Environment-friendly natural gas-powered vehicles top 30,000

TOKYO January 20, 2007; Japan Today reported that the number of environmentally friendly natural gas-powered four-wheeled vehicles that emit less carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide than their gasoline-powered peers topped 30,000 as of Dec 31, industry bodies said Friday.

The number of automobiles that have engines which burn natural gas compared to more pollution-inducing gasoline and diesel oil soared by 80 percent during the five-year period to December 2006 to 30,469 units from 16,561 as of March 31, 2002.