Are you still hesitating between an LPG car or a Flexfuel model that can run on E85 to save money? In 2023, it is above all the first solution that seems the most interesting.
Since the yellow vests crisis broke out, and conversion boxes were authorized, E85 is the fuel that everyone is talking about, or almost. Superethanol here, bioethanol there, we almost forgot that there is another equally attractive source of energy at the pump, LPG. And to be quite frank, in 2023, we would tend to recommend the latter to you. That’s why.
1) It is the most attractive fuel of the moment
First argument, and not the least in this period when prices are soaring at breakneck speed in all sectors, LPG is quite simply the cheapest fuel on the market. According to data from our partner Carbu.com, the liter cost an average of €0.97 on January 13, 2022. To be compared to the €1.13 per liter of superethanol observed on the same day. GPL and E85 have been fighting for the crown for a long time, and it is often the second of the two that wins on this point, but this is no longer the case. And from quite a distance. “Classic” fuels are simply beaten hands down. A liter of SP-95 E10 trades for around €1.84. Diesel, let’s not even talk about it, it is starting to get dangerously close to the €2 mark (€1.90 on the same January 13). In some stations, it can reach €2.34…
2) Its prices are about the same from one station to another
Better still, the liter today costs at least €0.76, €1.20 at the worst of the worst, €0.44 difference. No other fuel currently does better. For E85, the price difference between the most attractive station and the most expensive is 58 euro cents. For unleaded (E10 with 10% ethanol or E5 with only 5% ethanol), it goes to €0.61.
3) Above all, they are rock-solid stability
But that’s not all. As Sophie Gaudillière, director of public affairs and communication at France Gaz Liquides, with whom we spoke to understand the why and how, pointed out, “the average price in 2022 was €0.8468. It was €0.85 in 2021 and €0.84 also in 2020. So there is long-standing stability”. Contrary to what one might imagine, LPG is not imported from Russia. In fact, the Ukrainian crisis had no impact on prices.
It should be noted that 30% of liquid gases come from by-products of refineries in France. And 70% comes from imports, extracted from gas fields in the same way as natural gas, and that is more for our market Algeria, Northern Europe, Norway in particular or possibly the United States. United. The secure supply is diversified, which has helped to maintain prices.
4) The LPG fleet is quite extensive, both new and second-hand
If you are looking for an LPG vehicle, the choice is quite large, whether you are looking for a new or used model. In nine, it is the Renault group that has made it its speciality. The 3 best-selling models in 2022 are Dacia models: the Sandero, the Jogger and the Duster. The Diamond brand follows with its Clio and Captur. Vehicles that we do not need to introduce to you as they are part of the French automotive landscape and, in the context of Dacia, which are displayed at very attractive prices. The entry-level Jogger and Duster (€16,990 each) precisely benefit from the dual gasoline-LPG fuel system.
On occasion, the offer is not lacking either. It is larger than that of the E85 models, for example, simply because many brands have embarked on the adventure of LPG in the past. Manufacturers who played on the economic aspect of LPG to seduce French buyers: this is always the case with Dacia, but also with Fiat and Chevrolet. The success has therefore been there and the copies are not lacking. Bioethanol-fuelled vehicles, brought to the fore more recently, cannot say the same.
Moreover, it is only in France and Norway that favorable taxation has benefited E85. Everywhere else, LPG prevails. As France Gaz Liquides noted in one of its latest press releases, “it is the most widely used alternative fuel in Europe and the most supported by governments”. If you find that the offer is not yet large enough for your taste in France, you can very well take a short tour of our European neighbors to find the LPG car that meets your needs.
5) The Crit’Air 1 sticker, always to the advantage of LPG
Finally, compared to the E85, an LPG installation will allow you to systematically obtain the Crit’Air 1 sticker. Admittedly, the investment costs more at the base but it ensures that you can keep your vehicle for as long as possible, and this, despite the proliferation of ZFE-m. And that is a great argument in favor of LPG! So, even if the number of stations is twice as low, you can really be tempted.
Also read on Auto-Moto.com:
Everything that changes for motorists in 2023
E85 above €1.10 per litre: why is the price of biofuel increasing?
Dacia Jogger GPL test: the G point (PL)
Are you still hesitating between an LPG car or a Flexfuel model that can run on E85 to save money? In 2023, it is above all the first solution that seems the most interesting.
Since the yellow vests crisis broke out, and conversion boxes were authorized, E85 is the fuel that everyone is talking about, or almost. Superethanol here, bioethanol there, we almost forgot that there is another equally attractive source of energy at the pump, LPG. And to be quite frank, in 2023, we would tend to recommend the latter to you. That’s why.
1) It is the most attractive fuel of the moment
First argument, and not the least in this period when prices are soaring at breakneck speed in all sectors, LPG is quite simply the cheapest fuel on the market. According to data from our partner Carbu.com, the liter cost an average of €0.97 on January 13, 2022. To be compared to the €1.13 per liter of superethanol observed on the same day. GPL and E85 have been fighting for the crown for a long time, and it is often the second of the two that wins on this point, but this is no longer the case. And from quite a distance. “Classic” fuels are simply beaten hands down. A liter of SP-95 E10 trades for around €1.84. Diesel, let’s not even talk about it, it is starting to get dangerously close to the €2 mark (€1.90 on the same January 13). In some stations, it can reach €2.34…
2) Its prices are about the same from one station to another
Better still, the liter today costs at least €0.76, €1.20 at the worst of the worst, €0.44 difference. No other fuel currently does better. For E85, the price difference between the most attractive station and the most expensive is 58 euro cents. For unleaded (E10 with 10% ethanol or E5 with only 5% ethanol), it goes to €0.61.
3) Above all, they are rock-solid stability
But that’s not all. As Sophie Gaudillière, director of public affairs and communication at France Gaz Liquides, with whom we spoke to understand the why and how, pointed out, “the average price in 2022 was €0.8468. It was €0.85 in 2021 and €0.84 also in 2020. So there is long-standing stability”. Contrary to what one might imagine, LPG is not imported from Russia. In fact, the Ukrainian crisis had no impact on prices.
It should be noted that 30% of liquid gases come from by-products of refineries in France. And 70% comes from imports, extracted from gas fields in the same way as natural gas, and that is more for our market Algeria, Northern Europe, Norway in particular or possibly the United States. United. The secure supply is diversified, which has helped to maintain prices.
4) The LPG fleet is quite extensive, both new and second-hand
If you are looking for an LPG vehicle, the choice is quite large, whether you are looking for a new or used model. In nine, it is the Renault group that has made it its speciality. The 3 best-selling models in 2022 are Dacia models: the Sandero, the Jogger and the Duster. The Diamond brand follows with its Clio and Captur. Vehicles that we do not need to introduce to you as they are part of the French automotive landscape and, in the context of Dacia, which are displayed at very attractive prices. The entry-level Jogger and Duster (€16,990 each) precisely benefit from the dual gasoline-LPG fuel system.
On occasion, the offer is not lacking either. It is larger than that of the E85 models, for example, simply because many brands have embarked on the adventure of LPG in the past. Manufacturers who played on the economic aspect of LPG to seduce French buyers: this is always the case with Dacia, but also with Fiat and Chevrolet. The success has therefore been there and the copies are not lacking. Bioethanol-fuelled vehicles, brought to the fore more recently, cannot say the same.
Moreover, it is only in France and Norway that favorable taxation has benefited E85. Everywhere else, LPG prevails. As France Gaz Liquides noted in one of its latest press releases, “it is the most widely used alternative fuel in Europe and the most supported by governments”. If you find that the offer is not yet large enough for your taste in France, you can very well take a short tour of our European neighbors to find the LPG car that meets your needs.
5) The Crit’Air 1 sticker, always to the advantage of LPG
Finally, compared to the E85, an LPG installation will allow you to systematically obtain the Crit’Air 1 sticker. Admittedly, the investment costs more at the base but it ensures that you can keep your vehicle for as long as possible, and this, despite the proliferation of ZFE-m. And that is a great argument in favor of LPG! So, even if the number of stations is twice as low, you can really be tempted.
Also read on Auto-Moto.com:
Everything that changes for motorists in 2023
E85 above €1.10 per litre: why is the price of biofuel increasing?
Dacia Jogger GPL test: the G point (PL)
