It is said that buying a car is not a big deal, the headache is in the maintenance and fuelling
The increase in fuel prices has forced motorists to find creative ways of surviving the rising cost of living, with several finding comfort in much cheaper Liquified Petrol Gas (LPG).
In its last review, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority priced a litre of super petrol at Sh212.36, diesel Sh201.47 (diesel), and Sh199.45 (kerosene).
LPG gas on the other hand is selling at a maximum of Sh99 per litre, almost three times the cost of super petrol.
Simon Otengo is a taxi operator in Nairobi who has transitioned to the use of LPG in his vehicle.
"I was informed of the option by my friend who converted his vehicle to LPG when fuel supply became limited sometime mid-last year. I have been on LPG for five months now...I cannot complain,'' Otengo told the Star in an interview.
"I used to spend a maximum of Sh3,000 on fuel alone. The cost has dropped significantly to an average of Sh1,700. The vehicle is less noisy too. However, I'm noting some minor problems, mostly mechanical.''
Silas Nyaramba was attracted to the change after listening to his friends who had transferred to LPG.
"I paid close to Sh60,ooo to add the LPG component. Honestly, the gas cannot perform optimally by itself but it has so far saved me a great deal.''
To convert a petrol vehicle to use of gas, Dave Waweru who operates Dawn Motors in Kilimani says a three-millimetre welded steel autogas tank is installed.
According to him, two electronically controlled shut-off solenoids are installed on the LPG tank together with a reducer, which is placed under the bonnet to stop the flow of LPG autogas to the engine if it stops for any reason.
Pressure relief valves for the tank are also installed to prevent any pressure build-up that may damage the system before compartments are sealed; venting and pipework are done to ensure no LPG enters the interior of the vehicle.
''This process is not as complex as people imagine. We have converted tens of cars since we opened in mid-2020. The government had mulled rolling a national LPG scheme. This psyched me to open the small garage to help those ready to transit.''
The silent transition to LPG is getting louder, with companies selling LPG reporting a rise in sales.
Data from the regulator shows the consumption of LPG jumped seven percent in the first half of last year.
Official data shows homes and businesses used 171,720 tonnes of LPG between January and June from 159,900 tonnes in the same period last year.
To support this growth, the state has received 13 new applications from existing and new entrants wishing to build berths for handling cooking gas imports in Kenya, as the country moves to open up the sector ahead of the price control regime in 2025.
Although several motorists have hailed LPG as cheap and cleaner, experts are warning of various downward effects.
A seasoned motor vehicle engineer at JSP Motors Jasper Kirimi says an LPG conversion of a petrol-propelled vehicle will yield efficiency losses of up to 20 percent.
According to him, a normal petrol engine will not have a compression ratio suitable enough to exploit the 110 RON rating of LPG. To get optimum efficiency from LPG you need a compression ratio of about 12:1.
Apart from efficiency deficits, he says LPG vehicles consume double the amount of fuel per litre compared to petrol enabled.
"On average, a standard car consumes a little petrol for up to 20 kilometres. An LPG-powered vehicle consumes a litre per 12 kilometers," Kirimi said.
This means a person driving a petrol-powered vehicle from Nairobi to Kisumu, a distance of close to 360 kilometres will have to buy 18 litres while his LPG counterpart will use at least 30 litres.
"The factual reason behind this is that LPG has a lower energy density compared to Petrol. 26 million Joules per litre vs 34.2 million Joules per litre. This means that more LPG has to be burnt to achieve the same results petrol would give."
This, he says brushes off the reduced emissions advantage.
Kirimi further explains that vehicles lose several horsepower running on LPG. Other disadvantages of this form of fuel are fewer LPG filling stations across the country.
"You will still need to have petrol in your fuel tank in case you run out of LPG in a place where there is no refuelling infrastructure. You will also need at least Sh60,000 to change from petrol to gas."
Despite this, several players are joining the market, with Nairobi boasting of at least 15 LPG filling stations.
For instance, Hass Petroleum Kenya has invested heavily in LPG filling capacity in Nairobi and Eldoret, to ensure consistent product supply across the country.
"We have a massive capacity to hold stock and replenish our customers at the point of consumption."