Benefits of Natural Gas and Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs)

The fuel we trust to heat our homes and cook our food has a proven safety record as a vehicle fuel too. Unlike gasoline, natural gas is non toxic and contains almost no smog-forming hydrocarbons. With its high ignition temperature and narrow explosive range, natural gas is much less likely to ignite than gasoline in the unlikely event of a leak. And natural gas is non-corrosive and lighter than water, so contamination of water sources is almost impossible!

Natural gas has a well-deserved reputation as America's reliable, domestic fuel. With vast proven reserves available in the continental U.S., natural gas is well positioned to serve our transportation energy needs for generations to come. California is already leading the way in supporting alternative fuels such as natural gas.

NGVs are available in a wide range of light-, medium- and heavy-duty models -- everything from cars to 18-wheelers. Many fleets are adopting them because NGVs offer enduring solutions to the pressing problems of air pollution, ocean and ground water contamination and global oil supply uncertainty. NGVs meet low emission standards well ahead of state-mandated phase-in schedules. Equally important, NGV deployment is an investment in the march toward zero-emission fuel cell vehicles.

Fleets that have switched to NGVs are finding their overall operating costs competitive with- if not lower than- conventional vehicles. Natural gas costs less than other fuels and burns cleaner, reducing routine maintenance costs.

NGVs are powered by a proven clean, reliable, domestic fuel that is available through a rapidly expanding retail infrastructure. With over 80,000 miles of distribution pipeline within California alone, natural gas is already available in most communities. The number of compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations has grown from a mere handful in 1990 to over two hundred today. Another fifty stations are now under construction.