Analysis of the Differences in Comprehensive Operating Costs between Gas Vehicles and Diesel Heavy Trucks

In the cross-border trunk lines and mining and building materials logistics industries in Africa, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia, more and more fleets are struggling to choose gas trucks or traditional diesel tractors. There is a significant cost gap between the two types of vehicles in terms of early purchase, daily fuel consumption, maintenance consumables, long-term residual value, and other dimensions. Combining with local overseas oil products, supporting facilities, and emission regulations, the difference in operating costs between the two is comprehensively dismantled to provide real and practical vehicle selection references for overseas buyers. Firstly, there is the core fuel cost, which is also the biggest advantage of gas vehicles. In most overseas regions, the unit price of LNG procurement has been consistently lower than that of diesel, and there is no cost fluctuation caused by the significant increase in international crude oil prices. Under the same 430 horsepower 6 × 4 tractor head full load condition, diesel vehicles consume about 32 to 35 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers, and the unit price of diesel is about 40% higher than that of LNG fuel. Diesel vehicles operate 150000 kilometers per year, and their fuel expenses alone are tens of thousands of dollars higher than those of gas vehicles. At the same time, Euro 4 and above standard diesel vehicles must continue to purchase urea solution for exhaust gas treatment, and urea consumables increase the cost by thousands of dollars every year. Original LNG vehicles also require additional expenses Gas tractor only relies on three-way catalytic treatment of exhaust gas, without the need to add urea, directly saving this long-term fixed expenditure. Natural gas combustion is sufficient without carbon deposition, and there will be no situation where diesel vehicles block fuel injectors or DPF particulate filters due to high sulfur and inferior fuel. For countries with poor diesel quality such as Mali and Sierra Leone in Africa, gas trucks can avoid a large amount of hidden fuel loss costs and stabilize the monthly transportation expenses of the fleet. Secondly, there is the cost of vehicle maintenance consumables. Traditional diesel heavy-duty trucks have a wide range of precision parts, including fuel injectors, fuel filters, DPF filters, and SCR urea pipelines, which are high-frequency consumables. Local repair shops have high unit prices for repairing and replacing parts. Once the sulfur content of diesel exceeds the standard, it is easy to cause poisoning and scrapping of the post-treatment system, and the cost of repairing and replacing a single set of post-treatment is extremely high; On the other hand, LNG gas tractor engines have a simple structure, no complex diesel injection system, no urea post-treatment components, and only require regular replacement of gas filters and inspection of cylinder pipeline sealing. There are fewer basic maintenance items. Although gas trucks require regular replacement of spark plugs, the replacement cycle is long, the unit price of accessories is low, and the long-term comprehensive maintenance expenditure is reduced by more than 30% compared to diesel vehicles of the same horsepower. They are suitable for the maintenance conditions of simple repair factories in overseas towns and villages, and do not rely on professional precision maintenance equipment, greatly reducing the loss of downtime and waiting for vehicle maintenance. The third aspect is the comparison between the initial purchase and residual value costs. The all-new LNG gas tractor will be equipped with a large capacity double-layer vacuum insulated gas cylinder when it leaves the factory, and the purchase price of the whole vehicle will be slightly higher than that of a diesel locomotive with the same configuration. However, relying on the dual savings of fuel and maintenance, a fleet with a normal annual operation of over 100000 kilometers can recover the excess purchase price difference in 1 to 2 years, and the total cost of the vehicle's entire life cycle of 3 to 5 years is significantly lower than that of diesel vehicles;In terms of residual value in the circulation of second-hand cars, gas heavy-duty trucks in areas with complete gas supply facilities have a higher resale value, no carbon deposits, and no hidden risks of post-treatment failures. Second hand buyers have a higher acceptance rate. However, old diesel cars have a larger discount due to DPF blockage and urea system failure, making it more cost-effective for long-term operating fleets to choose gas vehicles. The fourth is the implicit cost difference in adapting to overseas markets. Many African countries implement the Euro4 new car access regulations, and the urea free EGR version LNG gas vehicle just meets the local customs clearance COC and SONCAP certification requirements. There is no problem of high emission restrictions or fines for diesel vehicles that fail exhaust testing; Diesel vehicles use local high sulfur diesel for a long time, which accelerates the wear and tear of brakes, oil circuits, and engines, and increases the frequency of tire and brake pad replacement, resulting in additional accessory procurement costs. On the other hand, gas engines burn more gently, causing less damage to the chassis and braking system, and have longer replacement cycles for tires and brake components, further reducing the implicit consumables expenses of the fleet. Finally, distinguish between two types of vehicle adaptation scenarios. For building materials and mining long-distance logistics fleets with stable gas sources and high annual transportation mileage, LNG gas tractors have outstanding comprehensive operating cost advantages and higher long-term operating profits; For remote areas with only short distance scattered construction sites and minimal gas filling facilities, diesel tractors can be given priority. Purchasing companies can combine target country fuel prices, gas filling station distribution, and annual transportation mileage to accurately match vehicle models and control the overall operating costs of the fleet. Manufacturers can customize Euro4 compliant LNG gas tractors according to local working conditions of customers, and provide a complete set of vulnerable spare parts for gas cylinders and engines, as well as remote after-sales maintenance guidance, to help overseas fleets maximize the compression of transportation expenses.