Hi,
I was on a trip to Brazil recently and noticed that CNG down there seems to be a much easier to have, install, maintain and operate. I'm new to the forum and to cng as a whole but it seems like quite a complicated thing here in the US. Here are some things I compared.
Starting by the filling stations here they are rare, in awkward places, and often you need to go through the hassle of a special card to even use them. In Brazil I noticed that CNG is available in most gas stations (in the states who have cng) and instead of filling it up with a special pump with that special nozzle they fill the tanks through the engine compartment with a simple hose that looks a lot like a standard air nozzle for inflating your tires. It seems like it's not as quick as the ones here but definitely not too slow since busy gas stations use them.
I did a little research and found out that the CNG kits known as "kit gas" down there start at about $350 to $1700 depending on the complexity and range (cylinder size). What's interesting also is how common and easy it appears to have these kits installed. I saw them in a variety of cars VW, Fiat, Ford, Chevy S10, some where even older cars from the late 80's to early 90's without fuel infection.
So i guess what i'm trying to figure out with this post is why is CNG such a mystical thing in the US? It requires either a lot of labor and headaches or some complex expensive Honda when in Brazil people are installing these $400 dollar kits and driving away on the clean stuff with so much ease? Conspiracy? I dunno but it just seems like cng in the states is over complicated.
As far as safety issues, i heard that like here people there have to have cylinders up to date and have their systems checked by a DMV that appears to be 10 times more annoying then the ones here ( think california smog stuff but worse) every car that is bought or sold must go through physical inspection regardless of year etc.
Maybe it has to do with the fact that the largest energy company in Brazil is state owned and foreign oil companies have only been allowed to fully enter the market within the last decade or so...
Any insights?
I was on a trip to Brazil recently and noticed that CNG down there seems to be a much easier to have, install, maintain and operate. I'm new to the forum and to cng as a whole but it seems like quite a complicated thing here in the US. Here are some things I compared.
Starting by the filling stations here they are rare, in awkward places, and often you need to go through the hassle of a special card to even use them. In Brazil I noticed that CNG is available in most gas stations (in the states who have cng) and instead of filling it up with a special pump with that special nozzle they fill the tanks through the engine compartment with a simple hose that looks a lot like a standard air nozzle for inflating your tires. It seems like it's not as quick as the ones here but definitely not too slow since busy gas stations use them.
I did a little research and found out that the CNG kits known as "kit gas" down there start at about $350 to $1700 depending on the complexity and range (cylinder size). What's interesting also is how common and easy it appears to have these kits installed. I saw them in a variety of cars VW, Fiat, Ford, Chevy S10, some where even older cars from the late 80's to early 90's without fuel infection.
So i guess what i'm trying to figure out with this post is why is CNG such a mystical thing in the US? It requires either a lot of labor and headaches or some complex expensive Honda when in Brazil people are installing these $400 dollar kits and driving away on the clean stuff with so much ease? Conspiracy? I dunno but it just seems like cng in the states is over complicated.
As far as safety issues, i heard that like here people there have to have cylinders up to date and have their systems checked by a DMV that appears to be 10 times more annoying then the ones here ( think california smog stuff but worse) every car that is bought or sold must go through physical inspection regardless of year etc.
Maybe it has to do with the fact that the largest energy company in Brazil is state owned and foreign oil companies have only been allowed to fully enter the market within the last decade or so...
Any insights?
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