B&E | Volkswagen Group Expedites Joint Extension of Gas Mobility

The objective: increasing CNG vehicle fleet in Germany tenfold to 1 million by 2025, and expanding filling station network to 2.000 locations

Volkswagen Group, operators of CNG filling stations and gas networks have signed a joint declaration of intent, committing themselves to the extension of CNG mobility. CNG signifies "Compressed Natural Gas" and can be both natural gas or regenerative gas gained from green electricity. The signers thereby corroborate the objectives of the "Round Table for Natural Gas Mobility" initiated by the Federal Ministry of Economy in 2016, where representatives of vehicle manufacturers, the gas industry, filling stations operators as well as representatives of important retail customers, fleet operators, and the public sector came together.

With their contributions, the signers, together with other vehicle manufacturers, works towards multiplying the CNG vehicle fleet in Germany tenfold to 1 million vehicles by 2015. Moreover, the initiative aims to expedite the extension of the filling station network in Germany to increase it from 900 locations today to 2.000 by 2025. On the basis of the EU directive 2014/94 (the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure), the expansion will also be promoted in other European countries.

"Due to its purview, Volkswagen Group recognizes its considerable social responsible with regard to the energy revolution. Its short-term availability makes natural gas an important component of our overall strategy for eco-friendly mobility of the future. Owing to the addition of methane from renewable resources, the propellant can gradually become even greener. This makes it an important constituent of the energy revolution in the transport sector in the long run, too," says Dr. Ulrich Eichhorn, head of research and development at Volkswagen.

The corporations came together to expedite the extension of CNG mobility. This applies to both car and truck traffic as well as public transport in cities and municipalities. The statement was signed by Volkswagen Group as well as E.ON Gas Mobil GmbH, Gazprom NGV Europe GmbH, Gazu GmbH, ONTRAS Gastransport GmbH, Open Grid Europe GmbH, Pitpoint B.V. and TOTAL Deutschland GmbH.

The partners aim to win even more companies over to the collaboration. Specific measures to achieve these goals will be arranged separately.

This approach is in line with the alternative fuel strategy of the European Union and the announcements made by the Federal Government in its recently-passed climate protection plan 2050.

Source: Volkswagen Media Services