Updated 04/11/2018 13:01:57 CET
MADRID, 11 Apr (EUROPA PRESS) –
The chairman of Seat, Luca de Meo, defends that compressed natural gas (CNG) has a “clear potential” business for the automotive sector, so it is necessary to “reinvent” the combustion engines thanks to the fact that there are many types of fuels and technologies that can be combined with each other.
“Cars powered by CNG are a sustainable and practical alternative to traditional vehicles and electric vehicles, they do not go against them, they are a complement, customers look for comfort and do not change their habits”, said the executive during the VI Gasnam Congress, ‘Natural gas: Intelligent ecology for mobility’, held this Wednesday in Madrid and which has had the Spanish automotive firm as official sponsor.
In this regard, he explained that Europe has a great competitive advantage over its competitors in terms of the development of combustion engines, but not in the field of batteries, so he called for a greater boost of the sector in this field.
“We must also reinvent the combustion engines, there are now many types of fuel and technologies that can be combined with each other,” he added.
In this context, the manager explained that in the automotive industry is the customer who commands and that the sector should look at the point of view of this, which already looks to the car connected, autonomous, ecological and shared.
“We are in the initial stage of the fourth industrial revolution, also called Industry 4.0, we live in a period of uncertainty and concern, Spain must create more powerful collaborative environments, we must know how to combine power with agility,” he said.
De Meo said that the growing and “fair” environmental demands will cause the “definitive” irruption of renewable energies. According to data offered by the president of Seat, if the Spanish automobile fleet had one million light vehicles powered by natural gas, they would stop emitting two million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), which would be equivalent to filling Madrid with trees .
In this regard, he urged that the investment in gasolineras grow and that this type of vehicle be opened to the market “as is being done with electric vehicles”. The director said there will be 300 gas supply installations in Spain by 2020, compared to 2,000 for Italy and Germany for that year.
De Meo highlighted the fact that vehicles powered by CNG have a price “similar” to those of traditional combustion and that it is the only fossil fuel not derived from petroleum, with emissions lower than 25% with respect to gasoline and 75% in gasoline. comparison to diesel.
“It serves to combat climate change, it is simple, practical, comfortable and adapts better than other technologies in any environment, whether it is urban, interurban or long distance, it is available to everyone. % with respect to gasoline and 30% and 15% compared to diesel and LPG, respectively “, he explained.
Finally, De Meo encouraged other brands so that in 2030 a million vehicles driven by CNG circulate on Spanish roads. Specifically, Seat estimates sales of 20,000 units per year of this type of vehicle in the European market by 2020.
“Reality has shown that the potential is much greater, in Martorell (Barcelona) we have already reached the production limit for the second time and we are working to increase it,” he said. The company manufactures the CNG versions of Ibiza and León in this plant and will also assemble that of the next Arona GNC.