Skoda Octavia G-Tec (bi-fuel) ranks No.1 on ADAC’s EcoTest.
Germany’s ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club e.V.) tracks driver feedback through the ADAC Customer Barometer, which has revealed drivers of natural gas cars are the most satisfied with the fuel economy of their cars, and small gasoline-powered vehicles are overestimated for their thrift. Feedback was obtained via a representative online survey of 20,000 motorists questioning their satisfaction with fuel consumption levels.
Dr. Timm Kehler, Director of the Initiative for Future Natural Gas, commented: “The ADAC Customer Barometer shows that NGVs retain in practice what they promise: Affordable mobility and highest customer satisfaction”.
In second place were users of hybrid vehicles, followed by LPG drivers. The most popular fuels diesel and petrol landed in fourth and fifth place respectively.
The positive feedback from natural gas vehuicle (NGV) drivers is paralled by environmental rankings: no less than six of the ten top-ranked models in ADAC EcoTest use natural gas an energy source. All of these natural gas vehicles also get five out of five stars in the ADAC EcoTest.
ADAC provides realistic fuel consumption and environmental performance of cars. Its measurements take into account the complete consumption – including the fuel production (well-to-wheel), a highway cycle, different driving situations in the downtown traffic and the new world cycle (WLTC).. The winner in the environmental ranking of ADAC is the Skoda Octavia G-Tec, with an average consumption of 3.7 kilograms of natural gas per 100 kilometers and a CO2 emission level of 101 grams per kilometer.
ADAC observes that although LPG drivers are in third place and are pleased with the eco-image of their drive, LPG cars are not nearly as efficient as expected because LPG has a lower energy density than natural gas and therefore higher consumption levels.
According to Dr. Kehler of Future Gas eV, around 100,000 NGVs are currently on German roads. But the potential would be significantly larger: About a quarter of all newly registered cars were available as a natural gas model. Nationwide the cheap fuel is available at more than 900 filling stations, only surpassed by Italy in Europe for refueling infrastructure. In many stations also, biomethane is mixed with natural gas whereby the carbon footprint is further improved – without compromising on performance. “Whoever wants to save money and protect the environment, a natural gas car is the right choice,” says Kehler.
