The decarbonisation of transport has become one of the major environmental challenges we face today. Aware of the importance of contributing to the sustainability of the transport of people and goods, companies in the automotive industry and public administrations are promoting new forms of sustainable mobility that aim to reduce polluting emissions and improve the air quality of our cities.
One of them is the commitment to autogas, a mixture of butane and propane whose consumption has increased by 50% in the last decade, becoming one of the preferred fuels to replace petroleum in the long term. In fact, autogas already powers 27 million vehicles in the world, 15 of them in Europe, especially in Italy, Germany and Poland.
In the case of Spain, according to the Spanish Association of Automobile and Truck Manufacturers (ANFAC), a total of 24,290 LPG vehicle registrations were reached throughout 2019, registering an increase of almost 5,000 units compared to 2018.
5 false myths
To further stimulate their knowledge and defend their qualities, the experts at BeGas, a pioneering company in manufacturing 100% LPG engines approved in Europe, analyse the main characteristics of these vehicles and the false myths surrounding them that have been established in society:
- The re-motorisation of a model created for diesel is not viable. It was not until BeGas, after five years of research, proved that it was. Its solution, unique in the European market, allows trucks and urban buses to be accompanied in their final years of life with an ecological engine. By replacing the diesel engine with a 100% autogas engine, the vehicle will not have to be scrapped and more than 16,000 kg of waste will be generated. In this way, it contributes to the circular economy, as well as drastically reducing polluting emissions.
- They involve a large financial outlay. The price is another of the strong points of autogas, since it ranges between 40% and 50% less than that of conventional fuels, which allows fleets to save up to 36% on fuel costs. In addition, the re-motorisation of diesel vehicles with BeGas AVG represents a significant additional saving. Compared to the cost of purchasing a new vehicle, this operation allows companies and institutions to save around 250,000 euros, if we are talking about a city bus, and around 160,000 euros in the case of an urban waste collection truck, making it easier for local corporations with less budget to commit to the ecological transition.
- It is difficult to find supply points. There are currently more than 700 service stations nationwide that supply autogas and the implementation of pumps for this fuel in users’ facilities is very simple. The way it is recharged is similar to that of gasoline or diesel, so companies or transport departments of public administrations will not have to invest large amounts in facilities or in extra training for their drivers, since they are fully familiar with the system.
- They hardly reduce polluting emissions. All vehicles powered by autogas enjoy the DGT Eco label. In fact, they achieve lower CO2 emissions than the most modern diesels. In addition, vehicles with BeGas engines reduce emissions of other polluting gases, such as NOx or suspended particles, by up to 90% and also contribute to the reduction of noise pollution in cities, since they achieve noise levels 50% lower than diesel vehicles.
- It is not a safe fuel. Autogas is non-toxic and non-corrosive, and as it is a gas, it does not cause spills. Vehicles powered by this fuel meet the same quality standards as any other vehicle. It also has the lowest flammability range compared to petrol and diesel. Therefore, autogas is just as safe a fuel as any other.
