Entries Tagged 'CNG' ↓

How do you make a hybrid even more green? It’s simple … rip out the conventional gasoline tank and replace it with a compressed natural gas (CNG) delivery system. At SEMA 2009, Toyota took a step up from the CNG-converted Yaris shown at SEMA last year, with a CNG-converted Camry Hybrid prepared for the Surfrider Foundation.

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Make no mistake about it. Propane-powered hot rods make a remarkable amount of sense. America needs to make an immediate and lasting dent in the amount of imported oil. Of all the alternate fuels, propane offers the most immediate avenue for acceptance. A national infrastructure already exists to for both consumer and commercial applications. Propane conversions on older vehicles needn’t be overly expensive nor difficult to accomplish. This nation has plenty of propane to meet demand and the fuel burns far more cleanly than conventional gasoline.

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Our national security continues to be at stake. By borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Middle East, we dig ourselves deeper into the hole each day.

As a nation, we must take a comprehensive and unbiased approach to national transportation/energy policy. We have been given the natural resources to make this happen. It is simply a question of having the will to see it through, without giving into factions and lobbies.

Step 1: Immediate and massive conversion of diesel fleet vehicles to natural gas power (NGV). This will spur employment and lower pollution in communities across the nation. School bus, public transportation, utility, delivery, and courier fleets present a prime opportunity for retrofits and new vehicle sales.

Step 2: Encourage the rapid adoption of highly-efficient clean diesel passenger vehicles. The engines and exhaust treatment systems have been developed. Americans need to be able to buy passenger vehicles with the same fuel-efficient engines that are available in Europe, where diesel market share exceeds 50%.

Step 3: Continue to encourage the development of electric-powered passenger vehicles (PHEVs & EVs). Lets get the battery plants built and bring these cars to market at an affordable cost. This will require massive government subsidies in the short-term, until the cost of production is driven down to a realistic level.

Step 4: Turn up the heat on biofuel development. Ease away from inefficient corn-based ethanol production. Increase algae production efforts.

Step 5: Provide micro-grants to garage entrepreneurs for technology development and installation. Revitalize the auto dealerships that have lost their franchise and get those service departments humming again.

Step 6: Encourage drivers to become more fuel-efficient through technology and technique. You don’t have to drive like Grandma to save a few dollars at the pump each time you fill up. Over the course of a year, the savings can be significant.

Domestic energy independence and economic renewal are core themes here at MPGomatic. Today’s announcement of the Federal Recovery Through Retrofit program spurs the question: why isn’t there a Recovery Through Retrofit Program for Pickup Trucks?

Tens of millions of existing pickup trucks could benefit from the conversion to plentiful natural gas or to more fuel-efficient diesel engines. Shuttered automobile dealerships could become conversion centers that reemploy displaced workers and stimulate the economy on Main Street. Existing technology can be bolted into place immediately, without waiting years for development.

Domestically manufactured clean diesel engines and natural gas vehicle (NGV) conversion kits will bring benefit in the near term, as battery-powered conversions come down the line and prices fall.

Cash for Clunkers was just a start. There is much more to do at a local level.

A Recovery Through Retrofit program for Pickup Trucks goes right to the heart of the matter, by providing economic sensibility with an approach that encompasses all technologies, rather than one.

Ever wish you could fill up at home and skip the service station altogether? How about eliminating your addiction to petroleum with the cleanest internal combustion engine sold today? The Honda Civic NGV aims to fill all those dreams.

The natural gas powered Civic GX NGV is refilled via a Phill home fueling unit, which is tied to your home’s gas line. While initially targeted at controlled fleets and campus settings, the Civic NGV is available to individuals in select areas. Alas, it’s not for everyone. Finding an authorized Honda NGV dealer in your area may pose a significant hurdle.

It’s important to note that the Civic NGV is not a conversion, nor is it imported from overseas. In this video report shot at the 2008 Alternative Fuels and Vehicles conference, Honda representative Annabel Cook explains that the Civic NGV it is built from the ground up as a natural-gas powered vehicle at Honda’s production facility in Ohio.