Why isn’t the Honda GX available at every dealer. A car that get the equivalent of 30 MPG on natural gas filled at your own home by a fill station (http://www.myphill.com)has to be most of the solution to America’s oil problem.
Americas problems go much deeper than fuel,bought food latley? building material? its all based on fuel. save 1.00 and spend 2.00, does it really make a difference ,if you look at the big picture?
yeah, did you forget where natural gas comes from?
A couple of questions…
What is the RANGE of this vehicle on a full tank of fuel?
Is the high-pressure storage tank located in the trunk?
On a trip, can fuel be found before you run out?
How long does it take to fill the tank?
Is the fuel tax added to your registration fees?
Out of massive natural gas fields & coal beds in the northern plains of Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas? Sounds good to me!
It’s not a “renewable” fuel, but it is one that there is a huge domestic supply of and it’s easy to transport with an existing infrastructure.
it is a direct part of the dinosaur fuel chain. there is no environmental savings here.
this is sort of like th epeople who convert to nat gas in new england, and then the ship is late, and then there are shortages.
the price is the same, and it all comes from the ground.
where’s the savings?
I might add two additional issues:
Is it legal in your state, and maybe other states you might want to travel through to use a car powered by a non-taxed fuel? Even if it is, how long will that last?
You are competing for a fuel also used to heat homes and provide electricity.
Because there are huge reserves of the stuff in North America, so you get environmental and geopolitical benefits by not having to import it. Plus it burns very clean and there is a lot less refining cost associated with it. I’m not saying it’s a permanent solution to our energy problems, but I think it deserves more attention as a temporary measure. It makes a lot more sense than ethanol!
on that note; for all the old timers out there, and the younger ones who weren’t around then:
remember when VW started advertising the VW rabbit diesel? they touted the low cost of diesel, the cheap high mileage benefits.
sounds familiar.
but as soon as the government (and the petro industry) realized the profits were not being taken advantage of, the price went UP.
i do agree ethanol is a crazy idea. but MTBE was worse for the enviroment. so as an additive it is better.
"Q: How long does Phill take to fill a vehicle?
A: On average it will take approximately 4 hours to replenish the fuel consumed in 80 km / 50 miles of driving based on a vehicle consumption rate of 8 litres per 100 km or 30 mpg (US). "
The reasons why the natural gas car never took off. Natural gas is a commodity, just like oil. It’s prices vary greatly. 2. It’s more dangerous, oil burns, gas explodes. The refueling process is long. The infostructure for natural gas isn’t nearly as robust as it is for oil, infostructures are jolly expensive. There are more.
It’s an energy density issue and it takes a lifestyle change to own a car powered by NG. A 50 mile range and it takes 4 hours to refuel it? Honda will not sell many of these outside of fleets that can use a single fueling station which they own…
One of these days, America is going to wake up to long lines and gasoline rationing. THEN these vehicles will look FINE…But not until then…
I was stationed in Italy from 1976 to 1980 I saw lots of cars using natural gas all you have to do is hookup a newtank and these cars are very fast and safe on the autostrada.
The Civic GX has been available for at least ten years, but only in some states. The problem isn’t just oil and gasoline prices. The problem is with all sources of energy. Natural gas does burn cleanly and it might be cheap right now because of the season. However, next December when people need it to heat their homes, you are going to find it isn’t so cheap anymore.
Regarding range and safety:
*Natural gas and liquid propane gas tanks are safe for travel. Take a close look at a motorhome or travel trailer. Most have furnaces and water heaters that run on propane and the tanks are safe. Some even have generators and refrigerators that run on propane.
*Since the tanks are safe for travel, you could extend your range by carrying a few extra tanks of gas in the trunk.
It isn’t the answer to high fuel prices, but it isn’t as bad as they naysayers claim either.
Natural gas is still controled by the big oil companies and they have not yet found a way to make a hefty profit from it as they do with gasoline products.