In many countries, gas-fuelled cars are becoming more and more popular. In Tampere, the GasHighWay project is contributing to producing gas cars, a gas refuelling station network and the production of biogas.

Pekka Parkkonen has 80,000 km of experience in driving the VW Caddy Ecofuel gas car. According to his experience, usability was good, and the operating range of a single 26 kg tank was up to 500 km. Fuel prices have stayed around € 6/100 km when driving carefully. Currently, natural gas as a fuel is not taxed. One kilogram of natural gas is equivalent to about 1.55 litres of normal petrol.

VW Auto Group's representative Toni Nieminen says that the engines are designed specifically for gas use, and consumption figures have been reduced thanks to comprehensive product development. When the VW TSI Ecofuel model is filled with 21 kilograms of natural gas and 31 litres of petrol, the combined use of a single tank gives an operating range as high as 900 km.

The gas tank does not take up any more room than a traditional tank, so the space inside the car will remain the same. Gas tanks are safer than petrol tanks, for example in collisions.

Natural gas provides the car with the same power as conventional fuels, and maintenance costs are also comparable. Retrofitting conventional cars is also becoming more common, costing between € 2,500-3,000.

Currently in Finland, there are 12 natural gas fuelling stations and also four under construction or at the licensing stage. The aim for the future is to achieve a network of 30 stations. The city of Tampere has one refuelling point. In addition, private refuelling stations are one technical possibility, when there is a natural gas pipeline in the vicinity.

The short-term goal is to distribute clean biogas through the natural gas fuel network, which is an important element in the EU’s 10% target for bio-based transport fuels.

For more information: http://www.gashighway.net