Lada Vesta CNG is already on sale. — magazine Behind the Wheel

Installation of methane gas equipment on Lada Vesta SW Cross/Lada Vesta SW Cross 2018 year of manufacture, VAZ-21129 engine, gasoline, 4-cylinder, volume 1.6 l, power 106 hp. The 4th generation BRC Sequent 32 (Italy) gas equipment is installed, the cylinder part consists of two all-metal gas cylinders (type 1) of 39 l/9 m3 each, placed in a specially made mount in the niche for the spare wheel, and a lightweight metal-plastic cylinder (type 2) with a volume of 90 l/21 m3, located in the trunk of the car behind the back of the rear seat. All cylinders are equipped with valves with fire and shut-off solenoid valves. The indication of the fuel level (gas pressure) in the gas cylinder is displayed on the LPG control button in the vehicle interior, the filling device (VZU) is located in the engine compartment.

Find out the price of this installation

A set of documents was also issued for registering gas equipment with the traffic police. The car is operated in Yekaterinburg and the Sverdlovsk region and participates in the EcoCity program with compensation to the owner for the cost of installing gas equipment in the amount of 65,000 rubles.

Lada Vesta SW Cross 2022 model year, VAZ-21129 engine, gasoline, 4-cylinder, 1.6 l, 106 hp.

Back view

Luggage compartment of the Lada Vesta SW Cross / Lada Vesta SW Cross with two all-metal gas cylinders (type 1) of 39 l/9 m3 each in a specially made mount in the niche for the spare wheel and a lightweight metal-plastic cylinder (type 2) with a volume of 90 l/21 m3 for rear seat back

View of methane cylinders from the passenger compartment with the rear seat lowered, cylinder valves with fire and shut-off solenoid valves

Lada Vesta SW Cross, front view

Engine VAZ-21129, 1.6 l, 106 hp, LPG BRC Sequent 32

VZU for filling with methane under the hood

Salon

BRC gas control button with indication of the level of natural gas in cylinders

LADA Vesta CNG

But the trunk has become significantly smaller: the cylinder is installed behind the rear seats and covered with a plastic casing. The filling fitting is located under the gas tank flap - next to the filler neck.

AVTOVAZ’s partner in this project is AVTOVAZ, which specializes in converting gasoline cars into bi-fuel ones. It has the necessary production capacity for serial production of the dual-fuel Vesta.

Methane Lada Vesta CNG: plus 30 thousand rubles

Today dealers began accepting orders for Lada Vesta CNG sedans with equipment for running on compressed methane. And in Moscow, one copy of such Vesta was transferred for operation to the Ministry of Energy. By the way, last year an experienced UAZ Patriot with similar equipment worked at the Ministry - and brought savings of 42% on fuel in monetary terms.

Fears that methane-fuelled Vesta would be extremely expensive were not justified. The increase in price for end buyers, compared to purely gasoline sedans, will be only 30 thousand rubles: the basic Vesta CNG in the Classic+Start configuration (two airbags, air conditioning, heated mirrors and front seats) costs 601 thousand rubles versus 571 thousand for a gasoline one car. And the most expensive dual-fuel Vesta will cost 716 thousand.

Miracles? No, it’s a matter of government support: AvtoVAZ and the Togliatti company GC ATS, which installs gas equipment on Vesta, receive compensation of 140 thousand rubles for each car sold. That is, the real price of the alteration is 170 thousand! The equipment set includes an Italian gearbox, nozzles and a filling fitting, as well as a Chinese steel cylinder with a composite winding with a capacity of 90 liters. The cylinder is installed behind the rear seat and separated from the trunk by a neat plastic casing. Part of the compartment volume, of course, is eaten up, but the gearbox and fuel rail are maintenance-free, the cylinder life is 15 years, and the replacement of a cheap gas line filter is timed to scheduled maintenance.

Cover in the trunk, under which the gas cylinder is located

The losses in impact are small: the power of Vesta CNG with a VAZ-21129 engine (1.6 l) when running on methane is reduced from 106 to 96 hp, torque - from 148 to 135 Nm. But the engine resource increases due to the fact that the gas does not wash away the oil from the cylinder walls and does not form deposits. The standard 55-liter gas tank has been retained, so the car can also be operated on gasoline. Because the main problem of the spread of methane cars in Russia is still relevant: this is the poorly developed network of CNG filling stations (Automobile Gas Filling Compressor Stations).

A button for switching between two types of fuel has appeared next to the emergency signal button.

Now there are just over 300 of them throughout Russia, and another 60 are under construction. But in addition to state-owned CNG filling stations, there are also private gas stations. Especially in regions where compressed natural gas vehicles are popular: the south of Russia, Tatarstan, Bashkiria and a number of other regions. But in Moscow and the Moscow region there are still only eight CNG filling stations, and in the near future their number will not exceed twenty.

With the dual-fuel Vesta, AvtoVAZ is primarily counting on corporate sales to taxi companies and government agencies. But private owners can also order a car. This year Tolyatti residents plan to sell about 600 sedans, the forecast for the future is approximately 1200-2500 cars per year. Next year, the release of Lada Largus CNG station wagons and vans is planned, the demand for which should be stronger. And Gazprom services expect methane SUVs Lada 4x4 CNG. Moreover, the fund of state subsidies for methane cars is still unlimited.

LADA Vesta CNG

This year they should make about 600 cars, which they plan to sell mainly to corporate clients. Warranty conditions, frequency and cost of maintenance are the same as for a regular Vesta.

The prices are already known. If Vesta 1.6 in the Classic+Start version costs 570 900

rubles, then the CNG version is
600,900 rubles
. Meanwhile, re-equipping a car at the factory costs 170,000 rubles. Of these costs, the state compensates the manufacturer for 140,000 rubles, so the end consumer overpays only 30,000 rubles, which can be “recovered” quite quickly with active use.

Gas savings and payback period

The achievement of payback > 63,000 rubles is highlighted in green. Average gasoline consumption of this car Lada Vesta SW Cross 2022 = 7.9 l/100 km Average gas consumption (methane) = 7.9 m3/100 km Cylinder(s) with a total hydraulic volume of 168 l hold 40 m3 of methane. Range on methane = 506.3

km The cost of fully filling a cylinder(s) with methane is
800
rubles.
Cost of 1 km on methane = 1.58
rubles (at a methane price of 20 rubles per 1 m3) Cost of 1 km on gasoline =
4.03
rubles (2.6 times more expensive than methane)

LADA Vesta CNG

Vesta CNG Comfort is priced at 628,900 rubles

, Vesta CNG Lux - 691,900
rubles
, and Vesta CNG Luxe + MMS -
715,900 rubles
. Dealers are already accepting orders for the new modification of Vesta.

The market is really looking forward to the biofuel Largus, which was discussed today by the Ministry of Energy. The bi-fuel Lada 4x4 will also find demand. But it will only reach Largus CNG next year. When it will be the turn of the Lada 4x4, as well as the Grants, is still unknown.

The main problem in the development of the market for compressed gas vehicles is a weak network of gas stations: just over 300 CNG filling stations throughout the country! According to the plans of oil and gas companies, about 50 additional gas filling infrastructure facilities will be built and reconstructed this year. According to forecasts by the Russian Ministry of Energy, by 2022 the number of CNG filling stations in the country should increase by 500 units (compared to 2013). In Moscow, for example, there are only four CNG filling stations - and all are located on the Moscow Ring Road. Don't run over to refuel...

Lada Vesta CNG (gasoline + compressed gas) went into production

Cost of installing LPG on Lada Vesta SW Cross 2022

according to the current price list

BRC 4-cyl methane:	41000 rub.
Cylinder (type 1) 39 l:	15000 rub.
Cylinder (type 1) 39 l:	15000 rub.
Cylinder (type 2) 90 l:	44000 rub.
Mounting for cylinders:	8000 rub.
Balloon valve:	3000 rub
Balloon valve:	5000 rub
Balloon valve:	5000 rub
Gas level sensor:	2500 rub.
TOTAL:	RUB 138,500
—————————————-
Promotion! HBO methane on 4-cyl. engine with 100 l cylinder :	63000 rub

Promotion from Gazprom for legal entities!

Payment for advertising a car with gas gas methane 65,000 rubles quarterly payments for 1 year

Advantages and disadvantages of gas cylinder equipment

Lada Vesta CNG Production of Lada Vesta on gas fuel is carried out at the same plant as the gasoline sedan. The car has undergone modernization of the engine, intake and exhaust systems. Otherwise the design remains the same. Methane is used as natural gas. It is less dangerous than other types of gas. Installing LPG on the Lada Vesta allowed the new product to gain a number of advantages over the gasoline version:

monetary savings (the cost of one kilometer on gas is 3 times cheaper than the same distance on gasoline);
a car with a dual-fuel engine is capable of covering a distance of 1000 km without refueling;
CO2 emissions from an engine running on methane fuel are minimal;
The service life of the engine with installed gas equipment in the Lada Vesta increases.

How to fill a car with gas

Refueling Vesta with gas equipment from the factory is not difficult. A special filling nipple is located next to the neck of the gas tank under an enlarged cap. The 90-liter cylinder is located in the luggage compartment just behind the rear seats. The volume of the gasoline tank remains the same - 55 liters.

The engine is always started on gasoline fuel, then switches to gas. The driver can independently switch the operating principle of the engine while driving using a special switch in the cabin.

Engine and gas tank Lada Vesta CNG

Gas fuel has always been considered more dangerous to use than gasoline. The developers of the Lada Vesta CNG fuel system took this fact into account and made it practically safe by installing a sufficient number of gas leakage or cylinder depressurization sensors. If such problems occur, the gas supply is immediately stopped.

Self-installation of HBO

Owners of Lada Vesta can install gas equipment on a regular sedan themselves. The average price of this service in specialized service locations is about 30 thousand rubles. Many car enthusiasts who do not have the opportunity to purchase a factory version of the Lada Vesta with LPG will do just that. But when purchasing a Lada Vesta CNG, the buyer receives a car that has passed certification, as well as various tests, including crash tests.

The factory version of the gas Lada has a significant advantage in reliability and safety. All features of its dual-fuel system are indicated in the vehicle’s passport, which makes it easier to register.

Pros and cons of switching Lada Vesta to LPG

The advantages of this improvement include the following:

Saving money due to low prices for gas fuel.
Increased engine service life, since gas mixtures are the most suitable for use in internal combustion engines and do not leave harmful deposits during operation.
Environmental safety of gas fuel.
Due to the hybrid installation, the car's power reserve increases, which allows you to travel long distances without fear of stalling in some sparsely populated area due to lack of fuel.
The engine runs quieter and smoother.
Gas is safer than gasoline in the event of an accident.

There are also disadvantages to HBO, and they are expressed in the following:

When switching to gas, the car loses some of its power. This is not very noticeable in urban conditions, but becomes more obvious when hitting the highway.
The gas cylinder takes up a lot of space, and since Vesta is not an SUV and does not have a large trunk, this minus will be felt quite seriously, although not critically.
Owners of cars with gas equipment installed on them may have problems with parking. This may happen due to the fact that some underground parking lots prohibit owners of such cars from entering their territory.
Some cities do not have a sufficient number of gas stations that would allow you to comfortably refuel your vehicle with the necessary type of fuel.

You might be interested in >> Installing LPG on a diesel engine

Read more about the pros and cons of installing gas equipment on a car.

Use of gas fuel on other models

Today, you can only buy a gas-powered AvtoVAZ model in a sedan body. Sales of thousands of such cars are planned for 2022. In the future, the Togliatti concern will expand its range of dual-fuel vehicles. It is still unknown what type of body will be awarded the ability to use two types of fuel.

By the end of this year, AvtoVAZ plans to begin production of a new five-door SW and SW Cross body. And next year the release of a new Lada Vesta hatchback is possible. There is no official data yet on the installation of a gas-cylinder device on future VAZ models. And whether a new version will appear depends on the success of sales of gas-powered sedans.

My little car VESTA ST. I drive constantly in city traffic and with constant traffic jams. Gasoline consumption was very frustrating, especially in winter. Installed HBO. Now I don't care much about gas mileage. This is my third gas-powered car. I can’t say anything bad about gas, because none of my previous cars had problems for this reason. But I don’t want to talk about gas. And about the order in the luggage compartment.

When the cylinder is installed in the spare wheel well, the 15-inch spare wheel is extremely in the way in the trunk and can only be carried lying on the floor, and without it it is difficult and scary to move anywhere. I read the Internet. I came across an article on a similar topic to Drive2. A man wrote about installing 14-inch wheels on Largus. The 14-inch one stands upright under the curtain. I decided to experiment. The price of the experiment turned out to be 2200. Disc 4*100 ET43 DIA60.1 P14 1400 and a used summer tire at a tire shop for 700, and installation.

The only problem is the speed limit when using this spare tire. It is better to travel no more than 60 km (I think so). The difference in diameters cannot pass without a trace. But the trunk is now in order, there’s a lot of usable space. This is how it happened for me. Perhaps my solution will be useful to someone else.

Key words: trunk of Lada Vesta

Equipment and prices for the new Lada Vesta model

Lada Vesta CNG - this is the name of the AvtoVAZ model, is available in a sedan body and corresponds to the overall dimensions of the gasoline version. The release date for the Lada Vesta CNG was set for early June 2022. And the start of sales of the new modification took place a month later.

The equipment of a dual-fuel car is somewhat different from the equipment of the gasoline version. A 1.6-liter engine paired with a manual transmission was chosen as the power unit. The basic equipment corresponds to the Classic package with an additional package of Start options, where the basic safety systems and comfort equipment are already installed:

ABS, ESC, HSA, EBD, TCS systems;
airbags for driver and front passenger;
ERA-GLONASS;
air conditioner;
immobilizer and alarm system;
on-board computer;
front power windows;
heated first row seats;
audio preparation and others.

Such generous equipment will cost the buyer 600 thousand rubles. The cost of the Lada Vesta CNG in the maximum Lux Multimedia configuration will be 715 thousand rubles.