South Korea approves LPG self-refuelling bill, Autogas truck sales projected to rise

With the enactment of a bill allowing self-refuelling of LPG in South Korea, the industry projects that sales of Autogas trucks and fuel consumption will continue to rise. It is also expected that the new measure will lower prices. The bill is scheduled to take effect in November.

Recently, a partial revision bill of the "Liquefied Petroleum Gas Safety Management and Business Act" that allows self-refuelling of Autogas passed the National Assembly. Until now, unlike regular service stations, drivers could not self-refuel at LPG stations. Now, the revision allows drivers of Autogas vehicles to refuel themselves if the station meets specific criteria set by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy.

According to the Korea Automobile Mobility Industry Association (KAMA), sales of LPG models in the 1-tonne truck market last year totalled 64,574, surpassing not only diesel models (264) but also electric vehicle models (28,617). Currently, the LPG-powered trucks being sold in the market are the Hyundai Porter2 LPG and the Kia Bongo3 LPG.

The industry anticipates that once LPG self-refuelling begins, sales of 1-tonne truck LPG models will further increase. These vehicles are mainly used by self-employed individuals or delivery service providers, and refuelling will become possible without time constraints. It is worth mentioning that self-refuelling has been demanded by the taxi and freight industries.

An energy industry official commented, "although sales of LPG vehicles have not dramatically increased due to economic downturns affecting consumer sentiment, it is expected that sales of LPG trucks will rise once refuelling becomes easier."

Source: Chosun Biz

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