A Natural Gas Vehicle is a fuel efficient and environmentally friendly automobile, a vehicle for the type of driver who cares about the environment. Natural Gas Vehicles run on the same principles as fossil fuel automobiles.
The difference between natural gas and other traditional fossil fuel automotives is that it takes on a gaseous form that is 90% (methane CH4), while what we tend to call gasoline is a part of the fossil decay that takes on a liquid form.
While some of the practical engine systems, fuel storage and exhaust are modified; natural gas also has a higher octane rating than other forms of fuel.
The environmentalist in everyone, likes and needs a cleaner burning fuel, and this is the type of fuel that natural gas provides.
For as little as five hundred to fifteen hundred dollars, the car owner can buy a gauge to hook up to their own natural gas service at home.
A Compressed Natural Gas Car Video – Why not do it yourself?
This can result in less need to go to the gas station, and eliminate little bills or searching your car for change to fill the tank, or in other cases, just cut down on the hassle of running a credit card or debit card every time a fill up is necessary. And at the gas station pump it costs less than regular gasoline.
In California NGV drivers can get a pass to drive in the car pool (High Occupancy Vehicle-HOV) lane while driving alone. The U.S. Department of Energy has stated that less than 20% of all natural gas is imported. That department also states that most of those imports comes from Canada.
The antithesis is that natural gas vehicles do emit 30% more green house gases than their hybrid counter parts, in a comparison between Honda Civics, one that is a hybrid while the other is one of the few, if not the only new vehicle purchase option.
In the united states there are one hundred thirty thousand natural gas vehicles at present and most of these are fleet government vehicles, not commuter vehicles. Other countries such as Argentina and Brazil each have about a million natural gas vehicles on the road as of 2008.
Integrated Storage Systems contain compressed natural gas. The compressed natural gas (CNG) helps for more compact storage. The storage systems are cylinders that are reinforced.
This reinforcement is in the event that a crash may occur. The cylinders have an outer foam shell for this purpose as well. The compression of methane in these tanks is near to three thousand three hundred pounds per square inch.
The engine has a gauge that reduces pressure as the methane comes through and at the end of the process, the catalytic converter is designed to handle specifically methane.
There is more natural gas fossil fuel readily available than other liquid fossil fuels. This cuts down on oil dependence and the need for less environmentally friendly liquid fuel sources.
If you are looking for a natural gas vehicle, one of the places to start is www.economy.gov and to rent fleets of NGVs, one resource is Southern California Gas Company’s Natural Gas Vehicle Group at (213) 244-5681.
Most States have programs for natural gas vehicle drivers that allows them to use carpool lanes. One that is particularly promoted well on the Internet is for the state of California.
For more information about the state of California’s NGV solo driver High Occupancy Vehicle program, contact the California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition Web page. These resources can also be found on SoCal Gas Companies web site http://www.socalgas.com/business/ngv/
