This underestimated alternative to electric cars could play an important role in the mobility revolution
If the german auto industry, the federal government and the european union have their way, e-cars and hybrids will have won the race against other alternative drive systems. Synthetic fuels are not yet ready for the market, and hydrogen cars are too expensive for the time being But emission levels urgently need to come down. However, one alternative fuel is often overlooked, and manufacturers such as the volkswagen group and fiat are also relying on it: natural gas.
Although the gas mixture, which consists largely of methane, is also a fossil fuel, it is not a fuel that can be used as a source of energy. However, it combines the best characteristics of diesel and gasoline without their disadvantages: comparable to compression-ignition engines, natural gas cars emit relatively little CO2 similar to gasoline engines, the combustion process produces around 90 percent less nitrogen oxides (nox). In addition, natural gas cars produce around 40 percent less particulate matter than conventional burners. The fuel is 30 percent cheaper than diesel and 50 percent cheaper than gasoline.
The natural gas drive is technologically mature and marketable
Seat when it comes to range, natural gas cars don’t need to hide from traditional burners either. CNG (compressed natural gas) vehicles can travel between 300 and 450 kilometers, but most models are equipped with an additional gasoline tank that significantly increases the range. The seat leon TGI, for example, can travel around 310 kilometers on natural gas, but a 50-liter gasoline tank will take the compact car a further 720 kilometers. Makes a total range of 1.030 kilometers, which means that even long distances are no longer a problem.
Natural gas technology is not only mature, but also marketable. There are currently 19 natural gas passenger car models available for sale in germany, mainly from volkswagen (VW, seat, skoda, audi) and fiat. By way of comparison, there are currently 26 electric car models on the market, and 35 full hybrid models.
In contrast to e-cars and hybrids, however, the price premium for CNG models is significantly lower. The seat leon TGI, for example, costs just under 600 euros more than the entry-level diesel version, while the audi A3 G-tron costs 1 euro more.000 euros, in the case of the skoda octavia station wagon G-tec around 1.600 euro extra. VW fans, on the other hand, have to dig deeper into their pockets: For the golf and polo TGI, around 6.000 euro surcharge compared to the diesel or gasoline model due.
So far, the choice seems to have left customers cold. According to figures from the German Federal Motor Transport Authority, in 2018 just around 80.000 natural gas cars on the road in germany. That is 0.2 percent of all registered passenger cars in germany.
The natural gas car can only slightly reduce CO2 emissions
„CNG and LNG for vehicles and ships – the facts", transport& environment 2018
This is probably mainly due to the sufficient, but not exactly abundant, network of filling stations. According to figures from the German Petroleum Industry Association, there are around 850 natural gas filling stations in Germany. In metropolitan areas and mid-sized cities, refueling is somewhat inconvenient, but feasible. The website "gibgas.De" about 15 CNG stations in berlin, 14 in hamburg and twelve in munich. In rural areas, on the other hand, natural gas refueling is much more difficult. In the munich area, for example, according to a "focus" driving report a quick 20-kilometer detour is required to find the nearest CNG filling station.
According to the study "CNG and LNG for vehicles and ships- the facts" of the environmental association transport& The days of fossil fuels are numbered anyway. Gasoline hybrids emit on average 24 percent less CO2 than CNG models, if natural gas emissions during transport are taken into account. If pure natural gas enters the atmosphere, it acts as a powerful greenhouse gas.
Even if the number of natural gas cars were to increase dramatically in the coming years, this would hardly have a positive impact on greenhouse gas emissions, according to the study authors. Assuming that the share of natural gas cars would grow to five percent in 2020, ten percent in 2025, and 30 percent in 2030, CO2 emissions from the transport sector would be reduced by just 5 percent, according to transport& environment to fall by just 1.5 percent. But the EU’s climate targets call for a reduction of around 38 percent. The natural gas car therefore has no role to play in the mobility revolution.
Natural gas car as the only option, vehicle class under 20.000 euros
VW
Michael bargende, head of the institute for internal combustion engines and motor vehicles at the university of stuttgart, sharply disagrees with the study: "the emissions of today’s natural gas vehicles are still suboptimal, because the low volumes make it expensive to optimize the technology.“ as soon as sales of CNG models increase, CO2 emissions can also be reduced of the engines will be further reduced.
„CNG propulsion is one of the very few ways to keep the vehicle class below 20.000 euros. A purely electric small car like the E.Go has a range of 150 kilometers. This means that the vehicle competes more with local public transport than with the advantages of individual mobility", according to the expert.
The decision to buy a car would not be made on the basis of journeys of less than 40 kilometers, but on the basis of journeys longer than 40 kilometers. However, plug-in hybrids or e-cars with a longer range would still be available in 2030 for more than 20.000 euros. In addition, it will not be possible to provide sufficient charging infrastructure for residents of multi-storey residential buildings, as parking spaces in urban areas are limited. „Ultimately, the question is how to maintain individual mobility for low-income groups without jeopardizing climate targets. The natural gas car is one of the very few options here", so bargende.
In order to implement the EU’s decision, car manufacturers would need vehicles with lower certified CO2 emissions to compensate for the higher emissions of other vehicle classes. „Unlike small cars, it is not a problem to sell large cars as plug-in hybrids or with battery-electric drive systems. in 2030, large heavy SUVs will subsidize inexpensive small cars. On the road to climate-neutral transportation, the natural gas car is therefore at least a bridging technology.“