Posted on 09/29/2015 4:05:50 PM PDT by RaceBannon
Can We Run Our Cars on Natural Gas?
In an attempt to insulate the U.S. from dependence on foreign oil, many have advocated that we transition our vehicles from oil derived gasoline to natural gas. One North Texas couple invested in this plan, and Bob Farris and Carole Hornsby Haynes, PhD, share their experience. While natural gas is a great fuel for fleet vehicles and large trucks or buses, it faces many challenges in the rest of the commercial fleet.
The host of the Jacki Daily show has had an impressive career in energy, law, and politics.
Most recently, Jacki served as General Counsel to an engineering firm specializing in energy, national security and environmental cleanup. Previously, she served many years as legal counsel on Capitol Hill to the Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and the former Ranking Member of the Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee, advising on the oversight of federal agencies. Prior to her career in Washington, she worked as a corporate litigator, and as an Assistant Vice President for a national bank.
She entered public life at a young age, as a finalist in the Miss Teen of America pageant. She also served as the Public Relations Director for a statewide political organization.
Jacki studied Economics, Spanish, and World History at Marshall University (Society of Yeager Scholars), Oxford University in the United Kingdom, and the University of Zaragoza in Spain. She is an alumna of the Vanderbilt University Law School, where she served as the President of the law school’s Federalist Society chapter.
Jacki has an extensive network in her six overstuffed rolodexes from which the show draws its guests—including industry leaders representing all parts of the energy sector (oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear, solar, and wind), and government officials, journalists, and political insiders. Often, Jacki will know the day’s most-wanted guest and be able to secure the guest with a personal call.
Jacki is from the Ohio River Valley, where the shale runs deep. She descends from a long line of energy workers, including roughnecks, railroaders, coal miners, and nuclear energy specialists.
Eliminate the Dept. of Energy.
Sounds like a leftist.
.
“Federalist Society” sounds leftist?
Where you from?
Ping.
The Morgan Roadster used to have a natural gas powerplant, but it looks like they’ve gone to gasoline. I still love to go to their website and play with the car creator:
http://www.morgan-motor.co.uk/roadster/
I know a guy in California who has been doing that for years. He connects the car up at his house, and it fills up overnight.
You know, the guys that are helping to fund the leftists.
Yes-convert it to clean diesel fuel.
We can run on natural gas, just not very efficiently.
PRETTY OBVIOUS to people that have been around a while - it is a LEFTIST motif to give conservatives alternative ‘options’ so to draw them away from the Republican candidate. You may take the bait, but I will not.
Sorry.
I don’t have 22 minutes to find out Miss Daily’s answer.
However, I own a bi-fuel 1999 Ford Contour, and the answer is, “yes”, if you live in the right part of the country and the price of gasoline is high, with LOTS of caveats. When I bought the Contour at a bargain price from Florida, in order to use it in Madison, WI, which had several CNG fueling options, and Rockford, IL also had one good one, the idea made sense. At the time, gasoline was $4 and CNG was $1.80 gallon equivalent. (with an 8 gallon equivalent tank) in addition to the full 16 gallon gasoline tank.
As it turned out, the Ford’s gasoline to CNG was touchy and failed from neglect by the previous owner, with no good way to fix or replace. Also, the CNG tank “expired” at 15 years, and therefore was not supposed to be used, nor could it be legally serviced. Finally, the PSI went up after the Contour was made, reducing the number of stations I could actually use, if it worked.
When we moved for a new job in Georgia, the number of CNG locations in my driving area went from 4 to 0. The car stills serves as my daily commuter runing on gasoline.
The Honda CNG Civic has a MUCH better track record, and there are a number of pickups that are newer that do okay.
Mainly, be aware of cng locations, expect less range unless you combine with gasoline in a bi-fuel usage. Don’t expect to save money with gasoline at $2.50 or less per gallon.
Filling up the tank is slower and marginally more hassle than a gasoline tank, but not as long as an electric would be by a long shot.
Pilot truck stops were planning to add CNG capacity at their truck stops. I do not know if those plans have been put on hold.
Natural Gas???
Sure. Just use beans. Corn is already preempted.
Our local Pilot has CNG.
Honda has a civic that runs on natural gas for 26,000.
I knew a guy in Tx, who ran his pickup on propane, back in the 70s. As far as I know, he didn’t have any problems with it, but only as far as I knew. Zamboni machines run on propane. I have driven one before. The guy I knew in California, had a Honda Civic, and it ran on natural gas. There is not very much in the way of infrastructure, so he is limited as to where he can drive it.
Seems a little late to be asking this-
As of 2009, the U.S. had a fleet of 114,270 compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, mostly buses; 147,030 vehicles running on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG); and 3,176 vehicles liquefied natural gas (LNG).[4] Other countries where natural gas-powered buses are popular include India, Australia, Argentina, and Germany.[5]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gas_vehicle
In Poland and other parts of Europe, you see a lot of after market fittings for CNG tanks. These are usually 8 gal standard tanks that go in the trunk and a kit which adjust the engine/fuel mixture to allow the vehicle to burn CNG as well as gas. I believe the tanks in some models can be changed out just like you would for your BBQ grill at the local hardware store.
The key question is cost per measure of distance ($/mile or Zolty/ Km). In Europe gas is running from $6.50 to $8.00 per gallon. Yes, the CNG is gets fewer miles per gallon, but the difference in costs makes it worth while for many vehicle owners.
On the plus side, CNG is less corrosive and produces less pollution than gasoline.
I guess the big question will be efficiency as measured in cost per over distance. As a free market measure, it could be a great fix for many parts of the US.
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