, was 10 years old, one owner, low KM, NO Gas, still runs sweet just is getting old now, 100% not interested in Gas there is not that much about for sale. Guess will still run for years as since I bought it have added 24,600 KM only, have a diesel Pickup so the Audi is a Sunday car as it were.

Lots of different vehicles are manufactured CNG....... No idea if these are better than LPG/CNG conversion?

[aliep]

12.73 to 14.33 baht/litre here in Chiang Rai.

Very few LPG cars available second-hand here, they are very desirable because of the enormous fuel savings.

[uptheos]

12.73 to 14.33 baht/litre here in Chiang Rai.

Very few LPG cars available second-hand here, they are very desirable because of the enormous fuel savings.

They were desirable everywhere because of the fuel savings, but how long can that last after ASEAN whilst it's 40 odd Baht in Cambodia, Laos and not much less in Myanmar?

There might be very few available in Chiang Rai but I assure you there are loads in Chiang Mai

[Saan]

17.46 per litre here in Chiang Mai

14.76 in Chiang Mai when I bought it yesterday.

[vagabond48]

17.46 per litre here in Chiang Mai

I believe you meant 14.76 which appears to be the standard price. We bought a used converted LPG Civic this year and have been buying our LPG down the street for 14.37 for the last 7 months . Several days ago, I saw one station near the Royal Gardens selling for 14.25.

[Naroge]

The LPG price is artificially low due to government subsidies. It's just a matter of time before they have to be adjusted to international level. Thailand hardly has any domestic gas left so therefore need to import the gas and therefore will face the full impact of the international price of gas.

Politically it is however not an easy task as the government(s) have lured so many businesses to be reliant on cheap gas.

[Cheops]

LPG is 10.50 per liter. It has been for a long time. Whenever they even talk about lifting or easing the subsidy, the taxi drivers protest. They don't get very far. It's the same way diesel is stuck at 29.99 per liter.

Please tell me where? Or do you mean NGV? LPG in BKK is 12.95 per liter or about this depending the gas station you chose.

[Cheops]

Is there still room to get in the car after the LPG cylinder tank is fitted? you cant go shopping with one can you?

You can't even get a spare passenger in there!

Personally, I've never been interested in LPG but obviously a lot of people are (have been), but now it seems they want to get rid of them.

Likewise not interested in Gas, been there done it 35 odd years ago, nothing but a pain back then and from what I can see not much different now a day....

Are people getting rid of LPG cars ? or are they getting a newer model and also fitting gas ?

Is not easy to buy a non converted car, not so many about.. why someone with a new eco engine needs gas is beyond me, Have seen S Class Benz with great big CNG tanks in them, even Rolls-Royce with LPG or CNG fitted.. guess must be a Thai thing if it has an engine must have Gas. why anything from 350 cc to 1.2 lt needs gas = extra weight on a already baby engine.. why anyone that has the money for a 40 million baht car then need to fit LPG, I simply do not understand..

On the PLUS side an older car with one owner and low KM and no gas fitted is likely to be true KM reading and a good buy....

Maybe time for me to start looking again ? Bought a 10 year old Audi A6 early 2008, was 10 years old, one owner, low KM, NO Gas, still runs sweet just is getting old now, 100% not interested in Gas there is not that much about for sale. Guess will still run for years as since I bought it have added 24,600 KM only, have a diesel Pickup so the Audi is a Sunday car as it were.

Lots of different vehicles are manufactured CNG....... No idea if these are better than LPG/CNG conversion?

You can't compare a LPG installation from 35 years ago with today's technology! I have a Fortuner with LPG, which runs very smooth on an automatic LPG installation. No loss in performance, 72 liter tank under the car (in the spare wheel area) and saves about 3 baht per km! I installed it 3 years ago. Starts on petrol (benzine) and switches automatically to LPG after a while.

[ozyjon]

Just arrived in Australia (Sydney) and am driving my friends ex-taxi that he lends me,, i was wondering why the LPG cost of gas was so high (98 cents per litre), few days later we got together, our friends and i brought up the question again, the reply i got openened my eyes because i jut didn't know the reason but i will try to repeat what i was told.

1. In Europe house hold heating was gas bottles (i noticed this in Portugal where i live where there was a push to sell gas powered portable heaters instead of electrical heaters because the cost of electricity has gone up), also shift from oil to gas heating in the north of europe therefore the price of LPG goes up every Aussie summer (also Christmas)

2. I was also told that the Taxi industry is replacing all their fleet to " Toyota Camry Hybrid"

So as i was driving around i started to pay more attention to the Taxis on the road, yes the LPG taxis are still there but also i see an increase in the number of Toyotas on the road,, i said to my friend later that in a few years there won't be any lpg taxies around and that there will only be hubrids,, he agreed and told me that used lpg taxies were a dime a doesen and that not many people wanted to buy them as they were waiting for the hybrids to start selling....

I wonder if this is the same thing that is happening in Thailand ???

[lostmebike]

Is there still room to get in the car after the LPG cylinder tank is fitted? you cant go shopping with one can you?

You can't even get a spare passenger in there!

Personally, I've never been interested in LPG but obviously a lot of people are (have been), but now it seems they want to get rid of them.

You can't even get a spare passenger in there!

I assure you, there is room for passengers, a spare tyre and lots of room for your weekly shop.

My wife has a 3 year old Vios, nice little car and about 6 months ago had it converted to LPG. It's nearly halved her running costs and seems to be working fine, nothing but good reports from this end really.

In answer to the post about why so many LPG cars are available, maybe it's a conspiracy??? haha Surely there are many diesels and petroleum powered cars also available second hand or maybe it's just a sign of it's popularity (due to running costs) here in LOS.

[Misab]

LPG - CNG are good for the environment not much pollution. Help the climate. That ought to be the main reason for buying a car running on gas.

Yes the gas are cheap too but that is a supplementary benefit.

Never heard before that I cannot park in a shopping center

I have a Honda City CNG beautiful car

[thailandbeachisland]

Ridiculous people always chasing savings...

[Torrens54]

When we returned to Thailand after a few years abroad, we bought a Used car that had been converted to run on both LPG and Petrol.

I was never very happy about the quality of the workmanship on the "conversion" and yes, the Tank took up too much room in the back of the RAV-4. I was also convinced that I could smell gas in the cab so we traded it and got a PETROL Only Honda CRV which we've now had for a couple of years and it is BRILLIANT. (Never thought I'd say that about a Jap car...but here you go!)

[cronus]

Just some thoughts about converting a gasoline car to CNG: CNG burns at about the double temperature of gasoline and needs hardened exhaust valves and seats... head gasket is made for gasoline. CNG lacks the lubricating qualitites of gasoline... CNG does not evaporate at all which will increase temperature of the exhaust valves... CNG runs at a different air-fuel ration than gasoline... All the sensors and engine controls are adjusted for, well, gasoline... this includes cooling system, temperature sensors etc. which all need to be adjusted which is not easy in todays computerized cars...

if buying a new car fitted for LPG all of this will be taken care of... if converting at the shop next door, you might just have to trust them...

[monkeycountry]

Just to be clear, CNG and LPG is subsidised by PTT shareholders, not the government, although the Thai tax payers do own about half of the shares. The rest is owned by private investors. The subsidies cost the shareholders something like 20 billion baht per year.

Edited December 24, 2013 by monkeycountry

[uptheos]

Just some thoughts about converting a gasoline car to CNG: CNG burns at about the double temperature of gasoline and needs hardened exhaust valves and seats... head gasket is made for gasoline. CNG lacks the lubricating qualitites of gasoline... CNG does not evaporate at all which will increase temperature of the exhaust valves... CNG runs at a different air-fuel ration than gasoline... All the sensors and engine controls are adjusted for, well, gasoline... this includes cooling system, temperature sensors etc. which all need to be adjusted which is not easy in todays computerized cars...

if buying a new car fitted for LPG all of this will be taken care of... if converting at the shop next door, you might just have to trust them...

So, it sounds as if you are saying tread very cautiously when looking at a vehicle that has been converted.