STEPAN ZEMTSOV: “THE INITIATIVE TO SWITCH CAR OWNERS TO COMPRESSED GAS WILL BE EFFECTIVE"
Stepan Zemtsov, Senior Researcher, Innovation Economics Department of the Gaidar Institute, shared his opinion in an interview with “Izvestia” on the preferential program for switching car owners from gasoline to compressed natural gas (CNG), thereby reducing fuel costs by 60–65%.
An updated program was launched on July 20, securing the reimbursement of 90% of the car owners’ expenditures when switching fr om gasoline to gas. The state will subsidize 60% of the cost of the refurbishment, while Gazprom will cover 30% as part of the marketing programs of its subsidiary company Gazprom Natural Gas Motor Fuel.
Thus, those wishing to switch their cars to gas will have to pay only 10% of the cost of works.
According to Stepan Zemtsov, "the initiative will be effective for many regions where gas is cheaper than gasoline.”
“The updated program will certainly be useful for certain regions. There are regions wh ere gas is cheaper than gasoline, and a very high number of companies and owners of personal vehicles have switched there to gas. Yet another point that should not be forgotten is that gas is considered a more environmentally friendly fuel taking into account the sustainable development, and therefore, switching to gas can be likewise considered as a fulfillment of our international obligations, the expert of the Gaidar Institute emphasized.
“However, one of the major issues demanding solution is a very low number of gas-filling stations in Russia”, Stepan Zemtsov noted.
Thus, those wishing to switch their cars to gas will have to pay only 10% of the cost of works.
According to Stepan Zemtsov, "the initiative will be effective for many regions where gas is cheaper than gasoline.”
“The updated program will certainly be useful for certain regions. There are regions wh ere gas is cheaper than gasoline, and a very high number of companies and owners of personal vehicles have switched there to gas. Yet another point that should not be forgotten is that gas is considered a more environmentally friendly fuel taking into account the sustainable development, and therefore, switching to gas can be likewise considered as a fulfillment of our international obligations, the expert of the Gaidar Institute emphasized.
“However, one of the major issues demanding solution is a very low number of gas-filling stations in Russia”, Stepan Zemtsov noted.