Press releases

Record fuel efficiency for the first all-natural-gas hybrid prototype developed by IFP and Gaz de France

04 July 2006

At 3.56 kg of NGV (natural gas for vehicles) for 144 km, the first all-natural-gas hybrid prototype developed by IFP and Gaz de France on a Toyota Prius base has achieved record fuel efficiency levels in the latest Challenge Bibendum. In energy terms, this performance is equivalent to a fuel consumption of 3.63 liters of gasoline per 100 km.

In terms of CO₂ emissions, the natural-gas-powered Prius produced less than 75 g/km in the Challenge Bibendum, a level that is extremely low for a vehicle in this category at just over half the emission level of a comparable gasoline-powered vehicle. To attain the same low level of CO₂ emissions, a gasoline-powered vehicle would have to consume only 2.7 liters of gasoline per 100 km over a distance of 144 km, including 66 km at a steady 100 km/h, 55 km of highway driving at an average speed of 60 km/h, 11 km of urban driving at an average speed of 26.4 km/h, and 12 km between stages.

In other words, the combination of hybrid technology and natural gas fuel has enormous potential for improving the fuel economy and cutting the CO₂ emissions of vehicles. Moreover, emissions of regulated pollutants comply with the Euro IV standard, with no modifications to the original exhaust system.

In addition, the vehicle is adapted for natural gas using simple technological solutions, without sacrificing the passenger compartment or the trunk: the gasoline tank is replaced by strong, lightweight natural gas tanks placed under the chassis, with a special manifold, and natural gas injectors replacing the gasoline injectors.

This project is a natural next step in the joint work being carried out by IFP and Gaz de France on natural gas as a fuel for vehicles: it was preceded by a first Smart-based demonstrator with a "downsized" engine (an engine having a reduced displacement, turbocharged to preserve performance) running on natural gas alone, developed in 2004, and will soon be followed by a Smart-based natural gas hybrid prototype currently under development.

IFP, a research center active in the fields of energy, transport, and the environment, develops new engine and fuel technologies. In an energy context marked by the need to diversify sources while protecting the environment, IFP devises innovative solutions to meet sustainable mobility needs in the decades to come. Using its unique experience in fuels and engines, IFP is developing alternative fuels (biofuels, synthetic fuels, etc.) and clean, economical vehicles (Natural Gas for Vehicles or biofuels, hybrid powertrains, etc.). To find out more: http://engines-fuels.ifp.fr

For many years, Gaz de France has been mobilizing its expertise and drawing on its industrial experience to make natural gas a promising alternative fuel. The Group's research in the field of natural gas as a fuel for vehicles has contributed to its growing use, first by local authorities (for buses and sanitation vehicles) and corporate fleets and, more recently, by private individuals.
Today, the strengths of natural gas make it a credible solution to help achieve the changes in the field of road mobility that are so necessary. Natural gas as fuel is a way of reconciling the aspirations of motorists with the transport and energy issues of the coming years, in terms of the environment, public health, energy supplies, price, performance, and convenience. To find out more: http://www.gazdefrance.com