Rosneft Signs Agreements with VW and Kamaz to Boost Gas Engine Fuel Market

| Russia, Moscow

Russian oil and gas company OJSC Rosneft and LLC Volkswagen Group Russia have signed an agreement aimed at the development of the compressed natural gas (CNG) market in Russia, as well as the CNG-powered vehicles market. Rosneft has also signed an agreement on scientific and technological cooperation with vehicle manufacturer KAMAZ Truck Sp. z o.o. to expand use of natural gas as motor fuel. The agreements follow in the wake of the Russian Government’s decree to push NGV industry growth. Read more »

Ford Expands Natural Gas Range in Sweden with C-MAX CNG

| Sweden, Gothenburg / Trollhattan

Ford C-Max CNGNatural Gas Vehicle (NGV) drivers in Sweden have been presented another option with the launch of a new compact minivan. The Ford C-Max is able to operate on biomethane or natural gas and qualifies for the tougher clean car standards; operating on pure biomethane the C-Max carbon emissions will be as low as 29 g/km. Read more »

Vibrant NGV Industry in China

| China

LNG refueling (CNPC)The Chinese natural gas vehicle market has stepped up a gear according to a Kunlun Energy press release about last week’s 14th China International Natural Gas Vehicles, Filling stations and Equipment Exhibition and Forum in Beijing, with more NGVs, more filling stations and greater momentum. According to reported statistics, 446 new filling stations commenced operation in the past year, with the total reaching 2,784, an increase of 19% over the previous year. Liquefied Natural gas (LNG) stations accounted for 22.8% of that total. Read more »

Demand for NGVs Increases Despite Depressed German Automarket

| Germany

Sales rise almost 60 percent. dena recommends extending tax reductions

In spite of a major decrease in the overall car sales figures in Germany, the demand for natural-gas powered vehicles increased almost 60 percent in the first quarter of 2013 compared with the same period in the previous year. This fact was highlighted by the Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (dena) – the German Energy Agency – and the “Initiative for Natural-Gas-Based Mobility” based on the data reported recently by the German Federal Motor Transport Authority. Read more »

Clean LNG Buses Enhance Tourist City of Anshun

| China, Anshun
Hengtong Bus - model CKZ6126HN4 LNG

Hengtong Bus – model CKZ6126HN4 LNG

Chongqing Hengtong Bus Co., Ltd is the successful tenderer for the supply of liquified natural gas (LNG) powered buses to the city of Anshun in Guizhou Province in China’s mid-west. The low-emission buses will enhance Anshun’s drive toward tourism excellence, improving the air quality and providing clean quiet transportation for commuters while reducing operating costs. Hengtong Bus will supply 43 12-metre Clean Energy LNG buses, model CKZ6126HN4. Delivery is planned for June.

(Source: Hengtong Bus)

Dongguan City Replaces Diesel Buses with LNG

| China, Dongguan

King Long buses for Dongguan CityDongguan City bus company, in Guangdong province on the South China Sea coast, received 210 liquified natural gas (LNG) buses in March, all of which are now operating to enhance the city’s public transportation and the environment. 100 units of King Long XMQ6106G buses and 110 units of XMQ6931G delivered so far are components of a total order for 262 King Long LNG buses. Read more »

GAZ Group Develops CNG Version of Intercity Bus

| Russia

GAZ Group medium-class KAVZ-4238-02Russian automotive manufacturer GAZ Group has developed a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered version of it’s medium-sized intercity bus model KAVZ-4238. Produced at GAZ Group’s Kurgan Bus Plant, the 10 metre bus is designed for suburban and long-distance routes. The bus is equipped with a Cummins gas engine certified to Euro V environmental standard and ZF transmission. Natural gas is stored in five cylinders of 123 liters, which enables a range of 400 km. Read more »

Natural Gas Buses at Forefront of U.S. Public Transit Transition to Alt-Fuels

| USA
Omnitrans buses will surpass the 100 million mile mark in CNG miles traveled, April 2013

Omnitrans buses will surpass the 100 million mile mark in CNG miles traveled, April 2013

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) reports more than 35 percent of U.S. public transportation buses use alternative fuels  or hybrid technology, as of January 1, 2011.  This is a striking contrast to the 1.3 percent of automobiles that used  alternative-fuels in 2010, according to the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Annual Outlook. Vehicles operating on natural gas are at the forefront. Read more »

12-Litre LNG Fleet Serves Mission-Critical Owens Corning Route

| USA, Pittsburgh PA

“This generation of NG-fueled engines will transform the face of trucking.” — Patrick Cozzens, president of Modern Transportation

Modern Transportation, a U.S. bulk logistics solutions, has successfully deployed freight service to the Owens Corning Roofing Plant in Savannah, GA using trucks powered solely by 12-liter natural gas-fueled engines. The high volume, dedicated service established between Sanford, NC and Savannah, GA on April 18th, 2013, is said to be the first ever built around commercial-order, production-built Cummins Westport ISX12 G engines fueled exclusively with liquefied natural gas (LNG). Read more »

CNG-Modified Proton Exora x 1000 for Malaysian Taxi Fleet

| Malaysia, Subang Jaya

Proton ExoraAs part of its continuous support to the Malaysian Government and in-line with the Government Transformation Plan (GTP), Proton has collaborated with Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat (SPAD) on the ‘1Malaysia Taxi Program’ initiative. The collaboration sees the national automotive company providing a specially modified version of the popular MPV, the Exora, as Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered taxis. Read more »

Bulgarian Company Buys 20 Iveco Stralis CNG

| Bulgaria, Plovdiv
Arena's new fleet reportedly the first CNG tractor fleet in the country

Arena’s new fleet reportedly the first CNG tractor fleet in the country

Puldin Trans Service Ltd., authorised Iveco dealer in the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv, delivered 20 tractors model AT440S33T / P Stralis CNG (compressed natural gas) to logistics company Arena IT in March this year. Thanks to its investment Arena IT will significantly reduce the response of the environment from its activities and has become the first company in Bulgaria to buy CNG-powered tractors. Read more »

Natural Gas Fastest Growing Transportation Fuel in USA

| USA
(Source: EIA)

(Source: EIA)

Heavy Duty Vehicles lead the growth - average annual growth rate of 14.6 percent

Natural gas, as compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG), is the fastest-growing fuel in the transportation sector in the USA, reports the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The agency projects an average annual growth rate of 11.9 percent from 2011 to 2040. Read more »

BMW Doubles H2 Forklifts at Spartanburg Plant

| USA, New Providence NJ

H2 refueling at BMW's Spartanburg plant in 2010BMW Manufacturing’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, has more than doubled its fleet of hydrogen-powered material handling equipment, using systems supplied by Linde North America. The 4.0 million square foot production facility now powers its entire hydrogen-fuel cell fleet of more than 230 units to service the plant’s production and logistics functions, making it one of the largest fuel cell forklift sites in the world. Read more »

Aston Martin Rapide S H2 Hybrid Headed for Nürburgring

| United Kingdom and Austria
The Aston Martin aims for an emissions-free lap at the Nürburgring 24 Hours

The Aston Martin aims for a CO2 emissions-free lap at the Nürburgring 24 Hours

Aston Martin will race a pioneering hybrid hydrogen car at the 41st ADAC Zurich 24 Hours of Nürburgring in May. The company claims the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S – based on it’s new four-door, four-seat sports car – will become the first hydrogen-powered car to compete in an international event as well as the first zero CO2 emissions sports car to complete a race pace lap at the Nürburgring 24-hour race. Read more »

Mexico’s Tequila State Launches CNG Fleet and Filling Station

| Mexico, Guadalajara
Dina Linner G on display at NGV Global 2012 exhibition in Mexico City

Dina Linner G on display at NGV Global 2012 exhibition in Mexico City

The Mexican State of Jalisco, internationally acknowledged as the home of the alcoholic beverage Tequila, is now also home to a new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling station and the State’s first fleet of CNG buses. At the inauguration of the station, Governor Jorge Aristóteles Sandoval Díaz introduced the Dina-manufactured model Linner G fleet of 50 new public transport units, which began operations this week between El Salto and Guadalajara, saying the buses will reduce air pollution by 90%. Read more »