How many NGVs are there and where?

© gazeo.comThis is the year to expect the 25 millionth NGV to be sold and registered. Where will it be?

Tens of millions, tens of thousands

According to the organisation, at the end of 2017 there were precisely 24 million 479 thousand 265 NGVs across the world and 30065 stations to refuel them at, meaning each retail point provides methane fuel for 814 vehicles. Incredible precision, may we say, probably paired with accuracy. If methane keeps its momentum, it may soon become the world's most popular alternative fuel, deposing LPG autogas with its 26 million converted vehicles currently on the road.

One in five NGVs is Chinese

Of course, neither the vehicles nor the stations are spread evenly across the planet. More interestingly, the countries with the most sheer numbers of NGVs are not the same ones where NGVs are the most common among all vehicles. If this sounds a bit obscure, we don't blame you – let's explain this with an example. China has 21,9% of all the world's vehicles powered with methane, but the country with the highest NGV saturation (standing at an astonishing 56,19%) is... Armenia, a country rarely associated with CNG and LNG.

NGV millionaires

As for the list of NGVs per country, China obviously tops the chart with 5,35 million vehicles, followed by Iran (4 million), India (3,045 million), Pakistan (3 million), Argentina (2,295 million), Brazil (1,78 million) and Italy (the only European country on the list and the last one with a number exceeding 1 million, by a margin of 1614 vehicles). They're followed by Colombia (565 thousand), Thailand (474 thousand) and Uzbekistan (450 thousand). The latter country has 1,8% of all NGVs in the world.

Over half of all vehicles run on methane

When you look at saturation, an entirely different picture comes into view. The aforementioned Armenia tops this chart with well over half of all the country's cars running on methane, but in net numbers there are "only" 244 thousand NGVs there. Next comes Pakistan with 33,04% of its car park running on CNG and LNG, followed by Bolivia, Uzbekistan, Iran and Bangladesh, the final country in this category with saturation above 10% (although Argentina is close behind with 9,93%). Georgia, Peru and Colombia complete the top ten with saturation ranging from 4,59% to 8,47%.

Bridging the gaps

While the overall number of NGVs currently in use around the world has become rather impressive and close to that of LPG-powered vehicles, there are vast differences between countries, both in terms of net figures and saturation. Before they even out, methane will remain an alternative fuel rather than just a fuel, but hopefully the process won't take much longer to complete.