Why Natural Gas Makes Sense, For Now
In the course of doing research for some upcoming Autotropolis projects, I've been taking a lot closer look the alternative-fuel situation, from hybrids to fuel cell to battery packs. While these options all have their pros and cons, the closest we have to a winner today is the kind of hybrid technology found in vehicles like the Toyota Prius, Honda Insight, Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Silverado, to name just a few. And one of the major reasons for this is that none of these cars and trucks requires a real change in behavior from anyone except the auto companies'”our national scapegoats for the energy crisis.
There's no change in the purchase process. There's no change in the driving process (although the driving experience can be another matter). For all their fuel-efficiency, there's not even a change in the refueling process. And you know what? I'm pretty certain that it's this last area that represents the most important factor in consumer acceptance of alternative-fuel vehicles.
After all, it's the one that addresses that uniquely American existential dread of being caught with an empty gas tank and, hence, being unable to drive. It's this fear that makes the issue of refueling so important to the success of a gas alternative. Just look at the hydrogen fuel-cell experiment. Both GM's test fleet of fuel-cell Chevrolet Equinox crossovers and the Honda FCX Clarity are still on the road. But from a real-world viewpoint, these vehicles have absolutely no chance for success without an underlying infrastructure to support their refueling. As of today, July 20, the National Hydrogen Association lists all of 71 operational hydrogen fueling stations in the U.S. and Canada.
And one of the biggest areas of interest around the Chevrolet Volt and other electric vehicles is that of how long it takes to recharge them and how long their range will be. Obviously, unless drivers can quickly and easily "fill up" with electricity, they may have may have to face the horror of not being able to drive exactly when and where they want.
Now, the fact that the Volt can be refueled (with gasoline) at the corner filling station helps out in the Chevy's case, but it also negates the primary reason for purchase: the ability to drive in electricity-only mode.
Of course, there is a currently available alternative fuel without these problems: natural gas.
As a fuel, it's cleaner than "regular" gasoline, producing about 20 percent fewer greenhouse gases, so it's got environmental cred. There's also a relatively large supply of it available in the U.S., which would go directly toward helping reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy. It's also less expensive than gasoline, even taking into consideration its lower energy content, which lowers driving range. The natural gas crowd even claims it can be made sustainably by using switchgrass as a source.
There are definitely some pricing issues when it comes to the vehicles themselves, though. The only such vehicle currently available to consumers is the Honda Civic, the natural gas version of which retails for nearly $10,000 more than its gasoline-powered counterpart '” that's a bit more than $1,500 over the cost of the Civic hybrid.
On the other hand, the Civic can also qualify for some tax incentives, including $4,000 from the federal Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit. And the more the automakers build, the more the price will come down as a result of natural economies of scale.
But the best reason to support natural gas as today's alternative fuel of choice is that it's already backed by Big Oil. I'm thinking the folks at ExxonMobil et al. could be convinced to kick in some big-time resources (i.e., cash) if it means keeping the corporate coffers filled. They also know a bit about supporting a refueling infrastructure, including one that already has more than a thousand natural-gas filling stations across the country and extensive experience in catering to the country's 120,000-vehicle fleet of natural gas vehicles.
Natural gas may not be the ultimate answer to the future of the auto industry, but it could at least get us away from relying on foreign gasoline today while we continue look for a new solution for tomorrow. After all, it's certainly better for the country to be beholden to the large oil companies than to OPEC '” uh, right?