VW Adds Third Tank to European CNG Cars

Volkswagen AG is adding a third compressed natural gas tank to its Golf and Polo TGI models in Europe.

The extra tank will allow the vehicles, which also have small gasoline tanks, to operate longer in CNG mode. VW says running on CNG is about 40% cheaper than gasoline and can cut carbon dioxide emissions by about 25%.

The third tank increases the Golf TGI’s CNG capacity by 25% to 115 liters (30.4 gallons). The Polo TGI (pictured with CNG tanks highlighted in blue) gets a 22% hike to 91.5 liters (24.2 gallons). VW says the vehicles can drive 422 km (262 miles) and 368 km (229 miles), respectively, in CNG mode on the European cycle.

Additional emissions benefits are possible by using biomethane or e-gas CNG blends, according to the carmaker. Biomethane is extracted from plant residues; e-gas is produced from surplus energy (power-to-gas).

Power for the Golf comes from a turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder Miller cycle engine. The Polo is fitted with a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder unit. VW launched the TGI models four years ago in Europe.