The perspectives of development of natural gas for vehicles

This short paper analyses the actions carried out in the world, and in particular in France, to develop and promote the use of natural gas for vehicles (NGV). In France, a protocol of agreement was signed in June 1994 between the French car manufacturers, Gaz de France and the French Association of Natural Gas for Vehicles (AFGNV) in order to develop new kinds of gas fueled vehicles, more optimized engines, to increase the number of gas distribution stations, to ratify the new models of vehicles and the specific parts for these vehicles (composite materials tanks), to carry out R and D work on gas compressors, and to develop public and private fleets of urban buses and public service vehicles. The forthcoming application of the 'Clean Air Law' will support these actions. Significant and similar developments take place also in more than 30 other countries under the same environmental motivation and ambitious programs are planned in the USA, Japan and Argentina for the year 2000. The R and D effort now focusses on the use of LNG instead of compressed natural gas. (J.S.)