Mercedes Benz currently offers two CNG passenger car models (incl. the new B-class NGT), VW four models (incl. new up! with natural gas drive), soon VW will offer its fifth model with the introduction of the new Golf VII, and Opel two models. Audi will offer the A3 TCNG from 2013 and the A4 from 2014. Audi promotes CNG via the increased use of e-gas (power to gas), which refers to hydrogen generated by electrolysis using energy from renewable sources or substitute natural gas generated by methanisation of such hydrogen (production of synthetic natural gas) and storing it in the gas grid.
With reference to commercial vehicles, Germany has some 1.200 medium and heavy duty CNG trucks and 1.600 CNG buses, all of them working in urban services. There are also a number of light duty CNG commercial vehicles from Opel, VW and MB. The country represents the biggest European vehicle market with some 60 million vehicles in total, but to date only 95.000 NGVs.
Overall, renewable natural gas is available at just under 230 of the 900 natural gas filling stations in Germany.
Source: NGVA Europe.
