Frequently Asked Questions

• What is natural gas?
• What is CNG?
• What is LNG?
• Can natural gas be used in any vehicle?
• What is a converted or conversion vehicle?
• I want to convert my personal vehicle to operate on CNG. Is it possible?
• Are natural gas vehicles available?
• How does NGV performance compare to conventional fuel vehicles?
• What are the benefits of natural gas as a transportation fuel and natural gas vehicles?
• What is the future of natural gas?
• What incentives and laws are relative to natural gas as a transportation fuel, infrastructure and natural gas vehicles?
• I’ve heard you can obtain home refueling for NGVs. How can I get it in my area?
• How do I become a Certified CNG Fuel System Installer?
• How can I find a natural gas fueling station?
• What are the prices of natural gas compared to conventional gasoline?
• Frequently Used Natural Gas & Vehicle Related Acronyms

What is natural gas?


Natural gas is 90 percent methane and contains a mixture of hydrocarbons that is produced from gas wells or from crude petroleum production.  It is clean burning, domestic and readily available for consumers.

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What is CNG?
CNG or compressed natural gas is natural gas that is highly compressed and stored in high-pressure storage containers. CNG is used extensively as a transportation fuel for automobiles, trucks and busses.

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What is LNG?
LNG or liquefied natural gas is natural gas that has been liquefied by reducing its temperature to
-260 degrees Fahrenheit at atmospheric pressure.  LNG is mainly used as a transportation fuel in heavy-duty vehicle applications.

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Can natural gas be used in any vehicle?
No.  There are vehicles that are made specifically to run on natural gas (“dedicated”) and others that are bi-fueled that can use natural gas or conventional fuels (like gasoline or diesel). The two types of natural gas that can be stored on a vehicle are compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG). However, many vehicles can be converted to run on natural gas. The conversion systems must be certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  Vehicles that use natural gas are called natural gas vehicles (NGVs).

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What is a converted or conversion vehicle?
When an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) vehicle designed to run on conventional gasoline is altered aftermarket to run on an alternative fuel, like natural gas, or a combination of gasoline and alternative fuel, the vehicle is considered a conversion vehicle.  It can also be referred to as retrofitting a vehicle or a retrofitted vehicle. One of the most common conversions is altering vehicles to run on compressed natural gas (CNG).  There are essentially two types of natural gas conversions: dedicated and bi-fuel. Dedicated operates exclusively on natural gas. Bi-fuel has separate fuel tanks for the gasoline and natural gas and an automatic fuel selection device selects the desired fuel.

All natural gas conversions must meet EPA standards. Converted vehicles operating in California must also meet California Air Resource Board (CARB) rules. Conversions should be performed  by qualified system retrofitters using EPA-/CARB-Certified systems from Small Volume Manufacturers (SVM).

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I want to convert my personal vehicle to operate on CNG. Is it possible?
Many late-model Ford, GM and a limited number of Chrysler vehicles can be converted to operate on CNG. First and foremost, the conversion system must be EPA and/or California Air Resources Board (CARB) - certified and compliant to avoid tampering violations as legislated through the Clean Air Act Amendments. Conversion systems should only be installed by a reputable company that is certified by the conversion system manufacturer. Also, check with the original vehicle manufacturer regarding warranty issues. Lastly, make sure you have access to public fueling or a home fueling appliance installed.

To see a list of certified conversion systems and their applicable vehicle models, click here. This list was last updated in April 2011. More information is also available on the EPA website.

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Are natural gas vehicles available?
Yes, there are light-, medium-, and heavy-duty natural gas vehicles available for purchase today. Other natural gas vehicles are available through conversions or system retrofits by small volume manufacturers. Available natural gas vehicles include applications ranging from taxi fleets to transit and school buses to refuse haulers. According to NGVAmerica there are currently 110,000 NGVs on the road in the United States and more than 12 million worldwide.

For NGVi's Online Buyers' Guide, a complete listing of all commercially available natural gas vehicles, click here.

 

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How does NGV performance compare to conventional fuel vehicles?
Horsepower, acceleration and cruise power are  the same. However, the typical range for an NGV running on CNG or LNG may be less than a conventionally fueled vehicle because of the lower energy content of natural gas.  Extra storage tanks can increase range, but the extra weight might displace payload capacity.

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What are the benefits of natural gas as a transportation fuel and natural gas vehicles?
There are many benefits, economic and social, to using natural gas vehicles. Here are just a few:

• Natural gas is a domestic fuel, improving energy security  and lessening the United States’ dependence on foreign oil.
• Though the price of natural gas varies the same as gasoline and diesel, historically the cost of natural gas has been between $0.84 and $3.19 per equivalent gallon of gasoline. This makes natural gas as a transportation fuel very economic at the pump.
• Exhaust emissions are generally much lower than gasoline-powered vehicles.

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What is the future of natural gas?
There has been much discussion recently about natural gas being the immediate solution for our nation’s oil dependence. It is produced domestically and an extensive distribution infrastructure already exists. It is also helping to pave the way for future technology development such as hydrogen fuel cells vehicles. Natural gas is a good feedstock for hydrogen that powers hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Furthermore, as both hydrogen and natural gas are gaseous fuels, the lessons learned for developing natural gas technologies may pave the way for further hydrogen technology production.

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What incentives and laws are relative to natural gas as a transportation fuel, infrastructure and natural gas vehicles?
There are many federal and state laws and incentives related to natural gas as a transportation fuel, infrastructure and natural gas vehicles. For more information, visit the following websites:

• U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Alternative Fuels & Advanced Vehicles Data Center’s (AFDC) Federal & State Incentives & Laws page: http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/laws/
• IRS’s Qualified Alternative Fuel Motor Vehicles (QAFMV) Credit: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/article/0,,id=175456,00.html
• EPA’s Fuel Economy Tax Incentives Information Center:
  http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/tax_afv.shtml

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I’ve heard you can obtain home refueling for NGVs. How can I get it in my area?
Home refueling systems are also called Vehicle Refueling Appliances (VRA). There are a couple of products on the market for home refueling including the BRC FuelMaker’s Phill, distributed by IMPCO and NatGasCar’s Ecowise. A qualified dealer will be able to assess whether the VRA will meet your needs given your vehicle type, daily fuel needs, CNG tank size and pressure. Additionally there must be natural gas service to your home.

Both VRAs should only be installed by trained and certified personnel. Check with your local utility company for more information.

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How do I become a Certified CNG Fuel System Installer?
The usual way to become "Certified" to install a CNG fuel system is to be trained and "Certified" by the company that manufactures the CNG conversion system such as IMPCO or Baytech Corporation, etc. In any event the CNG fuel system MUST be installed in accordance with NFPA 52.

Two states (to date), Oklahoma and Texas, have their own certification requirements and exams.

• Oklahoma’s Alternative Fuels Technician Examiners Program is through the Department of Central Services Home Page / Fleet Management / Alternative Fuels Program. Click here for more information.
• Texas’ Authorized CNG/LNG Activities Licensing is managed through the Rail Road Commission of Texas. Click here for more information.

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How can I find a natural gas fueling station?
There are nearly 1,000 CNG stations in the United States, and new stations are coming online often. The AFDC has a good fuel station locator with search options by fuel, state and even routing capabilities: http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/locator/stations/

There is even an application available for your internet-enabled cell phone: http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/locator/m/station/

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What are the prices of natural gas compared to conventional gasoline?
DOE’s EERE’s Clean Cities publishes a quarterly Alternative Fuel Price Report designed to compare alternative fuel prices in the US in relation to gasoline and diesel prices. The following chart shows the most recent data available for comparison. The report can be found here: http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/price_report.html.

Overall Average Fuel Prices (as of April 2011)
	Nationwide Average Price for Fuel This Report	Nationwide Average Price for Fuel Last Report	Change in Price This Report vs. Last Report	Units of Measurement
Gasoline (Regular)	$3.69	$3.08	$0.61	per gallon
Diesel	$4.04	$3.45	$0.59	per gallon
CNG	$2.06	$1.93	$0.13	per GGE

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Frequently Used Natural Gas & Vehicle Related Acronyms
AB 32	Legislation designed to reduce global warming impacts in California
AFDC	Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center
AFV	Alternative Fuel Vehicle
AGA	American Gas Association
ANSI	American National Standards Institute
AQMD	Air Quality Management District
ASME	American Society of Mechanical Engineers
ASTM	American Society for Testing and Materials
BTU	British Thermal Unit
C	Carbon
CAAA	Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990
CAFE	Corporate Average Fuel Economy
CAP	Clean Air Plan
CARB	California Air Resources Board
CH4	Methane
CMAQ	Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program
CNG	Compressed Natural Gas
CO	Carbon Monoxide
CO2	Carbon Dioxide
DOE	U.S. Department of Energy
DOT	U.S. Department of Transportation
EERE	U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
EPA	U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPAct	Energy Policy Act of 1992 and/or 2005
FHWA	Federal Highway Administration
GGE	Gasoline Gallon Equivalent
GVWR	Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
HDT	Heavy-Duty Truck
HDV	Heavy-Duty Vehicle
HOV	High Occupancy Vehicle
ICE	Internal Combustion Engine
ILEV	Inherently Low Emission Vehicle
L	Liter
LDT	Light-Duty Truck
LDV	Light -Duty Vehicle
LEV	Low Emission Vehicle
LDC	Local Distribution Company
LNG	Liquefied Natural Gas
lpm	liter per minute
MCF	Thousand Cubic Feet
MDT	Medium-Duty Truck
MDV	Medium-Duty Vehicle
MPa	Megapascal (35 MPa = 5000 psig = 350 bar)
NGV	Natural Gas Vehicle
NGVA	NGVAmerica
NHTSA	National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Nm3/h	Normal Cubic Meters Per Hour
NOx	Nitrogen Oxide
NREL	National Renewable Energy Laboratory
OEM	Original equipment manufacturer
O3	Ozone
PM	Particulate Matter
PM10	Particulate Matter Less Than 10 Microns in Diameter
psi	Pounds Per Square Inch
psig	Pounds Per Square Inch (Gauge Pressure)
PZEV	Partial Zero-Emissions Vehicle
SIP	State Implementation Plan
SVM	Small Volume Manufacturer
SULEV	Super Ultra-Low-Emission Vehicle
ULEV	Ultra Low Emission Vehicle
VALE	Voluntary Airport Low Emission Program
VOC	Volatile Organic Compound
VRA	Vehicle Refueling Appliance
ZEV	Zero Emission Vehicle

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