Erdgas promotional material for the CNG fuelled VW EcoFuel Touran with the enhanced EMPA catalyst.

The Swiss continue their quest to make natural gas vehicles more ideal than they already are – this time developing a catalyst designed specifically for natural gas engines. The catalyst, designed by the Swiss federal material testing and research institute (EMPA), in cooperation with Volkswagen and Umicore, apparently reduced nitrogen oxide emissions by around 50% while potentially costing less due to reduced requirements for precious metals in the manufacturing process.

The catalyst has been tested on three vehicles, with one of them, a Volkswagen-Touran-Ecofuel, to be put on show at the Zurich Car Show next month (1-4 November).

The Car Show will feature a range of natural gas vehicles, some of which will be available for visitors to test drive on site.
More information - www.erdgasostschweiz.ch (in German).