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Q: Why should I buy a vehicle or buy equipment that runs on an alternative fuel like CNG?
A: There are a number of GOOD reasons to convert to an alternative fuel such as:
- Reduced fuel costs.
- Reduction in toxic emissions.
- Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
- Reduced maintenance costs.
- Reduced dependence on foreign oil.
- Reduced need to fight foriegn wars over oil.
- Increased national security by becoming energy independent.
- Local, state and federal incentives that add up to thousands of dollars in rebates, cash grants, and federal tax credits.
- Single occupant access to car pool lanes in many states.
- Fuel savings of up to 60% or more.
- Home refueling option. Refuel while you sleep!
- Never go to a gas station again!
- Greater personal security refueling at home.
- Some utilities offer discounted gas rates for home refuelers.
- Reduced DMV fee's in some states.
- Free parking at city meters in many green minded cities.
- Free parking at many major hotel chains.
- Reduced insurance premiums with some major carriers.
- More and more companies are offering incentives to their employee's to drive environmentally "green" vehicles.
Q: Are LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas, commonly known as Propane), LNG (liquified Natural Gas) and CNG (Compressed Natural Gas, actually Methane) the same fuel?
A: LPG and CNG are quite different fuels, CNG is a high-pressure gaseous fuel that always stays in gaseous form. LPG is a low-pressure fuel which is stored as a liquid. Above a certain temperature LPG becomes a vapor fuel which the engine then runs on. LNG is natural gas compressed to very high pressures and at cryogenically cold temperatures to turn it to it's liquid state.
Q: I have well gas, can I use it in my NGV?
A: Well gas is simply raw gas which contains other trace gas' like Butane, Ethane, and Propane. California is the only state which prohibits use of well gas in vehicles. Modern NGV's can compensate for the "hot" mixture with their onboard computers. Natural Gas (Methane) must be better than 94% pure for vehicle use in Ca. Most gas piped to your home is the purified form. Some oil/gas producing area's may pump raw gas to surrounding communities for heating and cooking applications.
Q: How many vehicles run on CNG?
A: There are over 5,000,000 vehicle world wide and approx. 150,000 in the USA. School and city bus', airport shuttles, taxi's, zamboni's, semi trucks, trash trucks, street sweepers, city, state and federal fleets of cars and trucks, military vehicles, and the guy that just passed you driving solo in the car poollane, just to name a few.
Q: Is CNG safer than gasoline?
A: Like gasoline CNG is flammable, but has a much narrower range of flammability. CNG has a much higher ignition temperature of around 1200 degrees vs. 80-300 degrees for gasoline. CNG will only burn with an air-fuel ratio of between 5% and 15% and will rapidly dissipate beyond
its flammability range in the open atmosphere, making ignition unlikely.
CNG tanks are tested to a minimum 4 times normal operating pressures and are hundreds of times more puncture resistant than gasoline tanks.
Q: Is CNG safe?
A: Natural gas has one of the safest records of any transportation fuel. There are two primary reasons: the physical properties of natural gas (natural gas is lighter than air!), and the structural integrity of the natural gas vehicle storage system.
Q: How about power loss?
A: You will typically notice very little if any power loss on CNG.
Q: What about range?
A: CNG tanks are generally smaller than conventional gas tanks and range varies with the size and number of tanks on the vehicle.
W: What about gas mileage?
A: Gas mileage will be virtually the same as a comparable gas powered version of the car.
Q: What about refueling stations?
A: To answer that question, I will refer you to our associate site www.cngprices.com, where you can see all the stations and prices in your area.
Q: Will CNG hurt my engine?
A: NO! In fact being on the light end of the hydrocarbon scale, there is almost no carbon in these fuels. Carbon is what turns your engine oil black! One big benefit of CNG is your oil will stay cleaner and requires less frequent changes, saving your time, money, oil and oil filters! CNG goes into your engine as a vapor, there is no "raw" fuel entering the cylinders which washes the lubricating oil off the cylinder walls so the piston rings stay better lubricated resulting in CNG engines lasting up to THREE TIMES LONGER than the same engine on gasoline! CNG should cause no problems with valves in any engine designed to run on unleaded fuel. You can burn a valve or damage a valve seat just as easily on a poorly operating gasoline engine as with a poorly set up CNG system.
Q: How much maintenance will my CNG system require?
A: Thats' one of the great features about CNG system, it requires no
maintenance other than particulate and fuel filter to maintain performance and fuel economy.
Q: Is CNG harmful to the environment?
A: NO. as an approved, alternative clean fuel listed in the Clean Air Act and the National Energy Policy. CNG is one of the cleanest burning of all alternative fuels. CNG is is non-toxic and is not harmful to soil or water. Tests conducted by the U.S. Environmental Agency show that CNG vehicles produce 80% less carbon monoxide than gasoline engines and
about 87% fewer toxic emissions. Ever wonder why almost all
indoor use equipment from forklifts to the Zambonis' at your local ice rink run on CNG indoors?, now you know why.
Q: Are CNG conversion kits available?
A: Absolutely. Conversions typically run from $10,000 - to $15,000. There are many levels of technology and many more levels of quality in component parts. Different countries manufacture their products to different standards and safety codes. Cheap basic conversion kits obviously do not include the highest quality parts and in most cases do not include all the parts required for the PROPER installation of the kit, and they are rarely EPA certified. Professional installers are required to do a safe and propper conversion. In most cases it's less expensive to buy a dedicated OEM vehicle, like the Civic GX, than to try and convert your gasoline vehicle.
Q: Where does CNG come from?
A: Approximately 85% of CNG is from the USA, coming from our own sources. The other 15% coming from Canada and Mexico, which have extensive natural gas reserves. CNG is an odorless, non-toxic product that is found in association with oil (wet gas), or found in large underground pockets by itself (dry gas). Less than 1% of the natural gas burned in the USA is used as fuel for automobiles.
Q: How long have cars been running on natural gas?
A: The first NGV was produced in 1913! Honda has made the Civic GX since 1998.
Q: Is refueling difficult with CNG?
A: No, not at all, refueling is quick and simple. CNG's pumping rate, 2-3gasoline gallon equivelent (gge) per minute, is comparable to that of gasoline. To refuel a simple quick-connect connector is used, so there is no worry about "spilled fuel" as the delivery system is "sealed".
Q: What are the "mechanics of a conversion"?
A: With a few modifications to the engine, virtually any gasoline engine can be converted to run on CNG. Vehicles can be equipped to operate solely on CNG (dedicated conversion) or to switch between CNG and gasoline (dual-fuel conversion). The "under hood" components of the CNG system, when correctly installed, are almost indistinguishable from the factory components under the hood. CNG tanks fit compactly into car trunks, or in some cases where the gasoline tank has been removed, the tank(s) can be mounted where the gasoline tanks were previously in some vehicles. In trucks and Vans, the tanks can be installed inside the cargo bed or under the vehicle. CNG is stored as a gas, usually in one or two tanks, at a pressures of 3000psi (in older (pre 2002 applications) and 3600psi, which is now the standard. In a CNG engine, the gas travels from the tank to a pressure regulator, which lowers the pressure before injecting it into the engine. A complete conversion system includes ALL the "under-hood" components, the fuel controller, valves, actuators, brackets, hoses, all hardware, wiring and electronics and any software needed to convert the vehicle OBDII computer to CNG operation.
I hope this answers most of the questions you have. These are the questions I am asked on a daily basis and I hope you found it useful and educational.
A: There are a number of GOOD reasons to convert to an alternative fuel such as:
- Reduced fuel costs.
- Reduction in toxic emissions.
- Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
- Reduced maintenance costs.
- Reduced dependence on foreign oil.
- Reduced need to fight foriegn wars over oil.
- Increased national security by becoming energy independent.
- Local, state and federal incentives that add up to thousands of dollars in rebates, cash grants, and federal tax credits.
- Single occupant access to car pool lanes in many states.
- Fuel savings of up to 60% or more.
- Home refueling option. Refuel while you sleep!
- Never go to a gas station again!
- Greater personal security refueling at home.
- Some utilities offer discounted gas rates for home refuelers.
- Reduced DMV fee's in some states.
- Free parking at city meters in many green minded cities.
- Free parking at many major hotel chains.
- Reduced insurance premiums with some major carriers.
- More and more companies are offering incentives to their employee's to drive environmentally "green" vehicles.
Q: Are LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas, commonly known as Propane), LNG (liquified Natural Gas) and CNG (Compressed Natural Gas, actually Methane) the same fuel?
A: LPG and CNG are quite different fuels, CNG is a high-pressure gaseous fuel that always stays in gaseous form. LPG is a low-pressure fuel which is stored as a liquid. Above a certain temperature LPG becomes a vapor fuel which the engine then runs on. LNG is natural gas compressed to very high pressures and at cryogenically cold temperatures to turn it to it's liquid state.
Q: I have well gas, can I use it in my NGV?
A: Well gas is simply raw gas which contains other trace gas' like Butane, Ethane, and Propane. California is the only state which prohibits use of well gas in vehicles. Modern NGV's can compensate for the "hot" mixture with their onboard computers. Natural Gas (Methane) must be better than 94% pure for vehicle use in Ca. Most gas piped to your home is the purified form. Some oil/gas producing area's may pump raw gas to surrounding communities for heating and cooking applications.
Q: How many vehicles run on CNG?
A: There are over 5,000,000 vehicle world wide and approx. 150,000 in the USA. School and city bus', airport shuttles, taxi's, zamboni's, semi trucks, trash trucks, street sweepers, city, state and federal fleets of cars and trucks, military vehicles, and the guy that just passed you driving solo in the car poollane, just to name a few.
Q: Is CNG safer than gasoline?
A: Like gasoline CNG is flammable, but has a much narrower range of flammability. CNG has a much higher ignition temperature of around 1200 degrees vs. 80-300 degrees for gasoline. CNG will only burn with an air-fuel ratio of between 5% and 15% and will rapidly dissipate beyond
its flammability range in the open atmosphere, making ignition unlikely.
CNG tanks are tested to a minimum 4 times normal operating pressures and are hundreds of times more puncture resistant than gasoline tanks.
Q: Is CNG safe?
A: Natural gas has one of the safest records of any transportation fuel. There are two primary reasons: the physical properties of natural gas (natural gas is lighter than air!), and the structural integrity of the natural gas vehicle storage system.
Q: How about power loss?
A: You will typically notice very little if any power loss on CNG.
Q: What about range?
A: CNG tanks are generally smaller than conventional gas tanks and range varies with the size and number of tanks on the vehicle.
W: What about gas mileage?
A: Gas mileage will be virtually the same as a comparable gas powered version of the car.
Q: What about refueling stations?
A: To answer that question, I will refer you to our associate site www.cngprices.com, where you can see all the stations and prices in your area.
Q: Will CNG hurt my engine?
A: NO! In fact being on the light end of the hydrocarbon scale, there is almost no carbon in these fuels. Carbon is what turns your engine oil black! One big benefit of CNG is your oil will stay cleaner and requires less frequent changes, saving your time, money, oil and oil filters! CNG goes into your engine as a vapor, there is no "raw" fuel entering the cylinders which washes the lubricating oil off the cylinder walls so the piston rings stay better lubricated resulting in CNG engines lasting up to THREE TIMES LONGER than the same engine on gasoline! CNG should cause no problems with valves in any engine designed to run on unleaded fuel. You can burn a valve or damage a valve seat just as easily on a poorly operating gasoline engine as with a poorly set up CNG system.
Q: How much maintenance will my CNG system require?
A: Thats' one of the great features about CNG system, it requires no
maintenance other than particulate and fuel filter to maintain performance and fuel economy.
Q: Is CNG harmful to the environment?
A: NO. as an approved, alternative clean fuel listed in the Clean Air Act and the National Energy Policy. CNG is one of the cleanest burning of all alternative fuels. CNG is is non-toxic and is not harmful to soil or water. Tests conducted by the U.S. Environmental Agency show that CNG vehicles produce 80% less carbon monoxide than gasoline engines and
about 87% fewer toxic emissions. Ever wonder why almost all
indoor use equipment from forklifts to the Zambonis' at your local ice rink run on CNG indoors?, now you know why.
Q: Are CNG conversion kits available?
A: Absolutely. Conversions typically run from $10,000 - to $15,000. There are many levels of technology and many more levels of quality in component parts. Different countries manufacture their products to different standards and safety codes. Cheap basic conversion kits obviously do not include the highest quality parts and in most cases do not include all the parts required for the PROPER installation of the kit, and they are rarely EPA certified. Professional installers are required to do a safe and propper conversion. In most cases it's less expensive to buy a dedicated OEM vehicle, like the Civic GX, than to try and convert your gasoline vehicle.
Q: Where does CNG come from?
A: Approximately 85% of CNG is from the USA, coming from our own sources. The other 15% coming from Canada and Mexico, which have extensive natural gas reserves. CNG is an odorless, non-toxic product that is found in association with oil (wet gas), or found in large underground pockets by itself (dry gas). Less than 1% of the natural gas burned in the USA is used as fuel for automobiles.
Q: How long have cars been running on natural gas?
A: The first NGV was produced in 1913! Honda has made the Civic GX since 1998.
Q: Is refueling difficult with CNG?
A: No, not at all, refueling is quick and simple. CNG's pumping rate, 2-3gasoline gallon equivelent (gge) per minute, is comparable to that of gasoline. To refuel a simple quick-connect connector is used, so there is no worry about "spilled fuel" as the delivery system is "sealed".
Q: What are the "mechanics of a conversion"?
A: With a few modifications to the engine, virtually any gasoline engine can be converted to run on CNG. Vehicles can be equipped to operate solely on CNG (dedicated conversion) or to switch between CNG and gasoline (dual-fuel conversion). The "under hood" components of the CNG system, when correctly installed, are almost indistinguishable from the factory components under the hood. CNG tanks fit compactly into car trunks, or in some cases where the gasoline tank has been removed, the tank(s) can be mounted where the gasoline tanks were previously in some vehicles. In trucks and Vans, the tanks can be installed inside the cargo bed or under the vehicle. CNG is stored as a gas, usually in one or two tanks, at a pressures of 3000psi (in older (pre 2002 applications) and 3600psi, which is now the standard. In a CNG engine, the gas travels from the tank to a pressure regulator, which lowers the pressure before injecting it into the engine. A complete conversion system includes ALL the "under-hood" components, the fuel controller, valves, actuators, brackets, hoses, all hardware, wiring and electronics and any software needed to convert the vehicle OBDII computer to CNG operation.
I hope this answers most of the questions you have. These are the questions I am asked on a daily basis and I hope you found it useful and educational.
Rediculous, right? Dead weight effects gas mileage. Why carry anything back there if you don't have to.
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