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Supported by:
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AFD Show Cases |
| CNG driving school: Verkehr human GmbH Berlin |
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Berlin (Germany)
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| Since 1999 Verkehr human exclusively uses CNG vehicles in its practical driving education. |
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Size/Implementation Quantity
Verkehr human operates five CNG cars, each with a yearly mileage of 50.000 to 60.000 kilometers and most of them within the city of Berlin.
The cars are factory-made CNG versions by different producers: Ford, Fiat, Opel, Volvo and VW.
In cooperation with a Toyota car dealer at present we test also the Prius Hybrid in driver education.
Experience
In the last three years we had no exceptionally technical problems with the CNG cars. Just the engine management system sometimes makes a little bit trouble, probably because the engines are bivalent and have to manage CNG and also petrol. The driveability of The CNG vehicles resembles traditional petrol cars.
Each type has different outranges in CNG-mode, mostly less than petrol cars, but the range became better with the newer vehicle developments. Out of that reason our driving teachers need some more refueling sessions. But we see it as a possibility for the driving students to handle and to familiarize with the new fuel.
No driving student did ever refuse the CNG cars. Quite the contrary: they are very interested, gaze the cheap fuel prices and regret the lack of a second-hand market with affordable CNG cars.
All driving students enjoy the single practical lessons in the hybrid-vehicle, in particular the phases without any noise. And by the way they experience the ease of use with an automatic gearbox.
Decision Process/Reasons
From the beginning we teached our students an environmental friendly eco-driving style. Consequentially we wanted to complete this behavioral rules by technical equivalents. In the long run a driving school will lose its credibility if cleaner alternatives are discussed but not used.
We started with CNG because new types of factory-made CNG vehicles and enough refueling stations in Berlin were foreseeable.
Other
In 2000 did start the Berlin TUT-project with incentives between 2.500 € and 4.500 € for each new CNG-car . Until now we renewed our cars every two years. So we could contribute to a CNG second-hand car market. Some of the cars were bought by our own students or their parents.
Company
We are working with one female and three male driving techers. In order of the Berlin driving teacher association Verkehr human is authorized representative for CNG-cars in the driver education since 2000. In this function we inform and advice other driving schools regarding our experiences and the progressions of CNG vehicles.
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Author
Dominic Blume
Contact
Dominic Blume
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