OK - I've finally done it. I've been thinking about it for awhile, and last week I bought a bi-fuel Chevrolet Cavalier (it runs on unleaded or natural gas.) Of course, I run almost exclusively on natural gas. My justifications are as follows:
- $3.60/gallon vs. $0.87/gge (gallon equivalent)
- almost no emissions from natural gas compared to gasoline
- I'm no longer contributing to the profit margins of people who finance terrorists
I wish more people would do the same, but there are a lot of excuses that I hear. Let me weigh in on a few of them, and try to provide my reasons why they are weak excuses:
- Natural gas refueling stations are not very plentiful - no, but they will be when a lot more of us drive natural gas vehicles, and besides, I only have to go about 3 minutes out of my way to fill up
- My natural gas tank doesn't hold as much fuel as a gasoline tank, so I have to fill up more often - true, but back to #1, it's not that far out of your way, and aren't the benefits worth a few extra minutes every few days?
- It's dangerous to have a pressurized tank of CNG in my trunk - this is just not true, as it is designed with appropriate pressure relief - your non-pressurized gasoline tank is more of a danger than the CNG cylinder
- I don't have much selection of makes and models that use CNG - true, but the more people start buying these things, the better the selection will be - besides, for your commuter, is it really that big a deal what you drive? This Cavalier is a great, clean car, and fun to drive
So take a look at the options, give it some thought, and if the right opportunity comes up, join the CNG club with me. When you look at your natural gas receipt and it says $4.89 for a complete fill-up, you won't regret your decision.
OK - I've finally done it. I've been thinking about it for awhile, and last week I bought a bi-fuel Chevrolet Cavalier (it runs on unleaded or natural gas.) Of course, I run almost exclusively on natural gas. My justifications are as follows:
4 comments:
I have a few more points to ponder (although I think basically they are a good idea)
1. If everyone drove them then the price of natural gas would rise significantly causeing home heating to go through the roof.
2. I need my trunk space to do grocery shopping and such on my way home from work.
3. My sister has one she just got and has had nothing but problems with the natural gas end and has spent a ton fixing it.
4. What MPG does the natural gas get? I just don't know. I know it is cheaper per gallon but if it only gets 2 MPG (which I dought) it would still not make it worth the cost on inconvience?
Just wondering, I am not saying don't do it I just would really like to know somemore first.
By "the people who finance terrorists," I assume you mean the Bush administration? 87 cents a gallon, I'm jealous!
I love these comments! Ha ha - especially the one on people who finance terrorists...
Seriously, Kimberly, why would we continue to contribute to anything that has a link to something so awful as international terrorism? (I know you are right on the same page with me.) We only do it because we can't see a viable alternative.
Shelly, your points are worth serious reflection - I offer the following responses, in the same order:
1. Natural gas for home heating would likely remain unimpacted, believe it or not. Right now the price of CNG is tied directly to the same state restrictions as the gas for your home heating - eventually, the state will redesign the legislation allowing private enterprise to sell CNG, and the price for CNG for your car will likely go up to ~$2.25/gge, but the amount of natural gas supply coming to market from new wells right now is unbelievable (I work in the industry.) So, the profits in the free market from the CNG for cars will go up, the supply will increase, and your home heating will be unimpacted.
2. I brought home $600 in groceries from case lot sales this weekend - no problem for space. Just have to be willing to use the back seat. And you really shouldn't have to grocery shop every day, so if you really need more space occasionally, drive the bigger car once every week or two, rather than every day. It can require new ways of thinking, and I know as well as anyone how challenging that can be sometimes, but we're in challenging times!
3. There are a lot of aftermarket conversions, you have to be careful to get a good one and that you are comfortable with the shop that did it. Mine was made CNG in the factory - there are no issues.
4. The BTU content is essentially the same - you get the same fuel economy whether you are using CNG or unleaded. In fact, I think that is where the unit "gge" comes from - it stands for gallon equivalent, or the amount of CNG that has the equivalent energy of one gallon of unleaded. It costs me <25% as much to go the same distance if I'm on CNG rather than unleaded.
Clearly, this is not practical for every application, but it could be practical for a large percentage of applications, especially the daily commuting and such that so many of us do.
Thanks that clears some things up. Although I have to say I don't believe that it will not change the cost of home heating. I think the theory is sound it just doesn't seem like anything ever works out like that.
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