Roll with cheaper natural gas
Camille Peyrache
13 / 11 / 2007 | Updated: 10: 52 |
Running on natural gas with a personal mini-station is 50% cheaper than unleaded.
Tax credit and fuel cost half the price of gasoline, running on natural gas is interesting for the wallet and the environment.
Far from being a new energy, natural gas as fuel is yet little known in France. In our Italian neighbors, he already equips 400 000 vehicles, including many private individuals. Some car manufacturers have followed the trend and already offer dual-fuel vehicles (gas / gas) with a range of about 800 km, 200 to 500 km gas and the rest to gasoline. The models are numerous: from the small city car, Citroën C3 or Fiat Punto, to the Fiat Multipla minivan or the Opel Zaphira through the utilities, Citroën Berling or the Renault Kangoo. The only drawback of natural gas lies in the still small number of filling stations. That's why Gaz de France is proposing an original initiative, refueling with natural gas at home, thanks to an individual mini-station installed in a garage or driveway.
Half the price
Billed 0,58 cents the m3, which corresponds to a liter of gasoline, natural gas is then 50% cheaper than the unleaded. To benefit from it, it is necessary to add to the costs of the fuel, the installation of the mini-station, invoiced on average 800 euros, and the rent of the compressor, 29 € / month for a fixed price of 500m3 of gas / year is 8000 km / year.
Tax credit
Because natural gas emits 25% less CO2 than petroleum fuels and no sulfur oxide or lead, the public authorities have set up a tax credit of 2000 euros for the purchase of a new car with natural gas. Bonus to which, an individual can add 1000 euros if he takes over a vehicle over 10 years.
source: http://www.lefigaro.fr/conso/2007/11/09 ... aturel.php
Our neighbors had already done the same thing with the LPG: a lot ahead of us, they seem to go to the GNV.
It is very clean and little emission of CO2. I know that this is not a panacea because of the basement, but to see what is currently proposed, I wonder if this is not a solution for a few years while waiting better.
The problem is that in France we preferred the E85 instead of putting pumps CNG.
The fact of making bi-fuel vehicles is a good idea as well as the personal station. I could equip myself because I have nat gas at home.
So: 2000 premium euros + 1000 euros recovery of my vehicle + 10 years, it's already not bad (3000 euros saved on the purchase! 20000 frans it's top).
Then the gas 0,58 euros / liters is not expensive. The problem is the autonomy 200 500 km and then we switch to gasoline. The title is FALSE because it should run at 100% gas to save 50% on fuel. And then there is the price of the resort and the monthly subscription, but with 3000 euros discount on the purchase one can see coming. To stay French, the C3 is not bad, or Kangoo to have more space but I do not like aesthetics; but I do not know where we are GNV stations in France.
Decidedly, I'm having a hard time getting rid of my R25 LPG because with the tank of 80 liters in the trunk, I do 650 km LPG, so I never run on gasoline. I pay LPG 0,75 to 0,80 / liter in my area but I consume 10l / 100; I guess it's less with a small car with CNG.
It consumes surely much more than a C3 but level livability nothing to see.