If you were one of the van fleet operators who got your fingers burned financially by buying LPG-powered vans, you will probably snort and say: “Oh yeah?” at the idea of dipping a toe into the waters of compressed natural gas.

I wouldn’t blame you, really.

You can’t buy it at any garage forecourts in the UK at present, CNG-powered vans cost more to buy than diesel ones and there’s a good chance that they will have a residual value of exactly £0 when you come to sell them – after all, who wants to buy a van that you can’t refuel?

But before dismissing this very green fuel out of hand, I suggest taking a look at our feature on page 20, in which we assess CNG as an alternative fuel source and drive some of the vehicles on offer.

I know it won’t suit everyone, but both Mercedes-Benz and Iveco have invested huge amounts of money bringing these vehicles to market and when such big guns get behind a project, the chances are that project is worth investing in.

One thing you can’t deny – CNG is just about the greenest fuel you can choose at present.