Why Has There Not Been Larger Push To Use Natural
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Why Has There Not Been Larger Push To Use Natural Gas Vehicles?
In the U.S. there are about 1500 natural gas stations nationwide which are mostly in the West and are used by the federal and state government fleets which are required by law to use certain amounts of alternative fuels. By contrast Germany alone has nearly 800 natural gas stations. Even tiny Macedonia at the southeast of Europe has more than 200 natural gas stations.
In European Union there are roughly 1.000.000 naturalgaspowered vehicles about 10 percent of the world’s total and at least six times the number in the United States. Almost 40 percent are in Italy.
Almost every automaker in Europe offer at least one natural gas model. Almost every big automaker in Europe offer at least one natural gas model.
Volkswagen unveiled a natural gas Passat this year at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month MercedesBenz has launched a CNG version of its subcompact BClass. Since 2001 Opel GMs European brand has sold more than 42000 naturalgaspowered models in Europe. Opel is currently selling two CNG cars in Germany the Meriva and the Opel Combi.
In the United States use of naturalgaspowered vehicles is limited mostly to commercial and municipal fleets.
Honda Civic GX which start at 24.590 and gets 28 mpg combined is the only naturalgaspowered car offered by a major automaker. Honda sold 459 naturalgaspowered Civics in those states last year in California and New York the states with most fueling stations.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates this car has an annual fuel cost of 884 vs. 1754 for a conventional Civic Sedan starting at 15010. Additionally the federal government already offers a 4000 credit for CNG vehicles.
Natural gas is one of the cleanest burning alternative fuels available and offers a number of advantages over gasoline. Air exhaust emissions from natural gas vehicles are much lower than those from gasolinepowered vehicles. In addition smogproducing gases such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides are reduced by more than 90 and 60 respectively and carbon dioxide a greenhouse gas is reduced by 3040.
Natural gas can either be stored onboard a vehicle as compressed natural gas CNG at 3000 or 3600 psi or as liquefied natural gas LNG at typically 20150 psi.
As gasoline prices averages near 4 a gallon nationwide and diesel is already above that level with 4.8 a gallon the equivalent of a gallon of natural gas averages about 1.65.
With soaring oil and gas prices ultimately America needs to move entire fleet alternative energy sources.
Its obvious that natural gas is clear choice.
About the writer: Baki Krivevski is online editor of PureGreenCars.com. PureGreenCars.com offers information about hybrid technology and other alternative fuels like natural gas ethanol E85 hydrogen and biodiesel.
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