British drivers are not as “pragmatic” as other motorists across the continent, according to the boss of Dacia, as other popular fuels are not as common in the UK.
Denis Le Vot, CEO of Dacia, said he was surprised that LPG – liquefied petroleum gas – is not more popular in the UK despite offering cheaper costs.
Earlier this year, Dacia confirmed that it would continue selling vehicles that have LPG powertrains, in addition to electric vehicles as it looks to remove petrol and diesel cars from its lineup.
Dacia said the LPG Bi-Fuel can achieve a 40 per cent saving in fuel costs, a 10 per cent performance boost and a driving range increase of 60 per cent.
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The Dacia Sandero can be purchased to be compatible with LPG Bi-Fuel
DACIA
The Romanian brand currently sells some of its most popular models – the Sandero, Sandero Stepway and the all-new Duster – as LPG Bi-Fuel.
Despite offering massive savings for motorists, Denis Le Vot said the brand had sold just over 1,000 Bi-Fuel versions of the Sandero and Duster so far this year.
This is a substantial drop compared to the roughly 4,000 sold in 2022 and 2,700 sold last year, he told Autocar.
He noted how LPG sales were far stronger across Europe, especially Poland, Romania and Spain. He added that LPG ownership was “incredible” in France given that it is around half the cost of petrol.
So far this year, Dacia has registered 28,693 new vehicles in the UK. This is enough for a 1.58 per cent share of the market and represents a 12.7 per cent increase in sales compared to the same time last year.
Le Vot added: “In no way are we challenging the final destination. The final destination is zero emissions. We have to continue working, and we will, but I think that at the same time, we have to be pragmatic.”
According to the latest data from RAC Fuel Watch, a litre of petrol will cost motorists 136.63p, while diesel drivers will be paying around 142.46p.
In comparison, a litre of LPG would only set drivers back around 96p on average, according to myLPG.eu.
While there are enormous savings on offer for motorists, the current price of LPG is around the highest level it has been in the last 10 years.
Prices fell to their lowest price in a decade at the end of 2017, when drivers were forking out just 55p per litre, 55p cheaper than petrol and 57p cheaper than diesel at the time.
Although drivers are able to see massive savings when using LPG Bi-Fuel, it may not be suitable for all motorists since the availability of the fuel is not guaranteed around the country.
MFG, one of the largest filling station chains in the country, said in 2022 that it would no longer carry LPG as it was not profitable, adding that the changes would be completed by the end of 2024.
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The all-new Dacia Duster is also compatible with LPG Bi-Fuel
DACIA
LPG was included in the Government’s 2018 Road to Zero report which outlined the steps which need to be taken to reduce emissions in transport and “deliver our Industrial Strategy”.
It noted that while the LPG is small and is likely to remain a niche market, it could act as a suitable alternative to diesel, especially in urban environments.
