A Different Type Of CNG Conversion with The Carlab

Earlier this summer, we had the chance to travel to the Southern California Natural Gas Storage Facility in Playa Del Rey, California to check out some prototypes built by Carlab, a vehicle-development consulting firm. The prototypes feature a compressed Natural Gas conversion with a slight twist. Instead of converting the prototypes fully to Natural Gas, Carlab installed a smaller tank that allows the prototypes to travel between 50 to 75 miles before switching to the regular gas engine. Why? Well, Carlab is applying the idea of a range-extended electric car to CNG. By using a cheaper energy source that can be provided at home, Carlab created prototypes that can run for a short distance on CNG before switching to the gas engine for longer distances. It's the same theory applied to range-extending electric vehicles. 

Autobytel's Editor-in-Chief, Michelle Naranjo, talks with the Carlab's Eric Noble about CNG and their idea for natural gas in vehicles.