1. Why is compressed natural gas (CNG) the smart alternative in vehicle fueling solutions?

(1). Low Cost

CNG offers considerable energy savings over fuels such as gasoline and diesel – as much as 30% at the pump. Given that natural gas fueling consists mostly of infrastructure costs and not the fuel itself, prices typically remain stable.

(2). Low Environmental Impact

The transportation sector is one of the biggest contributors to air pollution in North America. Natural gas produces up to 40% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuels, making it the best energy alternative to protect the environment.

(3). Easier, Less Frequent Maintenance

CNG is the cleanest burning fuel option available today, delivering cost savings on maintenance and repairs by reducing vehicle wear.

2. Safer

(1). Natural gas is one of the world’s safest sources of energy because of its properties, and the reliability of natural gas vehicles (NGV) and their fuel delivery systems.
(2). In the event of a spill or leak, natural gas will evaporate into the air, unlike gasoline, which pools on the ground creating a fire hazard.
(3). Robustly constructed natural gas fuel tanks are manufactured with polymers and composites that are stronger than steel, which means less risk of damage or a leak.
(4). Natural gas fueling stations are built to strict federal standards that ensure safety.

50 REASONS FOR USING NGV/CNG

1. Infrastructure

(1). Almost 80 countries from all five continents use NGV/CNG.
(2). More than 10 million vehicles run on this noble fuel today.
(3). Cars refuel at over 18 thousand filling stations spread throughout 2,400 cities worldwide.
(4). There are 3,600 service stations under construction. By end 2012, 25,000 fuel dispensing points will supply methane for vehicles.
(5). 180 OEM NGV are offered by vehicle manufacturers. OEMs’ interest is growing: Ford, Scania, Opel, GM, Mercedes Benz, Toyota, Hyundai, Tata, Fiat –among others- are clear examples.
(6). The relation oil reserves-demand has reached the critical point or “peak oil” while a similar situation is not foreseen in the case of natural gas.
(7). Natural gas exploration keeps expanding into both traditional wells and compact sand deposits. Coal bed methane constitutes a new alternative. Methane hydrate reserves on the sea bed are countless and several times larger than traditional reserves.
(8). Conventional gas pipelines networks continue to proliferate. Underwater pipelines are built across oceans and others over mountain ranges.
(9). The use of mobile natural gas pipelines –on trucks or trailers- makes NGV/CNG available where there are no physical pipelines either because of long distances or because of the scale of the demand.
(10). In typical NGV/CNG refueling stations, owners do not have to rely on the arrival of trucks for the fuel supply since it is constantly provided by the pipeline.
(11). It is possible for some users to refill their NGV/CNG cars at home because there are dispensers that take natural gas directly from the domestic distribution network.
(12). Liquefaction and regasification terminals allow –through LNG technology- that natural gas arrives at any place of the planet. LNG carriers guarantee its global distribution and the possibility of providing support for larger supply. LNG transport does not entail the huge risks of ecological disaster that oil poses.
(13). NGV/CNG industry involves an 800,000 people labour force worldwide, between technicians and workers.

2. Applications

(14). Natural gas for vehicles may replace all liquid fuels in all their applications and more, whereas the opposite is not possible
(15). Regarding land transport, there are cars, vans, scooters, motorbikes, tricycles, all types of buses and trucks that run on this fuel.
(16). In addition, cranes, farm machinery, snow cats, planes, light aircraft, motorboats, ferries and trains –among others- are already NGV/CNG-propelled successfully.

3. Politics and saving

(17). Oil price is extremely unstable and its trend –especially after the last big international crisis- is definitely upwards again.
(18). More and more governments promote natural gas as the core of their energy matrix to break the dependence generated by the permanent liquid fuels importation.
(19). However, nations which are big oil producers, like Iran or Venezuela, encourage the use of natural gas in their domestic markets to increase their oil exports.
(20). Natural gas is the only abundant, eco-friendly, economically viable fuel with the infrastructure required to supply the world’s automotive fleet for the next 40 years.
(21). The world average indicates that driving an NGV is 66% cheaper than using a gasoline vehicle and 33% more economical than diesel.
22. Countries that import fuels have to pay 50% less for natural gas (LNG) than for liquid fuels like diesel (per equivalent unit of energy).

4. Ecology and health

(23). NGV/CNG engines produce 25% less carbon dioxide than gasoline and 35% less than diesel. The CO2 contributes to global climate change due to greenhouse effect.
(24). They reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 95% compared to gasoline, hydrocarbons emissions by 80% and nitrogen oxides’ by 30%.
(25). NGV/CNG does not contain sulphur (there are diesel engines that release 18.4 g/h), particulate matter, lead or heavy metals traces.
(26). NGV/CNG cylinders are hermetically sealed receptacles, while by using gasoline, part of it -contained in the tank- evaporates. This causes almost half of the contamination by hydrocarbons associated with the vehicular application.
(27). Unlike gasoline, natural gas for vehicles does not have toxic additives of organic lead or benzene, the latter being highly carcinogenic. 28. Natural gas is not toxic or corrosive and does not contaminate groundwater at all. That is why there is no environmental risk in case of leakage, contrasting with the harmful environmental effects brought about by oil spills.
(29). NGV/CNG engines decrease noise pollution by having a smoother and more silent performance than gasoline engines and especially diesel ones.
(30). Biogas (methane from the breakdown of organic matter) turns natural gas into a renewable fuel that can be produced in the whole world. Biogas production from agricultural goods yields four more times per hectare than liquid biofuels.
(31). Natural gas complies with the strictest environmental standards required by governments and regulating agencies. It is the large-scale use fuel with the lowest contamination levels.
(32). It is the necessary bridge to hydrogen (immediate promise in terms of clean fuels, not yet available on a large scale), given its molecular structure and the logistics required for its implementation.

5. Safety

(33). NGV/CNG is not a new technology. It has 70 years of history. It is widely proven and its technological advances are constant.
(34). Being lighter than air, in case of eventual leakage, compressed natural gas rises and rapidly dissipates. Instead, gasoline spills and moves downwards, what increases fire and explosion risk considerably during an accident or leakage.
(35). NGV/CNG requires a 600º C temperature for ignition while gasoline and liquefied petroleum gas ignite at 450º C. This is the reason why it is much more improbable that an NGV catches fire, under any circumstance.
(36). The fuel circuit for natural gas is hermetic and has no air inside. Therefore there is no spontaneous ignition. On the contrary, in liquid fuels tanks, there is always flammable mixture, since they are open to the atmosphere.
(37). Cylinders are manufactured under very strict safety norms and are subject to tests with pressures much higher than the ones existing during a regular refilling. Design and testing pressure is 300 Bar, they do not explode at less than 460 Bar, and the working pressure is 200 Bar.
38. Due to their robustness, structure, shape and its location inside the vehicle, cylinders are much less dangerous than a gasoline tank in case of collision. For example, they undergo tests with fire and firearms.

6. Mechanics

(39). Natural gas for vehicles has higher octane number than gasoline (125 vs. 90), what provides combustion without self-ignition, even in engines of higher compression and efficiency.
(40). Furthermore, combustion is total, because the mixture between NGV/CNG and air is perfect at any ambient temperature.
(41). The oil that lubricates the engine is less contaminated if natural gas is employed, and intervals between oil changes are twice as long.
(42). There are no sediments and the spark plugs are kept clean. The walls of the engine cylinders are not washed, what results in better and more effective lubrication.
(43). Combustion gases are not corrosive. By not damaging metals, the life of the exhaust pipe and silencers is longer.
(44). The gaseous nature of the fuel eliminates the scanning actions in the cylinders during fast acceleration periods, with the advantage of reducing the corrosion of metal surfaces.
(45). The engine presents great performance flexibility during accelerations without irregularities or backfires, even at low direct speed.
(46). Converted vehicles may switch from using NGV/CNG to gasoline by simply pushing a button or turning a knob while driving.
(47). NGV-gasoline bifuel system doubles the car’s driving range.
(48). Natural gas vehicles operate in all terrains, even across mountains. In this sense, a truck –with a 37-tonnes load- drove above 4,800 meters high in the Peruvian Andes in May 2008.
(49). NGV/CNG works fine under any climate condition. Since the fuel does not freeze –not even at low temperatures- the vehicle will always be ready to be used. NGV/CNG components are tested at -40°C during its approval process. Natural gas only liquefies at 165 °C.
(50). What is more, the speeds it may reach are similar to racing cars’ speeds. A biogas Audi A4 entered the Guinness Book of Records by achieving 364.6 km/h in April 2009, thus becoming the fastest NGV/CNG-driven car of the world. The milestone was reached on the Formula One Nürburgring race track in Germany.