New partnerships, new vehicle model, increased registration figures: The Volkswagen Group and its industrial partners from the areas of gas supply, grid operation and filling stations are once again continuing their successful brand and information offensive in the year 2018. Since the start of the cross-brand campaign in spring 2017, the campaign alliance has succeeded in significantly enhancing the status of CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) for individual mobility in Germany. The current registration figures from the German Federal Motor Transport Authority confirm that CNG engines are currently the type of power unit experiencing the most robust growth.
Since July 2017, the monthly figures for new registrations of CNG vehicles in Germany have been increasing. In 2018, the SEAT Arona is being presented as the latest CNG vehicle. This will grow the fleet of passenger cars suitable for CNG operation across all the brands in the Volkswagen Group to a total of 18 models. These range from the class of small cars to the premium segment. There are also vehicles powered by natural gas in the subsidiary company Volkswagen Truck & Bus, which includes the brands MAN and Scania. This makes the Volkswagen Group the biggest supplier of CNG models.
New impetus has been given to the brand and information offensive with the recent extension of the campaign as biomethane producer VERBIO, automotive supplier MAHLE, grid operator EWE NETZ and lightweight alloy component manufacturer Hexagon xperion have joined the industrial consortium for CNG mobility. This development has in turn been strengthened by the marketing campaign for the Audi g-tron models.
Jens Andersen, Head of Technology Strategy and Group Officer for CNG Mobility at the Volkswagen Group: “The campaign alliance is an impressive success story and all of us have good reason to look to the future with confidence.”
The expansion of CNG mobility is an important building block for the Volkswagen Group as it implements the realignment adopted in the context of the “TOGETHER – Strategy 2025” future programme for its portfolio of power units. Today, CNG models are already making an effective contribution to the reduction of emissions in road traffic and they have CO2, nitrogen oxide and fine-dust values that are significantly below those of petrol and diesel engines.
Together with the industrial consortium CNG Mobility, the Volkswagen Group is striving to bring about a tenfold increase in the number of CNG vehicles registered in Germany to around one million by the year 2025. In parallel with this, the number of CNG filling stations is projected to expand in Germany from the current level of around 860 to 2000 stations.
Jens Andersen: “Against the background of the debate about the energy transition and the gradual transfer to sustainable mobility, CNG mobility is in a position to make a very attractive contribution. Wherever electromobility comes up against boundaries, we are able to offer a cost-effective and immediately available alternative for the reduction of emissions in road traffic.”
New CNG models in other segments like the SUV SEAT Arona will follow and continue to enhance the appeal of the offering. The latest figures for registration from the German Federal Motor Transport Authority already demonstrate significant growth of interest in CNG models. Since July 2017, the registration figures have been growing continuously. In January 2018, they were 370.7 percent above the equivalent year-earlier level. More CNG models were registered than ever before in one month. This means that the CNG engine is currently the fastest growing form of power unit.
The Volkswagen Group additionally rewards conversion to a low-CO2 vehicle with a special bonus. As well as the environmental premium provided when a used automobile fitted with a diesel engine based on the standards Euro 1 to 4 is exchanged, customers will also receive a future premium amounting to 2000 euros if they purchase a CNG model before 31 March 2018.
The latest CNG product portfolio of the Volkswagen Group and other information are provided on the next page and at http://www.discover-cng.com
