Years ago there was a push for propane powered personal vehicles. Are they still a thing? With all this new tech in cars can you even convert a car these days?
Are propane fueled cars still a thing?
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Lasr time I remember being in a propane fueled vehicle was in Spain about '73. Taxi driver had to stop at an exchange station and swap cylinders. I didn't know such a thing existed. We had a spirited discussion about that.
Seen a few diesels boosted with propane before, none lately though.
Seems like I recall not but a few years ago you could still get new CNG vans/trucks from Ford and Chevy, but a quick search shows them all but gone.
I can tell you the Local Gas Company ( now...Enbridge? was Dominion, and West Ohio Gas in the before times) has all their vehicles running on CNG...
but the LPG (Liquid/Liquefied Propane Gas) conversions that were fairly common in Europe/Australia, were never really approved for sale in the US.
and Most of the CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) cars/ trucks we've seen in the US, have come from the factory that way... there probably were some conversion kits available in the 90's, but I've not seen or heard of one in years.
but the LPG (Liquid/Liquefied Propane Gas) conversions that were fairly common in Europe/Australia, were never really approved for sale in the US.
and Most of the CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) cars/ trucks we've seen in the US, have come from the factory that way... there probably were some conversion kits available in the 90's, but I've not seen or heard of one in years.
CleanSump
Site Donor 2026
They're still a thing in some SEA countries. You can still have a shop install the conversion kits.
4wd
$50 site donor 2026
Yes, some independent oil companies here are running CNG in work trucks - they can fill up in the field - or farmers co-op …
I was on vacation in Asia when I found the taxi we hailed was a propane conversion. Sucked too as there was a supplemental tank taking up half the trunk.
There certainly is no connection between propane, CNG or LNG. Propane conversions used to be common in Canada and many “ gas stations” had a propane bay. An attendant would do the fill. They still had all the road tax etc. Check WWW.propane.com . Hit the “ Fleet Manager “ Icon.
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LPG is still a huge thing in Eastern Europe, in the Netherlands, and somewhat in Italy )for Europe).
And it's still openly sabotaged in France, which means it's good.
LPG would be an interesting thing to study and discuss in this here forum, as apples for apples, it's much easier on engine oil vs the same engine running on gas. Zero fuel dilution on cold engines, close to zero soot and carbon, reduced acid, at the expense of higher operating temperatures.
So the oil change intervals are mostly the same, but for different reasons. UOA would be fun on the same oil and sam type of engine on LPG vs Gas.
And it's still openly sabotaged in France, which means it's good.
LPG would be an interesting thing to study and discuss in this here forum, as apples for apples, it's much easier on engine oil vs the same engine running on gas. Zero fuel dilution on cold engines, close to zero soot and carbon, reduced acid, at the expense of higher operating temperatures.
So the oil change intervals are mostly the same, but for different reasons. UOA would be fun on the same oil and sam type of engine on LPG vs Gas.
In 1977 there were signs before entering long tunnels that propane and LNG powered vehicles were prohibited from entering the tunnel. One news clip stated that air analyzers were in use in those tunnels to detect any vehicle with those fuels.
Those signs were only up for a couple of years.
Those signs were only up for a couple of years.
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They were still up on the Holland tunnel as of 10-ish years ago. Never knew if it was about LNG powered vehicles, or about RVs carrying propane.
I too was thinking some knowledge on the subject would be interesting.
A guy with an LPG Volvo V70 was experiencing rough idling.
The thread revealed little, but he did mention that LPG was a mixture of Propane and Butane.
Bi-Fuel cars come up consistently on the European Volvo boards.
Does Nissan offer bi-fuel et. al.? I look at the many engine options they have the world over and assume they would.
I recall the people movers in Yosemite Nat'l Park being powered by propane. They were wagons of contoured fiberglass on automotive wheels pulled by a "matching" tow vehicle. They'd roll by and blast pedestrians with hot exhaust gas.
Weren't the people movers at the '64-'65 World's Fair propane....faint bells ringing.
A guy with an LPG Volvo V70 was experiencing rough idling.
The thread revealed little, but he did mention that LPG was a mixture of Propane and Butane.
Bi-Fuel cars come up consistently on the European Volvo boards.
Does Nissan offer bi-fuel et. al.? I look at the many engine options they have the world over and assume they would.
I recall the people movers in Yosemite Nat'l Park being powered by propane. They were wagons of contoured fiberglass on automotive wheels pulled by a "matching" tow vehicle. They'd roll by and blast pedestrians with hot exhaust gas.
Weren't the people movers at the '64-'65 World's Fair propane....faint bells ringing.
A lot of Zamboni’s still run on propane. No one notices the exhaust so you an run them in the arena.
Years ago there was some tax incentive to be dual fuel which led to sham conversions with a one gallon propane tank that was never used.
I think that gaseous fueled vehicles are now considered generally safe enough to allow in tunnels. RVs carrying propane must have the tank valves closed before entering a tunnel.
I think that gaseous fueled vehicles are now considered generally safe enough to allow in tunnels. RVs carrying propane must have the tank valves closed before entering a tunnel.
Years ago there was some adoption of propane fueled conversions in this country.
Propane as a vehicle fuel is popular in some places. We rode in a propane fueled Hyundai in the DR a couple of years ago and the use of propane as a vehicle fuel is common enough there that there were propane stations located all over.
Honda did offer an LNG Civic in the US for some years. There are actually a couple for sale in our area.
There is an LNG fill station located about eight miles from us but I'm not sure how well it would work on a road trip.
Probably not as well as an aged Leaf.
Propane as a vehicle fuel is popular in some places. We rode in a propane fueled Hyundai in the DR a couple of years ago and the use of propane as a vehicle fuel is common enough there that there were propane stations located all over.
Honda did offer an LNG Civic in the US for some years. There are actually a couple for sale in our area.
There is an LNG fill station located about eight miles from us but I'm not sure how well it would work on a road trip.
Probably not as well as an aged Leaf.
