CNG NEWS

CNG NEWS >> International >> OEM Vehicles and Engines Hot Topic on Strasbourg Agenda

OEM Vehicles and Engines Hot Topic on Strasbourg Agenda

Thursday, 21 June 2007

France, Strasbourg

OEMs across the range of light and heavy duty vehicles dominated proceedings on Day 2 of the ENGVA Annual Conference and Exhibition in Strasbourg today. With more than 65 models from 22 manufacturers, Europeans are arguably the ‘most spoilt’ for OEM natural gas vehicles (NGVs). While NGVs are still a relatively minor segment for most OEMs, one message that remained consistent throughout was that manufacturers take the segment seriously with outstanding innovations arising from this commitment.

Blessed with a growing network of refueling stations throughout Europe, the commercial drivers in place are such that the NGV field has gone beyond the technology proving stages and into the commercially competitive stage.

Hans Wach, of GasMobil Switzerland, told delegates that even the development of commercial prototypes has become competitive, with manufacturers scrambling for opportunities to work with GasMobil on producing prototypes to generate more interest. The GasMobil approach is to make NGVs ‘sexy’, producing vehicles that perform and look good to meet the requirements of the discerning Swiss market. Turbocharged engines are a clear favourite for GasMobil’s target market, leading the company to produce prototypes in association with Opel and VW for exposure at the prestigious Geneva Auto Salon.

Wach says that with passenger vehicles now reasonably well provided, the major gap emerging in Switzerland is with cargo vehicles, claiming that orders in their hundreds could easily be obtained. Wach has his sights set on Fiat’s Ducato and VWs Kombi being made available with natural gas engines on the Swiss market.

Panel discussions in two separate sessions on light duty and heavy duty vehicles heard from manufacturers on the availability of product, as well as the challenges of bringing the vehicles to market. Representatives from Cummins Westport, Ekobus, Hardstaff Group, Irisbus, Iveco, Ford/CNG Technik, Fiat and Renault were all consistent in their message – product is available subject to market demand.

One notable exception from the panel though was Volvo Cars, who are expected to discontinue production of their popular bi-fuel range later this year, despite measurable growth and the expectations that the company could have sold 6,000 units this year alone. Volvo Car’s withdrawal has been met with considerable disappointment from end users, particularly in Volvo’s home turf of Sweden. Also on the panel was Mats Ekelund, Chairman of the Board of Taxi Stockholm, voted “the best taxi operator in the world” by the Financial Times.

With 84 biomethane fueled vehicles, the Volvo bi-fuel was a key vehicle in their fleet, leading the organization to lobby DaimlerChrysler for the production of their Mercedes NGT 200 as a taxi to fill the gap. Initially reluctant to produce the NGT as a taxi, a commitment from Taxi Stockholm to order 50 vehicles, along with some favorable publicity for the NGT, was enough to spur DaimlerChrysler to produce an initial batch of 50. Ekelund says that the exercise has also been helpful in encouraging DaimlerChyrsler to ‘not postpone’ the introduction of their proposed natural gas powered B Series.

One key message arising from the presentations and discussions was that natural gas vehicles aren’t just what end users want – user demand has now evolved to the point that vehicle and fleet owners don’t just want a natural gas vehicle, they want one that meets their particular specifications, whether they be turbocharging, automatic transmissions, front wheel drive, or whatever.

Heavy vehicles

Meanwhile on the heavy-duty vehicle front, the complexity of so called ‘clean diesel’ engines is proving a boon for natural gas engines, with increased costs, lower fuel efficiencies and increased greenhouse gas emissions of diesel engines and exhaust treatments reducing the differential of natural gas and diesel engines. While diesel engines are barely scraping in on meeting Euro and US emissions standards, natural gas engines are already coming to market that meet 2010 standards. Cummins Westport’s new 9 litre ISL engine goes into production next month, with the first engines due for delivery to Orange County Transit in California. Upcoming Euro VI standards are expected to advantage natural gas engines further.

Green Dividend

Trevor Fletcher, Managing Director of the Hardstaff Group in the UK, who operates a 200 truck fleet says his company is earning huge dividends from operating 80 dual-fuel and dedicated natural gas trucks. Hardstaff, who also manufactures dual-fuel systems and provides fuelling stations to fleet operators, says the biggest benefits of natural gas vehicles to his transport operation, is the corporate image., “Our company picks up a lot of business because of our clean image.” Fletcher says this is an increasingly important advantage for the NGV industry to leverage.

Source: NGV Global