The federal government here has offered some relief from high petrol prices with a rebate on new vehicle LPG installations.
LPG conversions cost between $2,300 for a mixer type installation, to $4,500 for the direct injection type of installation. The rebate is $2,000 for a conversion, and $1,000 off the purchase price of a new vehicle offered by the manufacturer with LPG as standard.
LPG has no excise in Oz, so it costs around 55 cents per litre, compared to $1.30 per litre for 95 RON unleaded.
Shame they didn't just reduce the excise on petrol, but governments tend to get hooked on revenues from fuel and can't seem to get off them. Petrol is taxed by both Federal and State governments here, so it's the double whammy.
So my question is, what happens elsewhere?
I know that in mainland Europe, there are similar tax concessions on LPG, but most underground carparks refuse entry to LPG vehicles, which really kills the idea. Ridiculous really, because a well installed and regularly maintained system is as safe as anything else. I had it on my 4x4 for nearly five years and saved a heap. Before this latest wave of hikes, I would be paying something like $27 for a full tank. Ford has had a factory LPG option on its local Falcon product for a few years, and Holden (the local GM product) now also have a factory LPG option on its Commodore models. These are both family sixes.
