Why not fill up your natural gas car at your Santa Cruz home-Natural Gas Vehicles - The Forgotten Alternative
Posted by Gregg Camp on Friday, February 12th, 2010 at 5:11pm.There seems to be so much hype these days about hybrid cars and their
advantages as an alternative to standard gasoline-powered vehicles. The
media puts so much attention into newer gasoline/electric hybrid cars
like the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight, touting them as if they were
something revolutionary. The truth of the matter is that Americans have
had a viable alternative for decades--the natural gas-powered vehicle
(NGV).
What is a Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV)?
A natural gas vehicle (NGV) is an alternative fuel vehicle making use
of either compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG)
as its fuel source. NGVs are generally classified into two broad
categories: dedicated and bi-fuel. Dedicated NGVs can only operate on
natural gas. Bi-fuel NGVs, on the other hand, can operate on both
natural gas and traditional gasoline. Some bi-fuel NGVs can even make
use of diesel fuel.
Consumer Benefits
Natural gas vehicles offer many benefits to the consumer, with the most
obvious benefit being cost savings. Based on a
gallon-of-gasoline-equivalency basis (GGE), NGVs cost as low as $1.25 a
gallon to operate. Compared to oil prices, natural gas prices have
historically been much more stable as well, making it easier to plan
long-term budgets. Natural gas burns cleaner than gasoline, resulting
in less engine wear and longer operational time until the next
scheduled maintenance. A natural gas vehicle's fuel storage tank is
stronger than those used in traditional cars, thus making them safer
and less prone to rupture. The government classifies NGVs as
alternative fuel vehicles for tax purposes, offering significant tax
credits to consumers who put one into use.
Most cars on the road today can even be equipped with conversion kits
to add the ability to run both natural gas and standard gasoline
side-by-side. These conversion kits allow easy switching between the
two fuels with just the touch of a button. Such a setup makes natural
gas a viable cost-saving alternative while commuting within the city,
without sacrificing the ability to fuel up on long trips in remote
locations where only gasoline is available. Although natural gas
conversions do not accelerate as quickly as a gasoline-powered one, the
minute loss in acceleration is more than made up for with the gain in
savings.
Environmental Benefits
Natural gas is much cleaner than gasoline. Natural gas vehicles produce
far less harmful emissions than their gasoline-powered counterparts.
Compared to gasoline vehicles, NGVs generate up to 33 percent less
nitrogen-based oxides, 50 percent less reactive hydrocarbons, and up to
93 percent less carbon monoxide emissions. Compared to diesel engines,
their CO and particulate matter (PM) can be reduced over 90 percent
when used in larger commercial-grade engines.
Natural Gas Supply
Natural gas is readily available from a wide range of domestic sources.
The United States imports significantly less natural gas than it does
crude oil. Although these supplies are not considered renewable
sources, natural gas can be produced as a renewable energy source
through the process of fermenting organic matter such as manure,
feedstock, wastewater sludge, and municipal solid wastes. These forms
of renewable natural gas are collectively know as simply "biogas". Both
renewable and non-renewable forms of natural gas in the United States
come from more reliable sources than imported crude oil. With electric
power generation shifting towards other sources like biomass, nuclear,
solar, and wind, a large portion of the nation's natural gas supply
could easily be diverted to transportation without fear of any deficits
in availability for other uses.
Infrastructure Requirements
infrastructure requirements for putting NGVs to widespread use are not
that demanding. Americans already use it on a daily basis for cooking
and heating, thus making it available in most areas nationwide. The
majority of the United States' natural gas infrastructure was
constructed between 1927 and 1931, with more than 10 major natural gas
transmission systems having been constructed. This mature, established
pipeline infrastructure can deliver natural gas to almost every urban
and sub-urban area in the country. There are currently more than 1,300
NGV refueling stations nationwide as well, with more being established
on a daily basis. Some NGV manufacturers and aftermarket companies even
develop fueling stations for home use. These personal natural gas pumps
can be connected to a residential natural gas line to allow refueling
from home.With some refinements, you could refuel your car at your Santa Cruz home, why not?
The infrastructure technology required to put NGVs into greater
mainstream use is not sophisticated at all. Millions of NGVs are in
daily use throughout the developing world. Countries like Argentina,
Brazil, India, and Thailand are some of the top countries to have
embraced natural gas as a viable alternative to gasoline. If anything
is stopping Americans from also taking better advantage of natural gas
it is the convenience factor, or lack of it rather. Fuel storage can be
difficult, for natural gas must be stored in cylinders that often take
much of a vehicle's cargo space. Natural gas cylinders do not provide
the same distance of travel as the equivalent space used by gasoline
would. Furthermore, delivery and distribution are not on par with the
current infrastructure for gasoline. The inability to refuel wherever
and whenever one wants to is a major factor contributing to lack of
American interest in NGVs.
Conclusion
It is clear that NGVs and natural gas technology are a viable
alternative to gasoline and gasoline-powered vehicles. The natural gas
supply is domestically plentiful with a mature infrastructure capable
of delivering it nationwide. Their benefits to consumers are many, with
their economic advantages being at the top of the list. Considering
natural gas technology can convert any standard car on the road today
into a "true" hybrid, consumers should ignore media hype about recent
gas/electric hybrids and give NGVs a second look.
Gregg Camp
831-818-7524
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