Compressed Natural Gas Vehicles - A Better Long Term Solution
Did you know there was such a thing as a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Vehicle? The U.
S.
only has about 150,000 of the more than 12.
7 million CNG vehicles worldwide.
Although the number is small, these vehicles are becoming much more popular, especially in the truck and transit bus industry.
In developing countries, there has been an effort to convert from liquid NG to CNG.
A majority of underdeveloped countries use LNG to power vehicles more than CNG.
LNG is much easier to transport, as it is compressed through a cooling process to approximately −162 °C (−260 °F).
This compresses the gas to about 1/600th the volume of its gaseous state.
There are a number of advantages to owning a CNG vehicle.
NG saves about 40-50% on the expense of driving.
With fuel prices ever increasing, price plays a big part in the decision as to what to buy.
In many parts of the nation, NG is still under $2 per gallon.
There is an abundance of it in the United States.
Most of us already use this fuel to heat our homes in the winter.
The U.
S.
has the sixth largest NG reserve in the world.
In spite of its advantages, the use of this clean burning fuel in vehicles faces several limitations.
Among these limitations are fuel storage, infrastructure available for delivery, and the distribution to fueling stations.
A NG cars' fuel tank is usually located in the vehicle's trunk area, which reduces the space available for other uses, especially for long distance trips.
There is also the danger of explosions during rear end collisions.
Overall, CNG vehicles are considered to be safer than gasoline powered vehicles.
NG may also be mixed with biogas (produced from landfills or wastewater), which doesn't increase the concentration of carbon in the atmosphere when burned.
The largest drawback at the moment for the NGV is the lack of fueling stations spread out across the nation.
However the fact that there are existing NG lines almost everywhere, should help in transporting fuel to new fueling stations, as they are developed.
Probably the largest barrier for most people to switch over to NGVs is the cost to convert their existing car or truck to this new fuel.
When purchasing a new CNG vehicle, this fuel system is included in the cost of the vehicle.
That added cost is still close to the cost of converting an existing vehicle to this gas.
If an individual or business is going to put a lot of miles on the vehicle, it can still pay off in the long run.
In fact, it will most probably save a lot of money.
The problem is the initial investment.
There is a taxicab company in the Detroit area that saves nearly $1,000 per month, per taxi, by using CNG.
To sum it all up, these are the major advantages of going with NGVs are: 1) the cost of fuel is much less; 2) the more vehicles we operate on this fuel, the less dependent we will be on foreign sources; 3) the increase of production of NG within the U.
S.
will create more jobs where we need them; 4) there is less danger of pollution due to spills than with oil; 5) we will reduce emissions, creating a cleaner environment (more green); and 6) this gas will provide reliable performance in vehicles.
The major disadvantages of natural gas vehicles at this point are: 1) the cost to convert a gas vehicle to NG is high; and 2) it will take some time to set up natural gas service stations across the nation.
As the industry moves forward with the production and purchasing of these vehicles, both of these disadvantages may eventually disappear.
Therefore, CNGVs are a better long term solution than electric cars or hybrid vehicles.
S.
only has about 150,000 of the more than 12.
7 million CNG vehicles worldwide.
Although the number is small, these vehicles are becoming much more popular, especially in the truck and transit bus industry.
In developing countries, there has been an effort to convert from liquid NG to CNG.
A majority of underdeveloped countries use LNG to power vehicles more than CNG.
LNG is much easier to transport, as it is compressed through a cooling process to approximately −162 °C (−260 °F).
This compresses the gas to about 1/600th the volume of its gaseous state.
There are a number of advantages to owning a CNG vehicle.
NG saves about 40-50% on the expense of driving.
With fuel prices ever increasing, price plays a big part in the decision as to what to buy.
In many parts of the nation, NG is still under $2 per gallon.
There is an abundance of it in the United States.
Most of us already use this fuel to heat our homes in the winter.
The U.
S.
has the sixth largest NG reserve in the world.
In spite of its advantages, the use of this clean burning fuel in vehicles faces several limitations.
Among these limitations are fuel storage, infrastructure available for delivery, and the distribution to fueling stations.
A NG cars' fuel tank is usually located in the vehicle's trunk area, which reduces the space available for other uses, especially for long distance trips.
There is also the danger of explosions during rear end collisions.
Overall, CNG vehicles are considered to be safer than gasoline powered vehicles.
NG may also be mixed with biogas (produced from landfills or wastewater), which doesn't increase the concentration of carbon in the atmosphere when burned.
The largest drawback at the moment for the NGV is the lack of fueling stations spread out across the nation.
However the fact that there are existing NG lines almost everywhere, should help in transporting fuel to new fueling stations, as they are developed.
Probably the largest barrier for most people to switch over to NGVs is the cost to convert their existing car or truck to this new fuel.
When purchasing a new CNG vehicle, this fuel system is included in the cost of the vehicle.
That added cost is still close to the cost of converting an existing vehicle to this gas.
If an individual or business is going to put a lot of miles on the vehicle, it can still pay off in the long run.
In fact, it will most probably save a lot of money.
The problem is the initial investment.
There is a taxicab company in the Detroit area that saves nearly $1,000 per month, per taxi, by using CNG.
To sum it all up, these are the major advantages of going with NGVs are: 1) the cost of fuel is much less; 2) the more vehicles we operate on this fuel, the less dependent we will be on foreign sources; 3) the increase of production of NG within the U.
S.
will create more jobs where we need them; 4) there is less danger of pollution due to spills than with oil; 5) we will reduce emissions, creating a cleaner environment (more green); and 6) this gas will provide reliable performance in vehicles.
The major disadvantages of natural gas vehicles at this point are: 1) the cost to convert a gas vehicle to NG is high; and 2) it will take some time to set up natural gas service stations across the nation.
As the industry moves forward with the production and purchasing of these vehicles, both of these disadvantages may eventually disappear.
Therefore, CNGVs are a better long term solution than electric cars or hybrid vehicles.
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