Allergic to diesel? Skoda Octavia Combi G-Tec offers 480 km on CNG
... and some 200 km more on petrol once the CNG tanks are depleted. That makes it a perfect alternative for fleets wishing to limit their exposure to diesel. The revamped Škoda Octavia Combi G-Tec now boasts a new, more powerful 1.5 TSI engine with an output of 96 kW (130 PS). Mated to three tanks holding a total of 17.7 kilograms of CNG and an additional 11.8-litre petrol tank, it gives a total range of 700 kilometres. And that's the correlated NEDC value, should you be wondering.
That is still significantly less than a 1.6 TDI, which gets you nearly 1,200 km from home on a single tank if you manage to equal the manufacturer's official fuel consumption of 4.2 l/100 km. Moreover, chances are you will have to plan your journeys and make sure you find a CNG filling station along the way. The good news is that the number of such station is increasing, especially in Germany and Belgium.
No particulate matter, 25 per cent less CO2
The new 1.5-litre engine in the Škoda Octavia G-Tec uses variable intake valve timing with Miller cycle operation, increasing its efficiency. In CNG mode, CO2 emissions are reduced even further, by around 25 per cent compared to petrol, with considerably lower nitrogen oxide (NOx) output and no particulate emissions.
Compressed natural gas (CNG) has a higher energy content than petrol or diesel. It is cheaper and burns more cleanly and silently. Using biogas from wastewater or agricultural production or synthetic gas instead of CNG achieves an even more favourable environmental footprint.
Further improvements can be made when power from renewable sources is used in gas production. Natural gas thus acts as a bridge between fossil fuels and electric mobility. Moreover, a vehicle running on CNG is as quick and easy to refuel as a petrol or diesel model.
Find out all about the advantages of CNG compared to diesel here.
