4 things to consider when deciding on CNG
CNG is known as a better choice for the environment, making CNG vehicles more popular each year. With the rising popularity, a lot of people have been converting their petrol vehicles into CNG or buying a factory-made one. But either way, there are some aspects to consider.
Adding CNG to your existing vehicle
When thinking of turning to CNG, you might want to consider turning your existing vehicle into CNG. First you need to ensure that your car is compatible with CNG as not all cars are made to accept fuel customization, especially older models. The next step after ensuring the compatibility is to get approval from the Regional Transport Office, where the fuel type must be changed from fuel to CNG on your Registration Card.
Popular CNG car dealers
Another option is to buy a factory-made CNG vehicle, which is probably less time consuming than turning your vehicle into CNG. Many popular car dealers make CNG vehicles, for CNG cars you can see options from Škoda, Volkswagen, Seat, Suzuki, Hyundai, Fiat or Audi. However when looking for a CNG truck, van or bus you can check models by Scania, MAN, Mercedes-Benz, Iveco or Volvo.
CNG might not be available at every gas station
When driving a CNG vehicle, it’s better to check the stations on your way before starting the journey, depending on the capacity of your CNG cylinder. Even though the amount of CNG stations rise with the popularity of CNG vehicles, there might not be the possibility to tank CNG in every station. Also, if the CNG stations are not popular, you might have to wait in line to refuel a CNG vehicle.
CNG effect on vehicle performance
In addition to refueling questions, it is said that CNG has a shorter fuel range compared to diesel and petrol. As CNG uses more gas per distance than diesel or petrol, you have to refill the CNG cylinder more often. You can however turn to a bigger CNG cylinder for extra capacity.
On a positive note, CNG causes less damage to engine pipes and tubes compared to petrol, adding years to the engine lifespan and saving money from maintenance. Therefore even when refueling your vehicle more often might take more time, you will still save money on driving a CNG vehicle.
There is a lot to think about when thinking of converting your vehicle into CNG or buying a brand new CNG vehicle. We recommend doing your research, communicating with experts and asking for the best advice.