A litre of premium petrol now costs more than 1.50 euros across Germany and a litre of diesel over 1.30 euros. This was recently announced by the ADAC in Munich following a price comparison at 20 petrol stations. This means that petrol is more expensive than it has been since the summer of 2008. This raises the question of an alternative suitable for everyday use, and not only for frequent drivers. Many are already eagerly awaiting the first electric cars - but they still seem to have a long way to go. The first models are only likely to make their debut as niche products on the German car market this year.
Michael Rösner from Stadtwerke Gießen is always amazed at the frequent questions about a favourable alternative. After all, one thing has long been clear to him: natural gas is currently the best alternative in terms of technology and price when it comes to giving high petrol prices the cold shoulder. "Drivers from Giessen and the surrounding area should seriously consider switching to a natural gas vehicle," says the Head of Private and Commercial Customer Sales at Stadtwerke Giessen. This is not only due to the wide range of sophisticated new series vehicles with natural gas drive that can be purchased from local car dealerships. The increasing supply of used vehicles on the German market and the good natural gas filling station network in Germany speak for themselves. SWG itself operates a natural gas pump at the Aral petrol station in Marburger Strasse. SWG also wants to encourage people to switch to natural gas with its own subsidy programme: owners of a new or used natural gas vehicle receive a 50 percent discount on natural gas as a fuel for the first year. For buyers of a new vehicle, there is an additional 150 euros as a bonus.
But even without such start-up aid, the natural gas drive can score points in terms of price: "Natural gas is billed in kilograms and not in litres and currently costs 97.7 cents per kilogram," explains Michael Rösner. "However, our kilogram contains the energy content of around 1.3 litres of premium petrol. Converted to 1 litre of premium petrol, natural gas therefore only costs around 75.3 cents per litre," he calculates. Of course, natural gas drive is still an optional extra for most standard vehicles. It is therefore more or less worthwhile depending on the mileage and model. "We offer citizens and tradespeople from Giessen and the surrounding area free advice on the subject and also provide a profitability calculation," says Michael Rösner. He advises interested parties to order initial information material from the municipal utilities on 0641/708-1177 or to arrange a free consultation right away. Clarifying the profitability of a new car now is always better than suffering from high running costs for years. The experts at Stadtwerke can help with an objective assessment based on actual figures. Further information is also available at www.energießen.de on the Internet or directly at the SWG stand at the Giessen new car fair, GINA, on 12 and 13 March.