Motor Authority - blog Tag: natural gas

The search for less-toxic alternative fuels is leading in many promising directions, one of which is bio-gas. Effectively a form of natural gas made from plants, the fuel was used this week to speed a modified B7 Audi A4 quattro to a new bio-gas world speed record of 226.6mph (364.6km/h).

Despite running on a mixture of methane and other gases generated by the controlled decomposition of grass clippings and sawdust, the Audi A4 used for the speed record generates a massive 700hp (522kW) from its overbored twin-turbocharged 3.0L V6 engine. What’s more impressive is that the powerplant is capable of producing upwards of 800hp (597kW),... The search for less-toxic alternative fuels is leading in many promising directions, one of which is bio-gas. Effectively a form of natural gas made from plants, the fuel was used this week to speed a modified B7 Audi A4 quattro to a new bio-gas world speed record of 226.6mph (364.6km/h). Despite running on a mixture of methane and other gases generated by the controlled decomposition of grass clippings and sawdust, the Audi A4 used for the speed record generates a massive 700hp (522kW) from its overbored twin-turbocharged 3.0L V6 engine. What’s more impressive is that the powerplant is capable of producing upwards of 800hp (597kW), but output was limited this time ‘round to keep the transmission intact. The project was completed as part of the Community Center of Excellence program at TUV Rheinland, with help in construction and execution from local tuning and transport companies. TUV Rhineland, the organizer of the record run, counts the result as a huge success. "We wanted to show," said Dr. Stefan Behrning, who oversaw the speed test for the organizers, "that bio-gas technology is highly suitable for ecological motoring without fossil fuels. Ecology and driving fun are not mutually exclusive." While burning bio-gas does create atmospheric emissions, the process is CO2 neutral because the carbon dioxide released was captured from the atmosphere only months or years before by the fuelstock, rather than eons ago when the carbon in fossil fuels was captured. Read More

At this week’s Washington Auto Show, Mercedes Benz plans to showcase its compact B-Class hatch with a powertrain designed to run on compressed natural gas (CNG). The carmaker already sells a dual-fuel version of the B-Class in Europe that runs on either petrol or CNG or a combination of the two, and that model could one day be sold here.

William Craven, general manager of regulatory affairs for Daimler's Washington office, confirmed to Automotive News the company's interest in testing the market for CNG-powered vehicles in the United States. "We're testing the market" he said.

Most CNG applications provide worse mileage than petrol... At this week’s Washington Auto Show, Mercedes Benz plans to showcase its compact B-Class hatch with a powertrain designed to run on compressed natural gas (CNG). The carmaker already sells a dual-fuel version of the B-Class in Europe that runs on either petrol or CNG or a combination of the two, and that model could one day be sold here. William Craven, general manager of regulatory affairs for Daimler's Washington office, confirmed to Automotive News the company's interest in testing the market for CNG-powered vehicles in the United States. "We're testing the market" he said. Most CNG applications provide worse mileage than petrol as well as slightly slower acceleration, but if petrol prices shoot up to the levels there were at late last year than these shortcomings would be of little concern to potential customers. Because of the huge reserves of CNG and the dwindling supply of petrol, CNG's cheap price of around $2.50 per gallon is expected to easily offset any mileage issues that potential motorists may face. Another benefit of burning CNG is cleaner emissions, with lower CO2 levels than both petrol and diesel. The benefits of CNG are currently being amplified by rapidly changing market conditions and an increase in consumer environmental awareness. At the same time its drawbacks are being mitigated by a growing awareness that advanced technologies will require investment in appropriate infrastructure. The U.S. CNG pipeline system is an approximately 1.8 million mile network and expanding, but a greater amount of infrastructure would be needed to make CNG broadly appealing. Read More