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Fill Up for 10 Euros, Yearly Fuel Cost Reduction of 1000 Euros

2005-09-06

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Rüsselsheim. Dramatically increasing gasoline prices are making cars with minimal fuel costs more and more attractive. While conventional car owners continue to grudgingly pay between 50 and 100 euros for a tank of fuel, owners of Opel’s natural gas vehicles can look forward to each time they fill up. In Germany, a full tank of 19 kilograms of natural gas for the Opel Combo 1.6 CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) family van only costs between 10.45 and 16.15 euros (between 55 and 85 cents per kg), depending on the region. Based on an annual mileage of 20,000 kilometers, the natural gas Combo saves around 1000 euros* compared to a gasoline model with similar output.

Opel has already been offering natural gas vehicles with monovalent engines for four years. These units are designed for optimal utilization of natural gas. Otherwise, only bivalent vehicles have been offered up to now in Germany. Such gasoline engines can also be powered by natural gas, but are not as efficient. Opel is the market leader in natural gas vehicles in Germany, with a market share of around 60 percent. Hans Demant, Managing Director, Adam Opel AG, sees a positive future for monovalent natural gas vehicles: “We are proud to be paving the way for efficient natural gas vehicles in Germany. Competitors such as VW are now following our example, and will also offer monovalent models in the future. This is an honor for us, and it will encourage the growth of this economical and environmentally compatible technology.”

* The Combo 1.6 CNG requires 980 kg per 20,000 kilometers. Based on an average price of 75 cents per kg, this results in a total of 735 euros. The Combo 1.4 Twinport consumes 1260 liters of super unleaded at an average of 1.40 euros, totaling 1764 euros in fuel costs.

Innovative monovalentplus technology for maximum efficiency

The monovalentplus technology guarantees maximum efficiency with natural gas operation, whereas bivalent vehicles that are optimized for gasoline suffer performance losses of around 20 percent. Special pistons, valves and valve-seat inserts allow an increased compression ratio of 12.5:1. This enables the high octane rating of natural gas (130) to be fully utilized and the efficiency to be increased. A 14-liter gasoline reserve tank guarantees continued mobility in the event that a natural gas filling station is not in the vicinity.

The Combo 1.6 CNG has an output of 71 kW/97 hp and reaches a top speed of 166 km/h, consuming an average of approximately 4.9 kilograms of natural gas per 100 kilometers. The operating range on H-gas is 370 kilometers, and in combination with the gasoline reserve, the range totals around 550 kilometers. The efficient combustion process produces 10 to 15 percent less CO2 than a gasoline model with similar output. The multi-functional natural gas van is tax-exempt until the end of 2005, with prices starting at 17,025 euros. The CNG unit is designed for optimal operation with natural gas, biogas or any mixture of the two.

Price overview for Combo 1.6 CNG (71 kW/97 hp):

• Combo panel van     net from 13,975 euros
• Combo incl. V.A.T. from 17,025 euros
• Combo Edition incl. V.A.T. from 19,145 euros
• Combo Arizona incl. V.A.T. from 20,560 euros