A robust market for natural gas vehicles already exists in India, China, Thailand and Brazil, however, in countries such as the US and Germany, NGVs are a niche market. Over the last few years however, a number of major automanufacturers have refocused their efforts on the NGV market, and growth in the sector is expected to be strong across all regions in the near future. A new report from Navigant Research discusses the above and has said that worldwide sales of light duty NGVs will grow from 2.5 million /y this year to 4.2 million in 2023.
NGVs are currently undergoing change, like all internal combustion engine vehicles. In particular, the introduction of direct injection promises to increase fuel economy and reduce emissions, according to the report. The direct injection of natural gas has been a challenge in the pat due to poor ignition characteristics and challenges managing natural gas in the combustion cylinder, but car manufacturers in Europe are planning to launch vehicles using the technology this year.
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John Gartner, research director, Navigant Research said, ‘growth in the market for NGVs is being driven by increasing supplies of low cost, readily available natural gas, along with expanding refuelling infrastructure and increasingly strict vehicle emission requirements. As a result, the total number of NGVs on roads worldwide will reach nearly 40 million in the next 10 years.’
Adapted from press release by Claira Lloyd
Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/03062014/ngv_light_duty_market_report/
