Compressed natural gas is one of the least-polluting forms of alternative fuels, although like other alternatives, it has its pros and cons. One of the reasons it hasn’t caught on is because of the lack of on-the-road CNG refueling stations.
For 2009, there’s only one new model capable of running on CNG: Honda’s Civic GX, sold in California and New York. GX buyers have the option to buy or lease a home refueling station that taps into your house’s existing natural gas line. The GX is the most-expensive Civic, costing $25,090, but it also qualifies for a $4,000 tax credit from the government.
Senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder gives his driving impressions of the GX:
“Driving a Civic GX is like driving a regular one with decreased acceleration. I think any reasonable driver would find the power adequate. Refueling is also simple. The main drawback is greatly diminished trunk space because the CNG tank had to go somewhere, and of course filling stations are less common than gasoline, even in regions that sell these cars. Home natural-gas refueling makes the GX more viable, and that’s available. CNG is probably the best balance of initial cost, emissions, greenhouse gas, cost to refuel and fuel sourcing (North America), but until cars are designed from scratch to accommodate the different equipment (as the best hybrids have been), there are tradeoffs.”
The GX won’t be alone for too long as Toyota has announced it will bring a CNG Camry concept to the Los Angeles Auto Show in November.
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This STINKS anyone should be able to buy a natural gas car not just those that live in certain states.
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Why be stuck with ONLY 2 cars that run on CNG? The rest of the world figured out that oil is not going to last forever. They have considerably more cars that run on compressed natural gas than the US.
Just convert your car or truck to run on both gas and CNG, so you're not limited with distance, but mainly use it for your local area (if you have a station with CNG). You can convert for under 6K - check out cngoutfitters.com.