At the rate of the constant adjustment that liquid fuel prices are having, motorists also began to do the math: with savings close to 70% to travel the same distances, conversions of gas powered vehicles increased again. Between January and March, a rise of 62%, according to data from Enargas.
The most important jump, since the beginning of the year, took place in March, when 16,774 new equipment was installed. While in January they were 10,342. In general, gas equipment is not placed in new cars that have a better performance and on the other hand, they lose the warranty if a gas equipment is installed after being rolled. Most are vehicles that have up to four years of use, the equipment manufacturers explain.
The demand for the facilities was more moderate in the Federal Capital area and more accentuated in the interior of the country. For example, the province of Córdoba added 7,000 conversions in three months.
According to data from the regulator, in March the number of cars with CNG equipment reached 1,734,401, that is, 3% more than in January (including cars that are decommissioned). On the other hand, between January and February the jump was 1% when 14,231 units were converted.
Gabriel Bornoroni, president of the Chamber of Fuel Dispensers (CECHA) explains that the trend has been increasing rapidly in recent months due to “the more convenient value of CNG compared to gasoline” compared to the loss of purchasing power of the population . Gas costs between 25 and $ 30 in the Federal Capital, compared to $ 85 for gasoline. “That is why what you see is also a strong transfer of Premium naphtha to the super. Meanwhile, premium diesel remains more stable ”, explained the manager.
In the charging stations of the city of Buenos Aires, the price of CNG is lower due to the greater concentration of points of sale and cars. However, it becomes more expensive in the interior of the country. Córdoba ($ 40), Corrientes and Entre Rios are the provinces with the highest values, according to Enargas. And the average for the entire country was, in March, at $ 34.72.
Since August last year, when the Government decided to unfreeze gasoline prices, the increase is around 50%, while in 2021 they already rose 13%. While it is estimated that towards the end of the year, the increase will be around 23%. It happens that for oil companies, “the current price is still 11% below the equilibrium level,” according to Bornoroni.
Clearly, the move to CNG is not for those who only drive on weekends. As the investment in the equipment oscillates in the $ 70,000. But the more kilometers you drive, the faster the investment pays for itself. It is also necessary to bear in mind that the performance is different: with a charge of $ 100, a gasoline car can travel 13 kilometers. And one powered by gas, travels 44 kilometers.
However, autonomy is also different: with a 15 m3 CNG tank, 200 kilometers are traveled and with a naphtha tank, 600 kilometers. That is, in a trip, the motorist can save costs but must charge several times to travel the same distance.
In general, gas cars have tanks of 60 liters or 13 cubic meters placed in the trunk or under the car. Larger trucks or vehicles can include larger equipment up to 90 liters.
In Argentina, the penetration of CNG cars is high compared to other countries, not only in the region, says Gustavo Frontera, from the Argentine CNG Chamber. Out of a fleet of about 13 million vehicles, approximately 15% have gas equipment installed.
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source https://pledgetimes.com/due-to-the-crisis-in-three-months-the-conversions-of-cars-to-cng-increased-by-62/
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