Natural Gas Car by Mercedes Benz

Washington--According to Mercedes-Benz, it is thinking of selling a vehicle fueled by natural gas in the United States.

Mercedes, part of Daimler AG, displayed a B-class model that can run on compressed natural gas last week at the Washington Auto Show.

William Craven, general manager of regulatory affairs for Daimler's Washington office, confirmed the company's interest in testing the market for natural-gas-powered vehicles in the United States.

At a green-car conference before the Washington show, Craven and other industry leaders said many options to gasoline-powered vehicles exist, and all need to be used. Most conference participants argued against government choosing a single solution to the problems of over reliance on petroleum and the automobile's role in the threat of climate change.

Johan de Nysschen, president of Audi of America, warned that government pressure on the Big 3 to focus on plug-in hybrids could be the death knell for the companies. He said the companies could end up trying to sell vehicles that don't make economic sense.

Natural gas once was considered a promising alternative fuel but has fallen out of favor in the light-duty segment.

(Source: Automotive News)