Record-Setting Ecofuel World Tour Visits Northeast Ohio To Promote Natural Gas As Alternative Fuel For Vehicles
CLEVELAND – (APRIL 12, 2007) – EcoFuel World Tour, the six-month, six-continent tour showcasing natural gas as a clean and economical alternative fuel for vehicles, recently visited Northeast Ohio.
Rainer Zietlow, the leader of the expedition, visited with Swagelok Company associates in Solon and talked about his record-setting, around-the-world odyssey in a natural gas-powered vehicle. Swagelok is a sponsor of the tour and many of its fluid system components, including tubing, fittings, valves, hoses and gauges, are used in the vehicle.
“I’m very happy to have the opportunity to visit Cleveland and Northeast Ohio,” said Zietlow. “This region has a long history of innovating new products and technologies, so I am confident that people here will embrace natural gas as a fuel for their vehicles once it becomes more widely available.”
The vehicle used for the EcoFuel Tour is the Volkswagen Caddy, which features a 2-liter, 4-cylinder gasoline engine that has been optimized for natural gas operation. The car has been modified slightly with the addition of nine extra fuel tanks to supplement the standard four it carries. It can drive a distance of approximately 2,500 kilometers (1,560 miles) without having to refuel.
“This is a tough challenge and we wish Rainer and his team great success,” said Peter Ehlers, alternative fuels manager for Swagelok. “The tour’s goal is to demonstrate the long-term quality and viability of engines using a compressed natural gas (CNG) engine and its components, as well as to highlight the growing use of natural gas-powered vehicles worldwide.
“We are very pleased that Volkswagen has chosen Swagelok tube fittings, valves, tubing and hoses for its vehicles,” Ehlers added. “So, along with co-sponsoring the tour, Swagelok technology is providing the tour with a valuable contribution.”
The EcoFuel World Tour kicked off in October 2006 in Cologne, Germany, and has traveled to destinations in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, South America, and North America, covering approximately 45,000 kilometers (about 28,000 miles). The journey is expected to go into the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest ever undertaken in a natural gas-powered vehicle.
In addition to highlighting the growing use of natural gas, the EcoFuel World Tour is raising funds for the charity SOS Children’s Village in Bangalore, India.
Zietlow, 36, is the organizer and leader of the tour, which includes a support vehicle with a mechanic, cameraman and photographer. In 2005 Zietlow made history by driving a standard Volkswagen Touareg to an altitude of 6,081 meters (19,950 feet).
Tour sponsors include:
- Volkswagen
- OMV Gas International
- Walker brand of Tenneco, Inc.
- Endress+Hauser
- TÜV Rheinland
- Adnoc Distribution
- Landi Renzo
- Swagelok Company
- Stäubli
- LuK
- Raufoss Fuel Systems
- Michelin
- Panasonic
- Nikon
Additional information about the EcoFuel World Tour is available at: http://www.ecofuel-world-tour.com.
Contacts
Tim Bennett
Marcus Thomas LLC
(216) 514-4565
tbennett@marcusthomasllc.com
Pat Carlson
Swagelok Company
(440) 649-4552
pat.carlson@swagelok.com
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