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Moving right along to 2018.
Is the LPG vehicle a dinosaur ? There are plenty of LPG only Falcons out there for sale, a great engine the green engine but will there still be LPG autogas available in 1 year/2 years time ? Fords local production is now a historical anomaly so is there now a whole fleet of 2nd hand vehicles out there approaching fuel unavailability ?
Are there trucks out there using LPG over diesel to minimise running costs and thus ensuring LPG autogas availability on major highways ?
I ask these questions as I'm considering buying a basic Ford ute but many are LPG only vehicles. Have these become the lemon of the future ?
Deano :)
Deano,
Our local servos (bar 1) have all removed their LPG tanks and therefore no longer supply it.
When I asked why, the answer was that it’s no longer viable for them to maintain and supply.
Still plenty of LPG service stations around my area (Adelaide Hills) but new ones are being built without it. I haven't installed a new LPG conversion for over a year now but still get repair and service work. I suspect it'll be available around the city fringes for a few more years yet, where the older cars live. The LPG supply chain for cooking and heating gas bottles will of course continue to exist so servicing a few outlets will suffice for future vehicle demand. Back in the 80's when I first drove LPG cars you could often get gas only at country fuel depots during business hours, could end up that way again in the future.
As Tombie said,they are gradually disappearing,for a few reasons.
Lack of sales(cabs were the biggest users),costs of compliance's,and very small margin and volume compared with other fuels they sell.
There are a few around in our area,but as the service stations are refurbished the LPG gear is removed.
Seems to be the same round here.
My local Shell at Kincumber on the NSW Central Coast had an enormous tank , which they removed about a year ago.
Regards Philip A
Soon as this thread is alive again, an update on our local servo was that the LPG tank was decommissioned and removed around a year ago but the pumps remained. About 3 months ago a whole new tank was installed and the system is back up and running - The servo changed hands around that time and was taken over directly by Caltex again rather than it being a franchise, so maybe that's what got the ball rolling there, but LPG is back on the menu there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Homestar
Maybe it's cheaper/easier/safer to replace the tank than do a 10 year hydro test but interesting that Caltex replaced it after so long. Maybe it's a 'big picture' or airport taxi thing ?
I'm still looking for a suitable ute and whilst I don't need gas on a running cost basis (about 5000 K's a year) LPG utes are a major part of the second hand ute market so including them gives a much larger pool of vehicles to look at. It's worth keeping in mind here in Victoria with compulsory RWC's on vehicle transfer a 10 year old LPG powered vehicle MUST have it's tank within test as part of the RWC check. For a typical Ford 'scuba tank' install the cost I've been quoted is about $400 - $500 for the re certification alone, so 'buyer beware' ALL BA, BF and early FG LPG powered Fords will need to have their tanks re certified. OK for dealer bought registered/roadworthy vehicles as this should have been done but in the private market a real trap for the unaware.
Deano :)
Just spent a week in Victoria.
Melbourne-Portsea-Phillip Island-Puffing Billy.
Took the petrol only territory and averaged $100 per 550Km. has a 650 km range so you need to plan ahead.
Had to use mobile phone map search to find stations.
My LPG Falcon Can do 1000 Km with the same running around.