Cheap, clean, ignored: Dacia’s LPG mystery in the UK

In a revelation as baffling as why tea isn't served at every British meal, Dacia CEO Denis Le Vot is scratching his head over the UK’s lukewarm embrace of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cars. The fuel, beloved in other corners of Europe, is cheap, clean, and available — yet Brits seem to prefer their cars strictly petrol-powered.

Speaking to Autocar, Le Vot expressed genuine bewilderment at the UK’s aversion to LPG, especially considering its reputation for being a cost-savvy option. “British buyers are supposed to be super pragmatic,” he said, almost pleading for someone to explain why the maths just isn’t mathing for UK drivers.

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For context, LPG is usually about a third cheaper per litre than petrol. But while nations like Italy see nearly half their Dacia sales decked out with LPG, Britain’s numbers tell a different story. Dacia managed to sell just over 1,000 bi-fuel Sanderos and Dusters in the UK by October. That’s a significant drop from the nearly 4,000 LPG cars sold in 2022 and a modest 2,700 for the entire 2023.

It’s not that the infrastructure doesn’t exist — although the UK’s LPG pump network has shrunk to a quarter of its peak in the 2000s. And it’s not a cost issue either. Dacia doesn’t charge extra for its bi-fuel models, so it’s essentially a free bonus for savvy buyers. Yet, the UK market remains stubbornly indifferent, leaving Le Vot to ponder whether pragmatism is really as British as warm beer.

Gallery: 2024 Dacia Sandero (UK spec)

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Still, Le Vot isn’t ready to pull the plug on LPG in the UK just yet, insisting it "would be a mistake to do so." He’s betting that eventually, pragmatism will prevail, even if it takes the government’s ZEV (zero-emission vehicle) mandate revisions to light a fire under reluctant car buyers.

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But while Dacia might be battling for LPG loyalty in the UK, the company is charging ahead with electrification. An electric version of the Sandero is pencilled in for a 2027 release, with EV variants of the Jogger and Duster to follow. The Spring, Dacia’s first EV built in China, is already on the market, though potential tariffs could complicate its future in Europe.

Speaking to Autocar, Le Vot also took a swipe at Chinese carmakers, whose well-equipped but aggressively priced EVs could challenge Dacia's dominance. "Wildly overspecced cars" with bells and whistles, he suggested, could struggle to find footing when production shifts to Europe. His strategy? Stick to the basics. “It’s very hard [to compete], but you just have to be stubborn,” he quipped.

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