| US energy reserves in the form of natural gas are | | | | Existing cars can also be converted. Cars burning |
| about 80% larger than its petroleum reserves. Future | | | | compressed natural gas will perform flawlessly without |
| drilling will add modestly to either reserve with the | | | | any performance handicap. However, the conversion |
| likelihood that new natural gas reserves will be more | | | | of a gasoline powered car is expensive and the large, |
| significant. | | | | high pressure cylinders for storing CNG must be |
| T. Boone Pickens is proposing to use more natural gas | | | | installed in the car's trunk when retrofitting. |
| as fuel for automobiles. His ads are gaining traction and | | | | A few car manufacturers are already offering |
| many people are beginning to ask themselves if a | | | | vehicles equipped to use both fuels, CNG and gasoline. |
| Compressed Natural Gas or CNG powered car is in | | | | One can either use the one or the other fuel. An |
| their future. | | | | immediate changeover can be made by toggling a |
| The answer depends on knowing three simple facts; is | | | | simple switch. In the US Honda is already offering its |
| CNG really much less expensive than gasoline, is CNG | | | | Civic GX model. Volkswagen, Opel, Mercedes, and Fiat |
| readily available, and are commercial cars with bi-fuel | | | | are selling bi-fuel models in Europe. Other Europeans |
| capability available for sale? The answers are yes, no, | | | | are making CNG powered models, too. American |
| yes. | | | | carmakers are sure to follow. |
| Natural gas can be offered at a significantly lower | | | | There are two remaining questions. How much natural |
| price than gasoline. In a recent ad by a large gas | | | | gas reserves does the US possess and how reliable |
| company a price of $2.04 per GGE was offered for | | | | are early price signals? After all, imported natural gas is |
| CNG while the comparable price for regular gasoline | | | | sold mostly by OPEC countries and the US is already |
| was shown at $3.46 per gallon. The energy content of | | | | importing small amounts of natural gas. |
| compressed natural gas is quoted in "Gallon of Gas | | | | Available data puts US natural gas reserves at 230 |
| Equivalent" or GGE. This is a new measuring unit, | | | | tcf (trillion cubic feet). Present consumption is about 2 |
| which is based on the energy content of the | | | | tcf annually. Consumption of natural gas will obviously |
| dispensed gas. By basing the price of CNG on its | | | | sharply increase once CNG is used widely in |
| energy content, one can compare energy prices of | | | | automobiles and will also continue its annual rise as |
| CNG and gasoline directly. This is by far the best | | | | overall US energy consumption continues to grow. |
| approach for the customer who can compare prices | | | | Annual natural gas consumption may soon grow close |
| for two equal amounts of energy, one for a gas, the | | | | to 4 tcf. With this rate of consumption known natural |
| other one for gasoline. Measuring the dispensed | | | | gas reserves will last for more than fifty years. |
| amount of CNG is more difficult than measuring an | | | | When buying a bi-fuel car, we need to convince |
| equivalent amount of gasoline. However, a precise | | | | ourselves that CNG prices will stay stable and |
| measurement can be made. Installing a CNG | | | | competitive in order to recover the higher purchase |
| measuring device is just more expensive than its | | | | price of the bi-fuel equipped car. The natural gas |
| gasoline counterpart. | | | | industry has been using recent increases in the price of |
| At present, there are almost no fueling stations | | | | heating oil to significantly increase the price of natural |
| equipped to dispense CNG. The natural gas industry | | | | gas. How can we make a realistic estimate about |
| will have to make considerable investments before a | | | | future price stability of CNG? Past history shows that |
| sufficient number of fueling stations will be locally | | | | the pipeline companies that sell natural gas to local |
| available. If you are the lucky one who lives close to | | | | distribution utilities were setting prices based on the |
| such a new station, you should seriously consider | | | | same cut-throat practices used by OPEC. |
| buying a new car with bi-fuel capability. For local driving | | | | Realistically, we do not have any effective protection |
| one uses CNG, for long distance traveling one | | | | from similar pricing policies in the future. We can |
| continues to depend on gasoline. By having two fuel | | | | therefore, expect that the advertised lower CNG |
| tanks on board, one for CNG, the other for gasoline, | | | | energy prices will not last forever. |
| the driver can select the fuel he wants to use. | | | | |