21.6.2002
German minister visits Opel

Germany's Environmental Minister, Jürgen Trittin, visited Adam Opel AG to learn more about the environmentally-friendly Zafira 1.6 CNG. This compressed-natural-gas version of the popular Zafira is an essential part of Opel's strategy to reduce CO2- and other emissions.

Germany's Minister of the Environment, Jürgen Trittin, visited Adam Opel AG in order to learn more about Opel's activities towards reducing emissions and fuel consumption of its vehicles. The focus of his visit was a tour through the production facilities of Opel Special Vehicles GmbH (OSV), which equips the compact van with natural-gas technology and has a capacity of about 10,000 natural-gas vehicles per year.

The natural-gas version of the popular Zafira compact van is an essential part of Opel's strategy to reduce CO2 and other emissions and has been on the market for the last year.

The main advantage of vehicles powered by natural gas is the reduced impact on the environment. Emissions and fuel costs are significantly lower than those of gasoline or diesel powered vehicles. In order to promote the adoption of vehicles powered by natural gas, tax reductions will be offered for natural gas through 2009.

"The Zafira 1.6 CNG represents the beginning of our strategy of natural-gas powered vehicles. This will be followed early next year with the launch of the Opel Astra CNG," said Carl-Peter Forster.

In addition to vehicles powered by natural or bio gas, another component of Opel's three part strategy is to reduce CO2 emissions in such vehicles as the Astra Eco 4 and the Corsa Eco. A long term goal of the company is the development of fuel cell technologies which can be brought to market.

With the Zafira 1.6 CNG, Opel has developed a vehicle powered by natural gas which offers comparable flexibility to the original version. The innovative MonovalentPlus concept stands not only for lower operating costs and reduced emissions but also for driving dynamics and comfortable everyday use. The Zafira 1.6 CNG can accommodate up to seven people, just like the gasoline and diesel powered versions. The 1.6 ECOTEC engine (71 kW/97 PS) has been optimized for the usage of natural gas. The four fuel tanks have a capacity of 110 liters. Additionally, the vehicle is equipped with a 14 liter gasoline reserve tank. In case of emergencies, the driver can simply push a button in the middle console to switch to gasoline consumption. Thanks to this flexible system, the Zafira can reach from 350 to 500 kilometers without having to re-fuel. There are currently almost 300 natural-gas stations dispersed throughout all of Germany, which reduce the driver's worries of finding the next filling station.

The Zafira 1.6 CNG is an optimal solution for drivers who are searching for a vehicle that is environmentally friendly and economical and which does not sacrifice standard comforts. In Germany, nearly 1,000 Opel Zafiras have been registered. Opel plans to introduce the environmentally-friendly Zafira in Italy this fall.