Brescia, March 25, 2014 | A special CNG converted FIAT 500 Abarth, equipped with the rear and front conversion kits made respectively by Cavagna Group – the Italian world leading manufacturer of equipment and fittings for compressed gases, gas storage and control – and by Bigas – the Italian company which designs and develops alternative fuel components and systems – has just raced for the Italian Ecomotori Racing Team in the “15e Rallye Monte-Carlo des Energies Nouvelles”, the first race of the FIA Alternative Energy Cup 2014. In the ranking of regularity (the only one that gives points for the World Championship), Massimo Liverani, driver of Ecomotori Racing Team, on FIAT 500 Abarth equipped with CNG Bigas/Cavagna System, placed second and the car won the combined consumption/regularity classification of the combustion engine category.
Thanks to its agility and reliability, this Cavagna-Bigas converted FIAT 500 Abarth had already won the Championship in 2012 and 2013. Many years have passed by since the time in which converted cars were slow and less powerful. This great success proves that a “new-conception of converted cars” can have an excellent performance.
And, in fact, for several years now car manufacturers have been participating in sporting competitions with gas models (CNG and LPG) and they have offered cars powered by these alternative fuels.
As far as inner characteristics, CNG is the one of cheapest and greenest fuel.
Comparing with traditional gasoline, the savings with CNG is about 50-60%, in terms of consumption CNG is 70% less, while in terms of exhausted gases it is 52% less. Those numbers, among other considerations, emphasize how much CNG fuel is a great benefit to the environment as well.
At last, Italian Institutions are going strongly in the green–eco direction, supporting and promoting the use of alternative fuels in favor of a more ecological mobility.
For this reason, car taxes for green-powered vehicles have been reduced and even eliminated in some Italian Regions. And an inter-ministerial decree will introduce the natural gas supply in self-service mode. In parallel, during these last 15 years, the CNG cars has tripled: there were 260,000 in 1997 and there are approximately 750,000 today.
At the same time, the natural gas distributors have increased in number: in February, there were over 1000 (European record ), and there will be further increasing in the coming months.
On this trend, at the official Ecorally Team taking off, in front of the new Lombardy Region Headquarters, in Milan, the Region President, Roberto Maroni has stressed the Institutions’ commitment toward alternative fuel and green mobility. “ For this reason, car taxes for green-powered vehicles have been eliminated in Lombardy”, he has commented. A real starting point, indeed!