The trend continues increasing, explains Fernandes. The industry is optimistic due to the interest of some dealerships, located mainly in the northeast of Brazil, which intend to expand the gas sale. With this, there is an opportunity to invest in the growth of distribution networks and attend other industrial and commercial users.
ALGNV chairman stated that the drillings made in the wells of the pre-salt layer also contribute to boost the use of the gaseous fuel. “Undoubtedly, it is an extremely positive factor regarding the stimulation of gas consumption, at least for environmental issues. Instead of burning gas, it is better to use the gas in an efficiently way, generating energy, as in the case of automotive use,” he said.
The executive also highlighted the effort that the Brazilian Association of Pipeline Gas Distribution Companies (Abegas) has been dedicating to encourage the use of NGVs, including in heavy transport.
Despite recent increases in the price of the fuel in some Brazilian states, Fernandes considered that it is important that consumers pay attention to the vehicle performance. For example, with 1 m³ of gas it is possible to run about 13 km, while with 1 liter of gasoline or 1 liter of ethanol, the driving range is much lower, 10 and 7 km respectively.
“Instead of evaluating the performance of the vehicle with a certain fuel, consumers use to examine the price of each one and buy the cheapest. Many times, they lose,” he added.
