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Home > Markets > Alternative Fuels > Around the World on CNG
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Around the World on CNG
The EcoFuel World Tour is an attempt to set a world record by driving a standard natural gas Volkswagen Caddy 50,000 kilometers around the world powered only by fuel purchased en route.
The team, sponsored by Volkswagen and co-sponsored by Swagelok Company, started its record breaking attempt at Volkswagen Hanover. The team also visited Swagelok distributor B.E.S.T Ventil Fitting GmbH Hamburg, which supplied vital parts for the Caddy’s engine.
“This is a tough challenge and we wish the team every success,” says Pierre Fischer, Swagelok regional manager for Europe and Africa.
“The aim for the tour is to demonstrate the long-term quality of the compressed natural gas (CNG) engine and its components, as well as to highlight the growing use of CNG vehicles in more than 30 countries worldwide,” says Fischer, who also serves as VP and representative for Europe on the executive committee and council for the International Association for Natural Gas Vehicles (IANGV). “Volkswagen has chosen Swagelok tube fittings, valves, and hoses, as reliability and safety are paramount. So, in addition to Swagelok co-sponsoring the seven-month event, the company’s components will provide a vital contribution to the Ecofuel World Tour.”
The tour’s organizer and driver is 36-year-old German national Rainer Zietlow, who is accompanied by a support vehicle with a mechanic, cameraman, and photographer. “It’s the first attempt to circumnavigate the globe with a standard CNG vehicle,” says Zietlow. “We just have extra CNG tanks in the boot. We will cover a tremendous distance in a short time and over difficult terrain.
“It will require both physical endurance and resourcefulness to find sufficient refueling stations en route and to keep to our schedule.” It is a challenge Zietlow is well qualified to take up: In 2005, he drove a standard Volkswagen Touareg to a height of 6,081 meters in Chile, setting a new high altitude world record for standard cars.
The Caddy and drive team have already visited the NGV06 conference and exhibition in Cairo, Egypt, in early November. Other Swagelok stops along the route will be Swagelok’s EU Technical Centre in Lachen, Switzerland, and global headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio, as well as a number of distributors along the route for customer and media events.
The tour will raise funds for SOS Children's Village, a charity supporting abandoned children and orphans, as well as disadvantaged families worldwide.
The progress of the seven-month tour can be accessed here. We will post photos and other information as it comes in from the drive team.
Any additional questions about the tour should be addressed to Pat.Carlson@Swagelok.com.
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