CNG cars are the most environmentally friendly!

Europe’s largest transport club, the German ADAC, has tested 112 cars and scrutinised their CO_₂ and pollutant emissions. The rankings of the most environmentally friendly cars are not led by a plug-in hybrid or an electric car, but by two cars with a CNG engine! Once again this is proof that CNG vehicles powered by biogas are virtually CO₂-neutral.

As part of WLTP certification, compliance with the limits must be demonstrated in a so-called RDE (Real Driving Emissions) road test. Source: Mercedes

Given the wide variety of alternative engines, anyone wanting to buy a new car today has to think carefully about which engine type is best suited to their mobility needs. After all, the days when it was necessary to choose between diesel and petrol engines are long gone. But does it really have to be a model with a purely electric engine that is demanded time and again, especially by politicians, in order to be as climate-friendly as possible?

This question can be answered by the annual “Ecotest” organised by ADAC, Europe’s largest transport club. The Germans like a thorough approach and therefore compared a total of 112 vehicles with different engines in 2021. After all, every vehicle that is tested at ADAC must also undergo a stringent environmental assessment. This involves measuring pollutants, such as carbon monoxide (CO), particles or nitrogen oxides (NO_x), and also the emissions of the greenhouse gas CO_₂. There are points for both types of emissions, which are then converted into an easy-to-understand star rating.

CNG-Mobility.ch was also able to test the winner of the “ADAC Ecotest 2021” in everyday use and was also very impressed by the Spaniard with its sporty looks and efficient drive. Source: CNG-Mobility.ch

And two CNG cars won the most points and stars at Ecotest 2021! First place in these prestigious environmental rankings is the Seat Leon TGI, just ahead of the VW Golf TGI. This is hardly surprising for the engineers and experts at ADAC. Ultimately, CNG vehicles have shown for years that they release fewer pollutants into the air than their diesel and petrol counterparts and at the same time emit less CO_₂.

In concrete figures: with a measured consumption of 4.2 kg CNG/100km, the Seat Leon with a CNG engine emits a low 91 g CO₂/km. The basis for the calculation is the CNG mix at a German pump with 40% biogas content. If the proportion of biogas drawn is higher, the result continues to improve. With 100% biogas in the engine, the car is thus even almost CO₂-neutral. The same Seat model with a diesel engine can’t compete with that and, despite a low test consumption of 4.7 litres of diesel/100 km, emits a whopping 147 g CO_₂/km.

Incidentally, not only the test winner Seat Leon, but also the runner-up, the VW Golf, is also available as a spacious station wagon and with CNG drive. Source: CNG-Mobility.ch

The Hyundai Kona with an electric engine came third behind the two CNG models with an efficient 1.5-litre engine with 130 hp and tanks for 17.3 kg of CNG on board. According to the official reading, electric cars are considered zero-emission cars because they do not emit any CO₂ while driving. That’s why the automotive industry is currently seeking its salvation in electric engines. But it’s not quite that easy, as not all electric cars are automatically recharged using only green electricity. The German ADAC experts also take this fact into account – as with CNG vehicles’ biogas share. For this reason, they used the current power station mix in Germany and test consumption, including charging losses, as the basis for their assessments conducted as part of the Ecotest 2021. And so an electric car also “emits” CO_₂ and pollutants – just not at the exhaust, but during electricity generation, suddenly putting all CNG and electric engines on an equal footing thanks to the level playing field! After all, it is not the engine concept that is decisive for a vehicle’s carbon footprint, but the sustainable source of the energy used. (jas, 25 January 2022)

Further details on the good results of the other CNG models, as well as the real “polluters” at the end of the rankings of the 112 car models tested, can be found here: https://www.adac.de/rund-ums-fahrzeug/tests/ecotest/ecotest-ranking-sauberste-autos/