Spanish energy company Repsol has signed an agreement with the Spanish national confederation of driving schools (CNAE) to retrofit its fleet of vehicles from gasoline to liquid natural gas (LNG), according to FleetEurope. LNG engines reduce toxic emissions of nitrogen by 68 percent and particulate contaminants by 99 percent compared to diesel-fuelled alternatives. Noise pollution is also reduced. LNG is also 50 percent cheaper in Spain than gasoline, representing a savings of 4 EUR for every 100 kilometers over a gasoline-powered engine and of 2 EUR compared to diesel.
Repsol and the CNAE hope that this initiative will teach new drivers that there is a green alternative to gasoline. Repsol has agreed to pay for the LNG conversion of 400 vehicles at the CNAE driving schools. The energy company will subsidize the rest of the vehicles with 500 EUR per unit in 2009.
Repsol currently has 31 LNG public filling stations in Spain and plans to increase the number to 80. In addition to this, there are also 150 private filling stations, a number Repsol plans to increase by 100 per year through agreement with driving schools, taxi and ambulance services, as well as trucking companies.
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