For the first time, a natural gas car has made it to first place in the German Transport Association's environmental car list, leaving all hybrid vehicles behind.
The widespread introduction of electromobility is not really getting off the ground, as there is still a lack of a well-developed charging infrastructure and suitable electric cars that are affordable for everyone. However, for those who want to opt for economical and environmentally friendly mobility, natural gas cars, for example, offer an alternative to petrol or diesel. In contrast to electric cars, they have long since proven their suitability for everyday use.
The VW eco up! with natural gas drive currently proves that the vehicles score highly in terms of climate protection. This year, it made it to first place in the environmental car list of the Verkehrsclub Deutschland (VCD). This is the first time that a natural gas vehicle has taken the top position in the ranking. In the past two years, the VCD named the Lexus CT 200h and Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles as the winners.
Low CO2 emissions, high economy
The VW eco up! particularly impressed the jury with its low CO2 emissions. It took first place in the "Climate Best" category together with the Toyota Yaris hybrid vehicle.
According to the German Energy Agency (dena), natural gas has great future potential as a fuel, especially as it can be mixed with so-called bio natural gas. This causes up to 97 per cent less CO2 emissions than petrol. An admixture of just 20 per cent is enough to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 40 per cent compared to petrol. Many utility companies, including Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG), are currently investing in the construction of biogas plants. In the medium term, these could feed into the existing gas networks and thus make bio natural gas available across the board as a climate-friendly fuel blend.
However, the advantages of natural gas cars are not limited to the environmental aspect. In view of constantly rising petrol and diesel prices, the alternative drive also scores highly in terms of economy. Stephan Kohler, Chairman of the dena Management Board, emphasises: "Those who drive with natural gas can remain relaxed even with record prices for petrol and diesel."
It is true that a model with a natural gas engine costs more to buy than the petrol or diesel version. However, the purchase is worthwhile from a mileage of around 15,000 kilometres per year. "With the same amount of fuel, a natural gas car can cover almost twice the distance of a petrol car and travel around 1.3 times as far as a diesel," calculates Michael Rösner, Head of Private and Commercial Customer Sales at Stadtwerke Gießen. In addition, the owner of a natural gas car benefits because his vehicle incurs lower vehicle tax compared to diesel and petrol models with the same performance due to the lower CO2 emissions.
A further incentive to switch to the climate-friendly drive is provided by the SWG subsidy. Michael Rösner explains: "At our natural gas filling station at Marburger Straße 229, buyers of a natural gas car - whether new or used - receive fuel at half price for a year. With an annual mileage of 20,000 kilometres, the natural gas model of the Opel Zafira pays for itself after just one year compared to a petrol car. Compared to the diesel version, it is cheaper to drive after just three months."
A tool on the Stadtwerke Gießen website at www.stadtwerke-giessen.de/amortisation shows the annual mileage required to purchase a natural gas model from various manufacturers. The SWG energy consultants at the customer centre at Marktplatz 7 can answer any further questions about the SWG subsidy programme and the various models from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 6 pm and on Saturdays from 9 am to 2 pm.
Telephone: 0641 708-1177
E-mail: energieberatung@stadtwerke-giessen.de