alternative fuels
Caddy on gas
A CNG-powered Caddy is available across Europe – but not in right hand drive. Would it sell here? asks Dan Gilkes
T
here have been several attempts to sell compressed natural gas (CNG) powered vans in the UK over the years, mainly from
VW, Mercedes-Benz and Iveco. CNG is generally cleaner than diesel, the fuel costs less and the vans are quieter to drive. The downsides are that the van itself will probably cost more than a diesel competitor and CNG is still not freely available in many parts of the UK. That’s no longer the case in Germany though, where there are currently around 900 CNG stations, with up to 2,000 expected by 2025. Indeed across Europe, there are more than 3,200 CNG stations in operation. In Germany alone there are around 100,000 CNG-powered cars and vans on the road today and the country aims to increase that tenfold by 2025, to more than 1m. Yet Volkswagen, which currently offers
19 different car and van models across the VW Group with CNG power, still sees CNG as a bridging technology, in the inevitable march towards electromobility. The company offers the VW Caddy
van, in both short wheelbase and Maxi bodies and in both LCV and people- carrying versions with a CNG engine across Europe, though not currently in right-hand drive. The Caddy TGI BlueMotion uses a 1.4-litre TSI petrol/CNG engine, producing 110hp and 200Nm of torque. This can be ordered with a six- speed manual or a DSG gearbox, a first for the sector.
Low temperatures The vans come with a 13-litre petrol tank, to start the engine and to allow it to run in low temperatures. The short Caddy has four steel gas tanks beneath the load floor holding 158 litres (25kg) of gas, while the Caddy Maxi comes with five tanks holding 202 litres (32kg). This gives the Caddy a useable range of around 390 miles, while the Caddy Maxi can manage up to 530 miles on CNG. The Caddy TGI emits 112g/km of CO2
22 VanUser August 2017
with a manual gearbox or 123g/km with the DSG. The Maxi produces 116g/km and 126g/km respectively. As the cylinders sit beneath the load floor there is no impact on interior space or load sill height, however they do knock around 100kg off the available payload. Fuel cost is of course the major benefit, alongside lower emissions. The 1.4-litre motor is around 28% more fuel efficient than the old 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine that VW used in the old Caddy EcoFuel, which despite a similar power output on paper was a bit lethargic on the road. Comparing gas and petrol or diesel
prices is never simple, as you buy gas by the kg rather than the litre. To make it harder still, 1kg of CNG has the same energy content as around 1.3-litres of diesel or 1.5-litres of petrol. Basically, all things being equal, gas has a price advantage of around 11% in Germany at present.
As mentioned the 1.4-litre engine
offers around 110hp and its plenty for rapid travel on country roads or motorways. The vans are also happy in the urban to and fro, particularly when equipped with the automated DSG transmission. If you have access to the gas it would be an easy van to recommend if you fancied a change from the diesel norm. But, the Caddy TGI is not available in right hand drive on the current model. VW does however say that if there was demand there would be nothing to stop the next generation Caddy being made available with a gas choice in right hand drive.
Of course by then, we may also be
offered a hybrid or full electric Caddy van, which for many would leapfrog the TGI in terms of alternative fuel potential. Either way, buyers look set to be offered a far wider range of van powertrains in the future.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32
