2012 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty CNG
Filling Up, Range, Space
But as with any alternative fuel, there is a storage problem — a big one. As a gas, CNG takes up more space and contains far less energy than liquid gasoline, which means automakers must specifically design and fit one or more tanks to achieve a respectable driving range. For a single-tank system like in the Civic Natural Gas, that leaves just a 240-mile range. Worse, these bulky tanks cannot be reshaped like a standard gasoline tank. Under a large van's loading floor or boxed shut on a pickup's bed, they are less obtrusive. In smaller cars such as the Civic, however, the tank eats more than half the trunk. They are extremely strong, though. Even if a tank were to leak, natural-gas vapors disperse quickly and are less flammable than gasoline.
Refueling, if you are lucky enough to find a station, takes only minutes (the U.S has only about 800 public stations, about the same as Germany alone). Because CNG stations cost more to build than a gasoline station, many are privately owned or are scattered in random, hard-to-reach places like airports. Honda, for example, sells the Civic Natural Gas in 36 states, and only to specific dealers within driving range of a station. Chrysler says it will sell its CNG Ram only to fleets.
While CNG pumps look nearly identical to a gasoline pump, it can take a few tries to clamp the heavy hose onto the vehicle's awkward connector. Without help, you may feel like an idiot — even after filling up successfully at one station — because some pumps have valve handles that turn in opposite directions. You'd better get used to it, because when a natural-gas-powered car runs low, no fuel can or free electrical outlet will save you. And while home refueling stations are available, they require eight or more hours to fill, the same time as recharging a typical electric car.
Read: 10 Models You Didn't Know You Could Get as a Diesel
Legislation, New Tech, and the Future
Unlike the billions of dollars granted in federal tax credits and loans to electric-car companies such as Fisker and Tesla, there are few government incentives to produce and buy natural-gas-powered vehicles. Similar credits for fuel-station owners and vehicle buyers expired in 2011, and a more expansive bill was voted down by the U.S. Senate in March. However, a similar bill in the House would offer a $7,500 to $64,000 tax credit for buyers, a $4,000 per-vehicle credit for manufacturers, and up to $100,000 for each new CNG station, all funded by increased CNG pump taxes. While the bill, which would expire in December 2016, has 180 co-sponsors from both parties and enjoys President Barack Obama's support, the fuel's inherent difficulties remain.
"The infrastructure's not going to get built unless we have vehicles. The vehicles aren't going to get manufactured unless there's infrastructure. It's a chicken and the egg deal. I don't care if you're giving the gas away, it's not going to happen," says John Sullivan, R-Okla., one of the bill's sponsors.
Still, many states have their own incentives. Utah offers residents up to $2,500 per CNG vehicle. Oklahomans can apply for a $2,500 credit to install a home refueling system. Californians with certain natural-gas-powered cars can breeze by in the HOV lane.
Read: Will U.S. Accept Natural Gas Vehicles as More than Fleet Cars?
Better tank technology is needed, too. 3M is developing a lighter, thinner tank that supposedly can return more range and increased durability. But as it stands, the price of CNG tanks remains prohibitive for most automakers.
"If the packaging and cost could come down, boy, that would be tremendous," says Brent Pope, BAF's sales director.
With ethanol dead in the water and hydrogen a pipe dream, the future of alternative fuels may be a steady fight between natural gas and electricity — if advances in gasoline and diesel technology abate in the next 30 years. Whatever happens, the norm of $70 fill-ups could one day be a faint memory.
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Concept Cars Can Predict the Future
Clifford Atiyeh is the automotive editor for The Boston Globe and Boston.com. He has contributed to The Times of London, The Wall Street Journal, Popular Mechanics, and spent his entire life driving cars he doesn't own.
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