Autogas undertakes major take-off in Kazakhstan

news2-kazakhstan

In 2016, Autogas sales increased by 43%, reaching 457,800 tonnes and 28.9 billion tenge (US$89 million), approximately two times the 2015 number; while gasoline sales fell by 5%, according to The Astana Times. Experts find this trend promising and favourable not only for the drivers, who save money, but for the national economy and environment as well.

“As of today, LPG is 2.5 times cheaper than low-octane gasoline and three times cheaper than high-octane gasoline. Up-to-date LPG equipment sufficiently increases engine life, decreases engine oil pollution and the converted car has two fuel tanks, which means that its trip distance doubles. We can talk about the increase in demand for our services from one year to the next,” said Gazcentre Manager Varvara Gutchenko.

The number of Autogas stations in Kazakhstan increased by 51% in one year, as demand for gasoline fell in response to a sharp increase in prices in the last 12 months after the government refused to control fuel prices. In 2016, the average price of the most popular type of gasoline increased by 13% compared to 2015. Consumers found the price increase excessive and actively converted their cars to Autogas.

“The minimum price for LPG converting is 260,000 tenge (US$800) for a four-cylinder passenger car. We do not give preference to any brand, because every brand has its own advantages and peculiarities without regard to the country of its production. But we can say that Italian, Turkish and Polish equipment is the best,” added Gutchenko, who works at a major Autogas refuelling station and conversion workshop.

Gutchenko explained the station has a variety of customers. The company converted even tiny three-cylinder cars and worked on brand-new BMW, Lexus and Range Rover models and other luxury cars whose owners want to save money. She also said that one of the reasons for converting is that it makes vehicles more environmentally friendly. For more information, please check this link.