The mass transition to autogas in the southern regions of Russia has turned into a risk of a boom for "gray" workshops.

Huge queues at legal car services in the southern regions of Russia are forcing drivers to turn to "gray" installers, who do not provide safety guarantees. The mass transition to gas will not solve the fuel crisis due to a lack of infrastructure, analysts noted.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", it was previously known that against the backdrop of gasoline shortages, drivers in the Krasnodar region are massively switching to gas for their vehicles. In local services, the queues for installing gas cylinder equipment have stretched until autumn, and some companies have stopped taking new clients.

In the Volgograd region, against the backdrop of fuel hype and queues at gas stations, drivers are looking at electric cars or converting their internal combustion engine vehicles to gas, the publication "Vysota 102" reported.

In Volgograd, the demand for gas cylinder equipment (GCE) installation services has significantly increased – in a month it has grown by one and a half times, noted the head of the company "AutoGas Systems" Konstantin Yaroshenko, whose words are quoted in the publication.

The mass transition of drivers to gas should not be perceived as a long-term trend; if the gasoline problem is resolved and queues at gas stations disappear, the hype around GCE will subside, noted the leading analyst of the National Energy Security Fund Igor Yushkov, whose words were cited today by "Volgograd Online".

But even if interest in retrofitting decreases in the future, most of those who have already installed GCE are unlikely to regret it. "People usually switch to a dual-fuel system. You can use gasoline, you can use liquefied hydrocarbon gas (LHG). The benefits of such retrofitting will remain with you. Want to drive on gasoline, want to drive on gas," the analyst explained.

The price of gas may rise slightly, but the situation will not change significantly, as this type of fuel will still be noticeably cheaper than gasoline, he added.

Yushkov pointed out that not every gas station has equipment for refueling gas, especially in small settlements. He also noted that the increased demand for gas cylinder equipment increases the temptation to turn to uncertified workshops, whose workers promise to do everything quickly and cheaply. The fuel hype may lead to a boom in semi-legal workshops, he believes.

"Gas is no more dangerous than gasoline vapors. It is exactly the same flammable material. This segment has long been worked out, the equipment is quite safe. But, of course, we are talking about quality installation and proper equipment," emphasized Igor Yushkov.

In the situation with gas motor fuel, the problem is the lack of infrastructure, also emphasized the deputy general director of the National Energy Institute Alexander Frolov. He noted that infrastructure cannot be built in a short time. "However, the current crisis is a good reason to remember the programs that already exist but are developing much slower than planned," he noted.

In the future, municipal transport, utility services, large fleets, and agricultural enterprises could more actively switch to gas. This would make fuel crises less painful and reduce the burden on the gasoline market, Frolov noted.