USA, Washington, D.C.

Cleaner & Cheaper

According to NGVAmerica President, Rich Kolodziej, natural gas powered commercial vehicles (NGVs) offers a timely economical alternative that is available right now. While our attention is focussed on reduction of green house gas emissions from light-duty vehicles, with alternatives such as the Toyota gasoline-hybrid Prius or the Honda natural gas GX being promoted, Kolodziej says much more immediate steps can be taken in the medium to heavy duty transport area.

He points out about a quarter of USA's on-road petroleum is used in heavier diesel-powered commercial vehicles, such as buses and medium- or heavy-duty trucks. These vehicles are the economic backbone of the country, he says, yet operators are being faced with fuel costs continually gnawing at bottom lines.

Kolodziej argues in an article released through Forbes that natural gas is plentiful, cleaner and far less expensive. Depending on the region of the country, natural gas is 75 cents to $2 less than the diesel-gallon equivalent (i.e., for the same amount of energy in a gallon of diesel fuel) at the pump. Additionally, 97% of the natural gas used in the U.S. currently originates in North America, so international dependency is minimised.

Furthermore NGVs are cleaner than diesel vehicles. For example, new natural-gas heavy-duty engines produce one-sixth of the nitrogen oxides of even the cleanest diesel engines, he says. As an added bonus, they produce over 20% less greenhouse gases. Most important, NGVs are a "here-and-now technology." No major technical breakthroughs are needed.

Costs is certainly a factor, with NGVs costing between between $35,000 and $45,000 more than comparable diesel vehicles and re-powered options costing up to $65,000 more. But the added cost can be recovered quickly because of the lower operating expenses. Tax credits from federal government and some states will also help offset natural gas investment costs.

130 transit fleets are now operating more than 10,000 natural gas buses around the country, and 20% of buses on order are NGVs. Plus there are numerous examples of refuse trucks, urban delivery trucks, air and water port vehicles operating successfully in commercial environments.

Kolodziej concludes by admitting natural gas is not the "silver bullet" to end dependency on fuel imports. However it is a logical and immediate alternative to upward trending transport costs while attending to GHG reduction. In urban fleets especially, he says what makes the most sense is natural gas.

NGVAmerica is the national trade association for natural gas vehicles, based in Washington, D.C.

For the full article go to Forbes.