Recent Comments:
Gazprom wants to create a network of natural gas fueling stations {Autoblog Green}
Jun 29th 2008 9:54AM Given all this, you can perhaps see where Gazprom may be coming from. Everything that
you would want to happen to promote NGVs is happening:
high oil price (the gas between oil and natural gas has never been as large as this),
less use of natural gas in the long term for heating and electricity due to renewable and nuclear
liquid biofuels out of favour due to impact on food prices and rainforests
reduction in cost of making and moving LNG
CNG as most efficient way to store excess wind energy
new NGVs being produced by OEMs
the range issue falling away as vehicles become more efficient and OEMs hide CNG tanks under the floor
EU taxation favouring low CO2 transportation
growth of biomethane as the most economic 2nd generation biofuel (ie not made from food crops)
In the last month in India we have seen right hand drive CNG vehicle launches announced by Mercedes, Toyota, GM, Proton, Hyundai and Fiat. All OEMs can produce NGVs, its not rocket science. However, they just have not seen customer demand in the EU and North America, instead they have appeared to be focused on flex fuel ethanol, on mild hybrids and on the potential from electric vehicles including fuel cells. Maybe this will change in the West as it has in Asia and South America. Watch the impact from Q4 2008 of the new CNG Passat and CNG Sprinter in Germany to find out. Not long to wait.
At a strategic level, it could be that Gazprom have recognized these factors before others have. If they have then its great news both for NGV folk and for consumers in the EU who are looking for a clean and low CO2 alternative to petroleum.
Honda launches Civic hybrid in India {Autoblog Green}
Jun 19th 2008 12:26PM converted to CNG this will be very good
Lawrence Livermore researchers develop new hydrogen tank {Autoblog Green}
Jun 10th 2008 5:22AM Is hydrogen a global warming gas? I know that methane is 21 times worse that CO2 (and so running vehicles on biomethane that was being vented has a global cooling impact), does anyone know about H2?
Audi R10 TDI to debut at Spa-Francorchamps running on GTL fuel {Autoblog Green}
May 3rd 2008 4:05AM Pity the well to wheel CO2 performance of GTL is about 30% higher than normal diesel......this fuel may make a lot of money for oil companies but at the expense of the planet. Shame on them.
First natural gas hybrid bus running in San Diego {Autoblog Green}
Apr 25th 2008 8:43AM all buses should be based on natural gas and hybrid...with natural gas partially replaced by biomethane in due course. Its obvious that this is best for local air and for the planet.
