The Arab Oil Embargo happened in 1973, and today we are still as dependant on oil as ever. The point being that after 35 years we are pretty much in the same position; freaking out about oil. Now technology is playing catch-up at an exponential pace. The different alternative fuel cars out there are beginning to gain momentum. There are Hybrids, Ethanol powered, Vegetable Oil powered, Battery powered, and Natural Gas powered car roaming the streets.
We know that the U.S. consumes 21 million barrels per day of oil. As a country we produce about 4.86 million barrels and Import the rest from other countries. Unfortunately our usage exceeds our production. And as far as reserves go we are number 11 on that list. But there is another fuel source that is hardly talked about.
The United States has the 4th largest natural gas reserve in the world (gravmag.com/oil.html). So why are we as a country still so reliant on oil? Beats me….we use natural gas to cook our food, dry our clothes, and heat our bath water. It would seem logical to use compressed natural gas (CNG) to power our automobiles. But alas; there must be some unwritten agreement out there against natural gas powered cars. Well there is at least one automaker with an open mind!
Honda continues to be the only Automobile manufacturer to sell a natural gas powered car on U.S. soil. “Only about 1,000 of the more than 300,000 Civic subcompacts that Honda sells every year in the USA are the natural-gas GX version (usatoday.com/money/autos/2007-05-08-natural-gas-usat_N.htm).” That’s a tiny number of CNG cars. The negatives must outweigh the positives…..Right……Wrong!!!!
Here are some of the advantages of a natural gas powered car.
1) Natural gas powered cars get as good as gas mileage as the regular gasoline powered cars, and in many cases the MPG is better. The Civic GX gets up to 39 MPG on the Freeway!
2) Price per gallon is cheaper. On average…..natural gas is much cheaper than regular gasoline.
3) The little Honda Civic GX produces fewer emissions then the Toyota Prius; making it the cleanest internal combustion engine on the market today (usatoday.com/money/autos/2007-05-08-natural-gas-usat_N.htm).
Now it’s time to air the negatives associated with natural gas powered automobiles.
1) CNG cars are a couple thousand dollars more expensive than their counterparts. It does cost money to be on the cutting edge of technology! On average the GX is only 2 grand more than the Hybrid.
2) The trunk space is slightly smaller due to the natural gas tank and associated parts.
3) There are not very many gas stations around that sell CNG. In fact gas stations across the nation are well behind those that sell E85 or other biofuels.
So now the negative really do not look that bad. And couple that with the fact that there are huge rebates available when purchasing a CNG car; and hybrids really do not look like our saving grace. And of course I have save the biggest and best news for last! Honda has invested some cash in a Canada based company called FuelMaker Corp. which sells natural gas refilling stations for your home. Now you don’t have to worry about finding a station in the real world. And the best part is that it costs a measly $1.25 per gallon (usatoday.com/money/autos/2007-05-08-natural-gas-usat_N.htm)! I cannot wait to buy one of these CNG cars….as soon as I sell my Hummer….any interested buyers?
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