World, NOT USA, Stepping on the Gas, CNG That Is
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Washington DC November 29, 2010; The AIADA newsletter reported that the WSJ asked a question few people are likely to answer correctly: Which countries have the most natural-gas vehicles on the road?
According the International Association for Natural Gas Vehicles, an industry body, of the 11.4 million natural-gas vehicles currently in use world-wide,the US has 1% of the total with most found in the developing world.
Pakistan led the way with 2.3 million as of December 2009, while Iran, Argentina, Brazil, and India together accounted for six million more. In China, the number has more than doubled since 2007 to around half a million.
Although most CNG models are made by units of General Motors Co., Suzuki Motor Corp., Fiat SpA, and regional auto maker Iran Khodro Co., among others (Ed.Note: but are NOT AVAILABLE in the USA the country with one of the largest reserves of natural gas in the world-HUH?).
Vehicles powered by compressed natural gas, or CNG, are cleaner than their gasoline-powered alternatives, but that isn't the only thing driving their growth in emerging markets. Tight gasoline-refining capacity, abundant reserves of natural gas, and the risk of new trade sanctions that could severely dent thegasoline supply have also led governments to support the technology.(But not the USA - Huh?)
To read more from the WSJ about the proliferation of natural gas vehicles in some countries, as well as the hurdles it faces here in the U.S., click here
Worldwide NGV Count - Ranked Numerically As at December 2009 by NGV Global
Rank Country Natural Gas Vehicles Refuelling Stations
1 Pakistan 2,300,000 3,068 2 Argentina 1,807,186 1,851 3 Iran 1,665,602 1,021 4 Brazil 1,632,101 1,704 5 India 935,000 560 6 Italy 628,624 730 7 China 450,000 870 8 Colombia 300,000 460 9 Ukraine 200,000 285 10 Bangladesh 177,555 500 11 Thailand 162,023 391 12 Bolivia 121,908 128 13 Egypt 119,679 119 14 USA 110,000 1,300 15 Armenia 101,352 214 16 Russia 100,000 244 17 Germany 85,000 860 18 Peru 81,024 94 20 Bulgaria 60,270 77 21 Uzbekistan 47,000 43 22 Malaysia 42,617 137 23 Japan 38,042 344 24 Korea South 25,744 159 25 Sweden 23,000 104 26 Myanmar (Burma) 22,821 38 27 Venezuela 15,000 150 28 France 12,450 125 29 Canada 12,000 80 30 Tajikistan 10,600 53 31 Chile 8,064 13 32 Switzerland 7,163 110 33 Kyrgyzstan 6,000 6 34 Belarus 5,500 24 35 Moldova 5,000 14 36 Austria 4,983 208 37 Trinidad & Tobago 3,500 10 38 Turkey 3,056 9 39 Mexico 3,037 3 40 Georgia 3,000 42 41 Australia 2,750 47 42 Singapore 2,656 5 43 Poland 2,106 32 44 Indonesia 2,000 9 45 Spain 1,863 42 46 Czech Republic 1,755 37 47 Netherlands 1,502 50 49 Finland 700 13 50 Greece 520 2 51 Latvia 500 4 52 Slovakia 426 7 53 Portugal 407 5 54 United Arab Emirates305 2 55 Belgium 300 5 56 New Zealand 281 12 57 England 221 31 58 Serbia 210 7 59 Luxembourg 203 7 60 Norway 180 9 Total World 11,355,785 16,513
