Things to know before converting your petrol vehicle to CNG

Things to know before converting your petrol vehicle to CNG

With the removal of petrol subsidy in Nigeria, vehicle owners are now forced to consider compressed natural gas (CNG) as a viable option to save them from the high cost of purchasing fuel.

On August 19, 2023, the government, led by President Bola Tinubu, launched the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) to help Nigerians make the switch.Through the PCNGI, they’ve been setting up CNG conversion centres across the country, making it easier to access, and even rolled out a “Transport Fare Drop Programme” to bring down commuting costs.

Few days ago, the federal government introduced a new website that allows users to convert their petrol-powered vehicles to compressed natural gas (CNG) and opt for a pay-later option for the conversion costs.

According to the statement by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) via its official X handle, the payment options let drivers convert their vehicles now and pay later through affordable monthly installments at competitive rates.

If you’re considering converting your vehicle, here are  things to keep in mind before making the switch to CNG:

Not all vehicles are suitable for conversion

While most petrol-powered vehicles can make the switch, not all engines are ideal for CNG. Passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, and some buses can be converted, but high-performance and older engines may need special consideration.

Generally, vehicles under 10 years old with modern systems are best suited for CNG, while high-powered or turbocharged engines might not be compatible.

Petrol-powered cars can be fully converted to run on CNG by adding a few key parts, like a storage cylinder, a pressure regulator, a CNG tank, and a heating system.

Diesel engines, on the other hand, work a bit differently; they can only partially switch to CNG, meaning they’ll run on a 50/50 mix of diesel and CNG rather than purely on CNG.