Converting a car from a gasoline engine to gas cylinder equipment (GCE) can be a profitable investment for vehicle owners looking to reduce fuel costs. With stable prices, the invested funds can be recouped within approximately 10 months.
This is reported by Finway
How Much Does It Cost to Install GCE and What Are the Additional Expenses
The minimum amount for installing GCE starts at 12,000 hryvnias. This amount covers the basic equipment package and installation. When considering options for different types of engines, the installation of second-generation equipment for 4-cylinder engines costs about 8,000 hryvnias, while the more modern fourth generation ranges from 12,000 to 26,000 hryvnias depending on the brand. Premium-class equipment can reach 30,000 to 40,000 hryvnias.
In addition to the main expenses, there are mandatory fees: the certification of the car with GCE will cost approximately 3,000 hryvnias, and re-registration at the Ministry of Internal Affairs service center with the issuance of a new technical passport will be about 900 hryvnias. Thus, the minimum expenses for converting a car amount to approximately 12,000 hryvnias.
Fuel Savings and Payback Period
Maintaining a car on gas remains profitable, although the price of autogas is no longer half that of gasoline as it was a few years ago. The gas consumption is usually higher than that of gasoline, so a coefficient of 1.2 is used for an objective calculation of savings.
At current prices, a liter of autogas costs 34.43 hryvnias, and taking into account the coefficient, it amounts to 41.31 hryvnias. In comparison, a liter of gasoline currently costs 58.79 hryvnias. The price difference in favor of gas is 24.26 hryvnias per liter.
With an average monthly mileage of 500 kilometers, the owner of such a car can save about 1,213 hryvnias each month. With this level of savings, even the basic version of GCE installation will pay off in about 10 months, and thereafter the owner can enjoy a net financial benefit.
Experts emphasize: “The economic feasibility of driving on gas diminishes if its price reaches 65% of the price of gasoline. It is possible that with increasing excise taxes on gas, this ratio will be achieved.”
It is worth considering that the payback period depends on the stability of fuel prices. If autogas becomes more expensive or gasoline becomes cheaper, the payback of the investment may increase.