Opel vehicles powered by Autogas will be shown at EXPOAUTOGÁS 2017

We are seeing how electric cars are sweeping the board as the most viable alternative to traditional fuels. But there are other alternatives on manufacturers’ agendas, although they don’t seem to enjoy as much publicity as electric vehicles. Cars powered by Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) have their own fair to showcase their capabilities and the possibilities they offer as low-emission vehicles.

In the case of Opel, the brand will have a 100-square-metre stand, where it will display two of the models in its range that are powered by this alternative fuel which, although it does not completely eliminate polluting emissions, does reduce them considerably. These are the Opel Corsa and the Opel Mokka X, which are also fully manufactured at the Zaragoza plant.

The brand’s range does not only include these two models, as we can also find the ADAM, the Astra Sedan and the Zafira. All of them are equipped with two tanks, so they can run on both LPG and petrol, which gives them extra range if there is no filling station with this alternative fuel available.

Thanks to the LPG tank, any of these adapted Opel models can cover around 500 km, while with both tanks full this range can reach up to 1,400 km. In addition, LPG combustion leaves no residue, which allows the engine to run better and the lubricant to last much longer than with petrol. The saving from using LPG instead of petrol is 50%, which also benefits the driver’s wallet.

Having the ECO label from the DGT, LPG-powered vehicles can drive through cities during periods of maximum restrictions. They also enjoy benefits on certain taxes and services. And all this while being currently the most common alternative fuel type across Europe, ahead of hybrids and electric vehicles, although they do not receive the media attention of these. It is estimated that there are around 25 million of them on the road worldwide, around 15 million in Europe alone, and in Spain, around 50,000. To refuel, there are about 500 service stations offering this fuel, which are quite interesting figures.