NGVs battle zero-emissions rivals in EU transport sector
Fuelling vehicles with natural gas is often cost-effective, but a push to use even greener alternatives is holding the sector back
The use of natural gas in Europe's transport sector has slowed in 2019, reversing a previous upward trend, as competition with zero-emissions vehicles intensifies. The best growth prospects now lie in the commercial vehicles segment, industry observers say. New registrations of natural gas vehicles (NGVs) in the EU fell 50pc year-on-year to 9,546 in Q1 2019, according to European automobile manufacturers' association Acea. That contrasts with healthy growth seen in 2018, when new NGVs registrations were up 31.4pc year-on-year to 65,092. Nevertheless, NGVs still have a strong and growing appeal. "A greater focus on environmental emission limits supports the increasing penetration of natural g
Also in this section
17 February 2026
The 25th WPC Energy Congress, taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 26–30 April 2026, will bring together leaders from the political, industrial, financial and technology sectors under the unifying theme “Pathways to an Energy Future for All”
17 February 2026
Siemens Energy has been active in the Kingdom for nearly a century, evolving over that time from a project-based foreign supplier to a locally operating multi-national company with its own domestic supply chain and workforce
17 February 2026
Eni’s chief operating officer for global natural resources, Guido Brusco, takes stock of the company’s key achievements over the past year, and what differentiates its strategy from those of its peers in the LNG sector and beyond
16 February 2026
As the third wave of global LNG arrives, Wood Mackenzie’s director for Europe gas and LNG, Tom Marzec-Manser, discusses with Petroleum Economist the outlook for Europe’s gas market in 2026
