How much could you save
with CNG in Bolivia?

Calculate your savings with your own figures

Enter your monthly mileage and consumption of each fuel per 100 km. If you do not have those figures yet, start with the hypothetical example. Without a monthly additional cost figure, we show fuel savings only; without an upfront investment amount, we cannot calculate a payback period.

The result assumes prices, consumption and mileage stay constant. Update your inputs when those figures or your quote change. The calculator does not include interest, loan repayments or resale value.

Gasoline and CNG: compare the cost per kilometre

For October 2026, ANH resolution 0717/2026 sets the price of Gasolina Especial+ at Bs 6.96 per litre, including VAT. Resolution 0719/2026 keeps the retail CNG price at Bs 2.73 per m³ in both the national and Tarija price structures. These are the reference prices loaded into the calculator, checked on 11 October. Change them if you use a different product or a different price category applies to you.

The calculator uses the same price per litre for gasoline before and after conversion. If you would use a different gasoline product at a different price afterwards, you need to calculate that cost separately.

Include any gasoline you would still use after conversion. For example, Landi Renzo explains that its OMEGAS DIRECT system for direct-injection engines uses small amounts of gasoline even while running on gas. This works differently across systems: ask how the equipment proposed for your engine operates, and measure both fuels. If you do not know how much gasoline it would use, do not enter zero in its place.

A worked example: from fuel costs to monthly savings

Imagine a vehicle travelling 1,500 km a month. Before conversion, it uses 8 litres of gasoline per 100 km. Afterwards, it would use 9 m³ of CNG and 0.4 litres of gasoline over the same distance. These are assumptions used to explain the calculation; they do not represent typical consumption for a car, taxi or minibus.

Fuel savings alone would be Bs 424.89 a month: Bs 835.20 minus Bs 410.31. If you also set aside Bs 80 a month for additional expenses from using CNG, your savings fall to Bs 344.89 a month. Use that second figure to calculate how long it would take to recover your investment.

Leaving out the gasoline you would still use would overstate savings in this example by Bs 41.76 each month. Ignoring the additional expenses would add another Bs 80 in apparent savings. That is why we show the cost of both fuels separately from what you would save after expenses.

How many months would it take to recover the conversion cost?

Suppose you pay Bs 6,000 for conversion after confirmed support, and add Bs 300 in lost net earnings while your vehicle is off the road. Your upfront investment would be Bs 6,300. These amounts are hypothetical: they are neither a workshop quote nor an official conversion price.

Mileage makes a big difference. Keeping the same consumption figures, prices, Bs 80 in additional monthly expenses and Bs 6,300 investment gives these results:

In this example, the same conversion would pay for itself in less than a year at 3,000 km a month, but would take more than eight years at 500 km. How much you drive matters. Such a long payback period depends especially on prices and vehicle use staying constant; it is not a guarantee of savings over eight years.

Try a higher CNG consumption figure too. In the 1,500 km scenario, increasing consumption from 9 to 10.8 m³ per 100 km would reduce monthly savings after expenses to Bs 271.18 and extend payback to around 23.2 months. That 20% increase is a sensitivity test chosen for the example, rather than a guaranteed technical margin.

How to get consumption figures you can use

If you already use CNG, record odometer readings and quantities of both fuels over several refills. Compare periods with similar routes, vehicle loads and air conditioning use. Try to start and finish with similar fuel levels: buying a large quantity at the end of the period does not mean you have consumed it yet.

A single refill can be misleading. The US Department of Energy explains that the amount of gas a tank holds depends on factors such as temperature, filling speed and tank characteristics. The cylinder's nominal capacity alone cannot guarantee an exact driving range.

If you have not converted yet, ask the workshop for an estimate for your engine and the proposed equipment, including any additional gasoline consumption. Treat it as an estimate and try several scenarios in the calculator. Without a reasonable consumption figure, fuel prices alone are not enough to make the decision.

What to ask the workshop and which costs to include

For this calculation, you need the amount you would pay after confirmed support. The official CNG conversion website directs price enquiries to authorised workshops and describes private conversion options involving the purchase of a cylinder or kit. Its components table distinguishes coverage by conversion option and includes owner contributions in some cases. Ask for a dated written quote showing your final contribution and which support is confirmed.

1. 01
   Upfront investment: equipment, cylinder, labour, repairs needed for conversion and any administrative costs you would pay. If the quote already deducts support, do not subtract it again.
2. 02
   Time off the road: if your vehicle earns income, estimate lost earnings after deducting the expenses you would avoid on those days. Gross fare revenue is not the same as that loss.
3. 03
   Additional monthly expenses: include only costs that increase compared with staying on gasoline. You can spread a confirmed annual expense over 12 months. Do not count all of the vehicle's usual maintenance again.
4. 04
   Detours and refuelling time: the calculator compares the same distance on your usual journeys. If filling up with CNG requires extra detours, include their fuel cost in additional monthly expenses. If it also takes time away from work, estimate that loss in net earnings too. Count each cost only once.

The website's frequently asked questions recommend equipment maintenance once a year. Cylinder retesting is a separate service: check your documentation and the official procedure to find out what applies and how much you would pay. The calculator does not assume a universal cost or interval.

For a gasoline vehicle, return to the calculator with your vehicle's consumption figures, a quote showing your final contribution and your monthly mileage. Try a typical month and one with less driving. Compare the payback period with how long you plan to keep the vehicle, and check how much you would still save in the month with lower mileage.

If your vehicle uses diesel or you want to apply through Patria

On 7 October 2026, the Ministry of Public Works reported the inspection of a minibus converted from diesel to CNG in Santa Cruz. This is a concrete step forward for Patria, but the release does not provide comparable consumption figures for calculating savings for your vehicle.

A diesel engine needs its own assessment. Some vehicles are converted to run on gas, while other systems continue using diesel alongside natural gas; the Department of Energy distinguishes these configurations. Ask which setup the workshop proposes and account for every fuel the vehicle would still use. The gasoline consumption figures in this example cannot represent a diesel minibus.

DS 5726 brings conversion, cylinder services, diesel conversion and vehicle renewal financing together under Patria. Vehicle-purchase financing is intended for public transport, with its conditions left to the regulations. The decree does not provide an interest rate, term or repayment formula that we could load into this calculator.

If your decision involves a loan, ask for the full offer and compare repayments, interest and charges with your business cash flow. This calculator shows simple payback for an upfront cash investment; it does not determine programme eligibility or calculate its repayments.