Fuel Systems and Fiat

[tomdotstar]

I was listening to the Fuel Systems (FSYS) call and they made an interesting comment about FIAT. Of course, FSYS is the company that is taking over Fuelmaker's assets.

Although headquartered in California, much of FSYS's business is in Italy, where Fiat is located and 20% of the cars are going with CNG. During the conference call they alluded to the fact that they have good relationships with FIAT and are optimistic about FIAT's bringing fuel efficient cars into the US.

I love my Honda, but it would be great to have some more choices. I just wanted to get people thinking about how we might encourage Fiat/Chrysler to bring in CNG. In particular, I would love to be able to buy something like an OEM CNG Caravan for my business.

[cnghal]

Re: Fuel Systems and Fiat

Tom,
Don't forget, Fiat is also hot and heavy for buying Opel.
The Zafira would be a great mini van for Chrysler to build in the USA.
But, a CNG Opel GT in the states would put Chrysler back on the map.
Too bad the GT, a rebadged Pontiac Solstice or Saturn Sky, is already being built here in Wilmington Delaware by GM.
Who knows, once GM files for Chapter 11, maybe they'll let go of the Kappa platform.

[eloo]

Re: Fuel Systems and Fiat

I love my Honda GX too, but it sure would help boost the US CNG infrastructure if more NGV options were available.

"There are currently 27 different models of natural gas vehicle passenger cars and 7 models of vans and small buses in Switzerland."

From

http://www.ngvglobal.com/en/country-reports/switzerlands-ngvs-exceed-7-000-02402.html

Boy, are we behind...

[cngacrossusa]

Re: Fuel Systems and Fiat

Hello eloo . . . . .that's the pinpoint ACCURACY (your quote of 27 models of cng vehicles available in Switzerland - - - a tiny country by any measure) that show the huge incompetence of US automakers (if you can call them automakers . . . for many years, they have been junk makers).

USA should have say 50 models (or more) of cng vehicles immediately available for sale and conversion, if we were really serious about cutting pollution and using our clean domestic source of transportaion fuel . . . ie cng!!

Keep up the good work eloo . . . . .go cng !!

[Sulthane]

Re: Fuel Systems and Fiat

Not to mention that Fuelmaker was invented in Switz.

[cripple_rooster]

Re: Fuel Systems and Fiat

Fiat won't buy Opel, but they have their own minivans that could be introduced in the U.S.: the Ulysse and the Scudo, both made in Valenciennes, France, alongside Peugeot 807 and Citroën C8. These are more suitable to replace the Caravan, since they're in the same size class. But Fiat already offers the Doblò in some CNG versions, and it could already be an opponent to Ford Transit Connect.