Is a Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) Right for You?

You probably know about hybrids and electric vehicles. But did you know that Natural Gas Vehicles have been providing drivers an alternative to gasoline for years? We spoke to Chris Schneider from Honda Motorwerks, to tell us what these clean-burning vehicles are all about.

What is an NGV?
An NGV is a natural gas vehicle. They have an internal combustion engine and run on CNG (compressed natural gas). This is the same type of natural gas of that is available for heating most peoples’ homes. You can use that same gas and put it in the tanks of an NGV and propel yourself with a very clean, affordable and American fuel.

Why should people drive NGVs?
Natural gas is very abundant. A lot more of the infrastructure exists for a re-fueling network than most people suspect. When you think about the number of people in the country, about 63% heat their homes with natural gas. An even higher percentage heat their business with natural gas so you can tell how readily available it is. It’s also a very clean burning fuel. The Honda Civic NGV drives just like its gas counterpart and is the cleanest tailpipe vehicle ever tested.

What types of NGVs are there?
The Honda Civic is a dedicated NGV, meaning it runs only on CNG. There are bi-fuel vehicles that will run on natural gas when you have it and gasoline when you don’t. Duel fuel vehicles run on diesel and natural gas at the same time—mainly on heavy-duty vehicles.

What’s the range of an NGV?
The Civic’s range is about 300 miles with about a 210 miles range in town. The bi-fuel vehicles are range-dependent based on the size of the tank on board. The F-150 will get about 150 miles, the Silverado has a larger tank that will get about 225 miles. And if you can’t find gas you can run on gasoline.

Who is a good candidate to drive an NGV?
There are two really good candidates. Fleets of sales people that drive sedans return to home base every night are perfect. Individual commuters that live in a community that supports NGV and come home most nights can also benefit. We just mapped out the entire United States and it’s pretty remarkable the places you can drive an NGV. Pretty much anywhere east of the Mississippi is wide open. I can drive anywhere from LaCrosse to Maine, down to Florida and across to Texas and keep my car fueled the whole way.

For more information on Natural Gas Vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles, visit CNGPrices.com or afdc.energy.gov.