The GASMOBIL stand at the 81st Autosalon, Geneva (March 03-13 2011) is a showcase this year for a cross section of the latest range of engines powered by natural gas or biogas.
Amongst their vehicles are contributions from:
- Volkswagen (Passat 1.4TSi),
- Fiat (Fiat 500C TwinAir erdgas turbo),
- Opel (Opel Zafira ecoFLEX 1.6 Turbo CNG)
- Mercedes (Mercedes-Benz E 200 NGT)
The release details the following:
A growing future for this fuel source is envisaged: in Switzerland the number of biogas fuelling stations has risen, and the CERN research centre will be using 100 natural gas Fiat Pandas in the future. The CO2 emissions for the Fiat 500c Natural Gas Turbo are 72g/km, with a publicised economy figure of 2.9kg/100km, and we are reminded that natural/biogas has 60-95% less pollutants (fine particles, soot, nitrogen oxides and CO2).
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| The Fiat 500c erdgas Turbo is showcases at the GASMOBIL stand |
The image is of an evangelisation of this alternate fuel source, and their belief that this is a positive contribution to the future transport evolution is a positive voice for the future.
Their progress sits in the context of a small and growing infrastructure with an equally manageable demand. One of the questions for the future is can a natural gas/biogas approach become a substitute for the massive fuel needs of today, and if it is a part of the future, how much of a part, and what does the rest comprise of?
From Autosalon Geneva, www.autosalon.ch
