Austria

With the simultaneous opening of nine compressed natural gas (CNG) filling stations - one per state - the Austrian gas industry has celebrated the commissioning of the 100th CNG filling station. Since the beginning of 2007, the number of fuel stations dispensing CNG has almost tripled, from 36 to 100. It is expected that by 2010 there will be at least 200 public CNG filling stations.

At the beginning of 2008 there were already 2,350 Natural Gas Vehicles (NGV's) on Austrian roads, 50% more than a year earlier. World-wide, the number has grown to 7.2 million, with a strong upward trend evident. In Austria, according to industry estimates, the number of NGVs could expand in the next few years to 50,000. A combination of existing subsidies and new legislated support will assist the momentum to continue.

Stop Press: Make that 101 stations.