Diesel discontinued one ton truck..Over 100,000 LPG units in a year
Feb 16, 2025
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According to the Korea Automobile Mobility Industry Association (KAMA), LPG models and electric models accounted for 84:16 in the one-ton truck market last year (2024), overwhelmingly selling LPG models. Since diesel trucks were discontinued due to the strengthening of environmental regulations, LPG trucks have successfully settled in the market with favorable reviews in terms of performance and economy.Between January and December 24, the company sold 92,038 units of the Porter and Bongo LPG models. The sales of the Porter and Bongo EVs were only 17,228 units.
Improved performance is cited as a success factor for the LPG 1-ton truck. It is the first in Korea to be equipped with an LPG direct injection (LPDi) engine to provide a maximum power of 159 horsepower, which is higher than the existing diesel engine (135 horsepower). This is evaluated to have completely dispelled the existing prejudice against LPG vehicles, which are "weak in strength." After the fuel is fully charged, the driving distance is 488 kilometers automatically and 525 kilometers manually, which is long, and the charging time is about 3 minutes short. Unlike diesel cars, there is no need for the number of elements injected into the exhaust gas reduction device (SCR).
LPG 1-ton truck number of units sold by model (source: Hyundai Motor, Kia)
Environment is also noteworthy. The LPG one-ton truck has only 4% of the North American emission regulation SULEV30 (Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle) regulations, and carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by 8% compared to conventional diesel engines. 100,000 units are sold, which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 160,000 tons and nitrogen oxides by 1.06 million tons every year when driving 10,000 kilometers per year.
The number of LPG cars registered also reversed its upward trend, thanks to strong sales of 1-ton trucks. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's automobile registration statistics, the total number of LPG cars registered in Korea was 1,861,402 as of the end of December last year, up 15,812 from the end of 2023. It is the first time in 14 years that the number of registered LPG vehicles has increased on an annual basis since peaking at 2.46 million units in 2010.
The LPG industry is striving to expand charging infrastructure in preparation for the increasing demand for LPG vehicles. There are 1,915 LPG charging stations for automobiles nationwide. As the number of LPG vehicles registered has decreased, the number of charging stations has not increased and is stagnating. The industry is pushing for the introduction of self-charging to increase the convenience and economy of drivers, and is in talks with the government on the introduction of simple charging to eliminate the marginalized areas of charging infrastructure.
LPG trucks have a long mileage and improved output after one charge, so many long-distance operators are satisfied, said Yang Hee-myeong, chairman of the National Association of Small Car Transportation Business. "We expect low maintenance costs to help operators make ends meet."
The LPG direct injection truck has been a result of the industry-academic cooperation technology development project that has been steadily carried out since 2011, said Lee Ho-joong, president of the Korea LPG Association. "We will continue to make efforts to increase the satisfaction of LPG car consumers, such as expanding charging infrastructure and developing vehicle technology."
Editor Kim Tae-jin, tj.kim@carguy.kr
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
