A 45 MPG Minivan with Turbocharging and Direct Injection that
Runs on CNG and Gasoline  Photo: VWVW Touran Minivan gets Dual-
Fuel TSI EcoFuel Powertrain (CNG & Gasoline)Volkswagen has
decided to put its 1.4-liter TSI EcoFuel engine in its Touran
Minivan/MPV. This means that it can run on both gasoline and
compressed natural gas (CNG), giving it cleaner emissions and
reducing the amount of CO2 produced per kilometer (more
technical details below). Of course, natural gas is still a
fossil fuel (well, unless it is methane reclaimed from a
landfill or something like that), but it greener than gasoline
(The 2009 Honda Civic GX was recognized by the EPA as the
"cleanest-internal combustion vehicle on Earth") and most people
could refuel from their home, so it's surprising that CNG
vehicles haven't caught on.Photo: VWTouran TSI EcoFuel Technical
SpecificationsThe first thing to note - and it's visible at a
glance when you look at the first picture above - is the dual
fuel system.  When the engine is running on gasol