Faced with soaring prices at the pump, some motorists are considering turning to these new, more economical and ecological solutions.
Although in slight decline for a few days, prices at the pump continue to reach unprecedented heights. In an attempt to calm social unrest, the government has promised a discount of 15 cents per liter from April 1. A measure that does not prevent some motorists from considering alternative fuels, starting with ethanol and LPG. The first is a biofuel produced in France through the fermentation of sugars and starch contained in sugar beets or cereals. The second consists of a mixture of light hydrocarbons, mainly propane and butane. Hence the name LPG for liquefied petroleum gas.
Read alsoDiscount of 15 centimes per liter on fuels: all the answers to your questions
Main advantage: the price. According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Ecological Transition, relating to the week of March 7 to 13, a liter of diesel cost, on average, 2.141 euros. The liter of SP95 crossed two euros, at 2.082 euros, and that of SP98 reached 2.121 euros. Conversely, LPG remained virtually stable at 0.94 cents and Super Ethanol E85 jumped but remained at 0.93 cents per litre.
The origin of this difference: taxation. “It is about 10 times lower than that of gasoline and diesel“, points out Joel Pedessac, general manager of France liquid gases. “It takes about 9 cents of TICPP (tax on petroleum products) per liter for these alternative fuels against 60 cents for standard ones“, he adds. A gap further amplified by the VAT applied on top. French and European executives are thus seeking to make fuels considered more ecological, with lower CO2 and fine particle emission rates, more attractive.
Read alsoGasoline: the fuel check trail
To switch to LPG or bioethanol legally, it is first possible to buy a directly compatible vehicle, but not all brands manufacture them. For the first, the Renault group is the European leader, particularly through its Dacia brand. For the second, the American brands Ford or Jaguar-Land Rover are the main ones to offer ethanol ranges alongside their Diesel or Gasoline ranges.
The other solution, easier to adopt in the short term, is the installation of an approved conversion box on your petrol vehicle. This will allow you to replace your SP95 or SP98 fuel with superethanol-85. To do this, you will first need to check that your vehicle is compatible with one of the approved brands, then make an appointment with an approved garage to have it installed. Installation usually takes 24 hours. Be careful if your case is not approved, your insurance could refuse to compensate you in the event of an accident. Existing engine remapping solutions are also illegal.
According to the president of FlexFuel, the box costs between 700 and 1200 € depending on the engine, those with direct injection requiring more expensive devices. He then advises the installation for the “drivers who plan to travel more than 15,000 km with their vehicle“, average distance from which the box would be profitable. For Biomotors, prices vary between €900 and €1,300, according to the managing director, Alexis Landrieu. Another economic argument: some regions offer aid. As mentioned above, the Hauts-de-France finance the conversion up to 40%, the Grand Est also offers aid of €500.
For LPG the operation is possible but a little longer and more expensive. It is indeed necessary to install a new tank to supplement the gasoline. “The prices are around 2500-3000 € and the operation requires immobilizing the vehicle for a few days“, warns Joel Pedessac.
SEE ALSO – «Frankly, really too expensive, it’s abused“: the anger of motorists over rising fuel prices
Economical, ecological and produced in France
If these alternatives remain anecdotal compared to the fleet of thermal cars of 40 million vehicles in circulation in France, they are in full progress. There are thus 39,000 FlexFuel vehicles (capable of running on ethanol) of origin, according to the National Union of Agricultural Alcohol Producers, and more than 135,000 petrol cars equipped with conversion boxes, according to the Collective of bioethanol and more than 30,000 boxes were installed in 2021, twice as many as in 2020. The same trend for LPG where around 50,000 new machines were sold last year, bringing the total to 230,000 in circulation at the end of 2021.
» READ ALSO – Discover the initiatives and actors of change in Figaro tomorrow
Alexandre, a convinced user, is already on his second conversion and the savings are significant: “a full tank of gas cost me €65 compared to €25 for a full tank of ethanol“, he explains enthusiastically. The installation of the box also cost him €790, from which he was able to deduct aid from the Hauts-de-France region, which finances the conversion up to 40%. According to him, “the investment is therefore reimbursed in 10 full“. Béatrice, equipped since May 2021, has not received aid from the Normandy region, but with a saving of €40 per tank for an initial investment of €800, she does not regret her choice. “I do 600 km with 30 €» she explains to the Figaro.
“I do 600 km with 30 euros”
Béatrice, converter box user since May 2021.
LPG and bioethanol also have the advantage of ecology. According to the founders of FlexFuel and Biomotors, the installation of a converter box allows a reduction of 70% of greenhouse gas emissions and 90% of particulate emissions. This can have very concrete advantages:a petrol/LPG vehicle is always Crit’Air 1, which can be practical with the development of low emission zones», stresses Joel Pedessac, «and switching to dual-fuel remains less expensive than buying a new vehicle».
Another advantage is that France is Europe’s leading producer of bioethanol and this industry currently represents 9,000 jobs according to the SNPAA.
Too good to be true ?
Boxes for driving with an ecological fuel, produced in France and which would make it possible to make significant savings? The portrait would seem almost too good to be true. However, certain points of attention are to be considered. First, there are only around 2,725 petrol stations offering bioethanol in France, out of the 11,000 stations in the national territory, all fuels combined. The figure is even lower for LPG, the number of which is estimated at 1,500 according to Joel Pedessac.
But this does not seem to be a problem for users: “With a box you can run on ethanol but also on SP95 or 98 and alternate as desired. When I can’t find superethanol-85, I just fill up on unleadedwithout the savings, explains Alexandre, user of a FlexFuel unit. For Patrick, who lives near Sancerre, “there is no problem: I have five stations available within a radius of 20 kilometers».
Some users also wonder about the corrosive nature of E85. If the brands of conversion boxes want to be reassuring, the manufacturer’s warranty is suspended on all parts in contact with superethanol-85, as soon as the device is installed. The companies that sell these boxes are however forced by the regulations to guarantee all these parts to the user, to compensate for the loss of the manufacturer’s guarantee. Alexis Landrieu, Managing Director of Biomotors assures us: “There is no risk for the vehicle, the approved boxes have been tested by UTAC, an organization commissioned by the State».
Read alsoThe scheduled end of gasoline engines
Finally, one question remains: will the State take advantage of the enthusiasm around this biofuel to increase taxes on superethanol-85 and increase its tax revenues? The approach could appear politically dangerous, but it must be considered by consumers who would like to invest.
See also – Rising gasoline prices: Barbara Pompili asks distributors to “make a move by reducing their margins»