Fuel crisis: Vehicle conversions to LPG, CNG on the rise
Since the fuel crisis began, demand for conversion or retrofitting has increased by 20pc–30pc.
Currently, 80pc of vehicles are being converted to LPG, while 20pc are converted to CNG.
Sheikh Asif, a businessman and resident of Janata Housing in Mohammadpur, Dhaka, has been using a 1,500cc Toyota car since 2018. Amid the ongoing fuel crisis, he recently converted his vehicle to LPG at Green Fuel CNG & LPG Conversion Centre at Mohammadpur, spending approximately Tk 60,000.
“I often need to travel for urgent business. Waiting in line to get fuel is time-consuming, so I decided to convert my car to LPG as an alternative,” Sheikh Asif explained.
Hussain Parvez, owner of Green Fuel CNG & LPG Conversion Centre, said that since the fuel crisis began, demand for conversions has increased by 20–30 per cent.
Field visits over the past two days to several LNG and CNG conversion centres across the capital show that staff are now extremely busy.
Southern Automobiles, located in Tejgaon, converted 25 vehicles to LPG and CNG in February, which rose to 39 vehicles in March. Conversion costs at this company range from Tk 80,000 to Tk 120,000 per vehicle.
“Running a car on CNG instead of petrol reduces costs by 70–80 per cent, and on LNG by 30–40 per cent. That’s why many people are contacting us to learn about the costs and benefits of conversion,” Suman Kumar Sarkar, Deputy Manager at Southern Automobiles Tejgaon branch, said.
Multiple car experts note that CNG cylinders are heavier than LPG cylinders, while LPG cylinders require less space. In cars, one litre of petrol allows 8–14 km of driving, while one litre of LPG allows 8–12 km. LPG is also cheaper than petrol per litre.
Another vehicle service centre in Tejgaon, Multibrand Workshop, services luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, and Range Rover, and also provides CNG and LPG conversion services.
Running a car on CNG instead of petrol reduces costs by 70–80 per cent, and on LNG by 30–40 per cent. That’s why many people are contacting us to learn about the costs and benefits of conversion.Suman Kumar Sarkar, Deputy Manager at Southern Automobiles Tejgaon branch
Masud Karim Chowdhury, Executive Director of Multibrand Workshop, said that since the fuel crisis began, demand for conversion has increased by 10–15 per cent, with many people seeking information.
According to multiple LPG and CNG conversion companies, currently 80 per cent of vehicles are converted to LPG, while 20 per cent are converted to CNG.
Concerns over rising LPG prices
The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) recently increased the price of automotive LPG by Tk 17.94 per litre, bringing the new price to Tk 79.77 per litre, up from Tk 61.83.
At the Madani Avenue branch of Active LPG Conversion at Bhatara, Dhaka, the centre now converts about five vehicles per day. Before the war and the Eid holidays, only one or two vehicles would come daily for conversion.
Mohammad Faisal, Director of this branch, said, “The sudden rise in LPG prices will likely reduce conversion demand. Many people are interested in conversion, but the higher price may discourage them.”