NATURAL gas - the fuel that many energy-generation companies are turning to for its clean-burning properties - has found a niche among motorists and public transport operators too.
Taxis that could run on compressed natural gas (CNG) were introduced in Singapore in March 2003. Only one filling station was available then - on Jurong Island.
By the end of 2006, private vehicle owners, too, had the option of fitting a CNG kit that enabled their cars to run on both petrol and gas.
From only two suppliers of CNG conversion kits in 2006, there are now some 20 workshops that convert cars island-wide. There are an estimated 2,700 CNG vehicles on the road today, out of a vehicle population of 850,000.
One more filling station opened in Mandai early this year. More have been planned to cater to the growing demand: one in Serangoon North scheduled for early next year, and a 38-pump giant, the second largest in the world, at Toh Tuck in the second quarter of next year.
But the number of CNG conversions of late has been falling. Mr Gilbert von der Aue, sales manager of Melchers, said his workshop used to fit about 120 vehicles with CNG kits monthly at the beginning of this year. "But the number has fallen to about 60, and that includes taxis."
He said owners are concerned about whether CNG vehicles will continue to enjoy exemption from a special tax. The tax, equivalent to four times a petrol vehicle's road tax, was waived for CNG until the end of next year.
Other drivers are concerned about recent negative reports about the unreliability of the CNG filling infrastructure, and also the price of CNG, which had been steadily rising since the launch of the Mandai station - from the introductory rate of $1.28 per kg to over $1.60 at its recent peak.
But with the price of oil falling lately, CNG vehicle owners should be able to look forward to lower prices once again.
In addition, those who buy a new CNG vehicle are entitled to a Green Vehicle Rebate equivalent to 40 per cent of its Additional Registration Fee.
Meanwhile, a workshop in Pandan Loop is home to a fleet of silvery-blue Mercedes-Benz A-class test vehicles. They run on fuel cells which generate electricity via a chemical process that uses hydrogen (stored in the fuel tank) and oxygen (from the atmosphere), which makes them more efficient than cars running on combustion engines.
Fuel-cell vehicles accelerate rapidly with the single-gear, high-torque motor, but are limited by their short range - about 100km between hydrogen top-ups. This is something that will "improve with the next generation of F-cell cars", says Daimler service engineer Franklin Taye, who is in charge of the test fleet.
Fuel-cell cars worldwide are still in the testing phase, and Singapore has no fuel-cell infrastructure in place.
This article was first published in The Straits Times on Nov 8, 2008.
