The NGV industry achieved a milestone victory on January 11th with the approval of an amendment to UN ECE Regulation 110 for the universal NGV fuel receptacle (200 bar/3000 psi).  The work to develop and then standardize this small but essential piece of technology that fosters harmonization of refueling receptacles and nozzles was started by the Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition and its members in 1988, and was the initial driver to bring a common fuelling receptacle to the NGV market.

Prior to that time the market was dominated by at least four types of connectors with eight or nine different sizes.  The effort was brought forth from North America to the International Standards Organization and then offered as part of the international regulatory framework at the United Nations in 2005.

Now adopted as a worldwide regulation under the auspices of the United Nations, the fuelling receptacle standard will pass its final hurdle in June 2007 at the Working Party 29, Worldwide Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations, where it should be adopted.  As such, it will become a legal regulation that will be required to be used by signatories of the 1958 and 1998 United Nations treaties.  For countries not signatories of these treaties, the UN regulation still will serve as the main model for adoption of the universal NGV-1 fueling receptacle. 

It is now hoped that NGV-1 will achieve wide-scale market adoption in order to pave the way for customers to be able to refuel their NGVs wherever they drive without the annoyance (or potential hazard) of having to use any number of different adaptors for different connecting devices.  For more information on this international effort, contact ENGVA’s Dr Jeffrey Seisler This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .