Buses on CNG

The design of vehicles with CNG drive

The in series produced buses with CNG drive are designed as single-fuel ones. The motor is usually specifically designed to be powered by CNG. The pressure tanks (containers) for CNG are built-in the buses on the roof, i.e. the user does not spot at all the difference between the CNG vehicle and the conventional vehicle. The endurance distance of buses with single-fuel CNG drive is approx. 400 – 700 km.

Dopravný podnik Bratislava currently operates 160 CNG buses, which represents approx. 40% of the fleet. Their number will be increasing also in the next years. The cost saving on fuel compared to diesel represents approx. 30% and there is a significant environmental benefit from the use of CNG which is already appreciated mainly by the pedestrians in Bratislava streets.

Dopravný podnik mesta Košice currently uses 35 CNG buses which represents almost 20% of the fleet. Similarly as in Bratislava, the city Košice plans to gradually increase their number up to 50% of the municipal CNG buses.

SAD Michalovce currently operates 15 CNG buses which cover the needs of urban and sub-urban transport.

Veolia Transport Nitra (the former SAD Nitra) currently operates 5 CNG buses. SPP is in negotiations with the representatives of the company in order to reinstate the gasification with the objective to contribute to the environmental friendliness of the bus transportation in Nitra.

Support to CNG use in public (urban and sub-urban) bus transportation brought the National Strategic Reference Framework for the years 2007 – 2013 in the Operating Program Environment. The non-repayable financial aid from the EU funds can be obtained by municipalities or urban and sub-urban bus transport operators for purchasing buses with CNG drive in case the new CNG bus would replace a diesel bus. The first call for submission of projects was published by the Ministry of Environment on 22^nd May 2008.