6. Different technological approaches

Natural gas as a fuel took off in the mid-twentieth century, with the first service station in France in 1941. The shortage of petroleum-based fuel proved to be an effective vector, particularly in regions with natural gas resources such as the South-West (Lacq deposit). It is likely that the use of gas as a fuel was not, in this case, a deliberate choice given its advantages, but was objectively dictated by the economic situation.

This initial phase continued without any significant optimization. The oil crises of the 1970s significantly rekindled the race to reduce consumption in all sectors, including the automotive industry. The specter of dwindling oil supplies probably paved the way for this, spurring research into alternative energies. A new phase then began, characterized...