Autoblog UK

2. Which vehicles can run on natural gas? What does a conversion cost?

According to the German motoring association ADAC, natural gas can be used in a petrol engine once the engine settings have been modified. Citroen, Fiat, Ford, Mercedes, Opel, Peugeot, Renault, Volvo and VW all currently offer natural gas production cars for sale. Depending on the model, they cost between €2,700 and €4,100 more than the equivalent petrol model. A retrospective conversion costs between €2,500 and €4,500. In this case, a large volume tank needs to be fitted, usually in the interior of the car or the boot, which restricts the usable space. The systems are usually of a bivalent design so that while driving you can change from petrol to gas and back again at the flick of a switch.

3. Where can I refuel a natural gas car?

According to the ADAC, the current German network of 760 filling stations does not provide comprehensive coverage, added to which, no more than three quarters of the natural gas filling stations are open to the public. The remainder are operated by regional energy providers and public utility companies and in some cases are situated away from normal major roads and have limited opening times. The network of filling stations was due to grow to 1,000 by the end of 2008, so that drivers in urban areas should be able to find a filling station every five kilometres or at least within a maximum distance of 25 kilometres. Outside Germany, only northern Italy and Switzerland so far have a relatively good network of filling stations. So as a general rule, you need to check out where you can refuel before setting out on a journey. In addition, you cannot always rely on the filling stations in these countries having a NGV1 connector (which is standard in Germany). It is therefore recommended that you take the relevant adapter with you.

4. Is it cheaper to use natural gas than petrol?

In order to be able to make a comparison with petrol and diesel, one has to take into consideration the differing energy contents. A kilo of the most commonly sold high-caloric natural gas (H-gas) has an energy content of roughly 13.0 kWh, a litre of diesel has 9.84 kWh and a litre of super petrol 8.88 kWh. This means that a kilo of natural gas contains roughly the same amount of energy as 1.3 litres of diesel or 1.5 litres of petrol. If a kilo of natural gas costs €0.85, it is therefore the equivalent of a litre of super petrol costing €0.57. It is not always economical to purchase or convert a car to natural gas, even though, in accordance with the new German Energy Tax Act (EnergieStG), the price of natural gas benefits from a reduced tax rate until 31st December 2018.

5. Is natural gas more environmentally friendly?

Generally speaking, burning natural gas produces fewer harmful emissions than petrol, and definitely fewer than diesel. However, the degree to which it reduces pollution depends less on the natural gas and its composition and much more on the engine and drive concept. In ADAC's eco tests, the comparative measurements taken of the emissions produced by gas, petrol and diesel engines in a Volvo V70 showed in particular that the proportion of nitrogen oxide (NOx) produced by a gas engine is significantly lower than from a diesel engine. The proportion of hydrocarbons (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) is also lower when compared to diesel. As is also the case in petrol engines, particle emissions are not detectable; but on the other hand, gas engines show a slight advantage over petrol engines when it comes to CO, though the proportion of NOx and HC is slightly higher. But the greatest plus point of the natural-gas-powered Volvo is its reduction in the greenhouse gas CO2 – 21 percent lower than petrol propulsion and 3.5 percent lower than the diesel version. (Source: ADAC)