Two men in one VW Caddy Ecofuel car with 13 gas tanks drove into Shanghai yesterday after covering more than 20,000 kilometers on the EcoFuel Asia Tour 2007.
This is the first time a European car powered by compressed natural gas has driven overland in China.
Rainer Zietlow and photographer Franz Janusiewicz set out from Berlin on September 17 and drove through Czechoslovakia, Russia, Egypt, Nepal and Pakistan before arriving in China's Tibet highlands. They drove through Chengdu to reach Shanghai yesterday.
While here, the adventurers will visit "Challenge Bibendum" in Anting Auto City tomorrow and on Friday. The event, organized by Michelin, showcases ecologically sustainable vehicles.
The car will later follow the Chinese coast on its way to Vietnam, and will finish its 10-week journey at Thailand's Bangkok on November 27.
The car has been modified to take nine CNG gas tanks inside the cabin and four smaller ones under the car, said Zietlow, 38, from Germany.
The gas tanks can take up to 1,000 liters of CNG, allowing the Caddy Ecofuel car to run 3,000 kilometers without refueling.
Zietlow said the tour aims to raise public awareness of CNG fuel, which is a practical alternative fuel that protects the environment and offers a solution amid record high oil prices.