Compressed natural gas cars to hit market next year

19-Nov-2008

Honda Motor Co. will begin production next year of a car powered by compressed natural gas.

The new Honda Civic GX will be the only one of its kind in the world in the short term. It will be produced at the company's Greensburg, Indiana plant, according to Business First of Columbus, Ohio.

"What is Honda doing right? Maybe (GM) should look at this model and learn something instead of getting a bailout," Larry Giles, an employee at the Honda plant in Indiana told Reuters. The new plant will employ about 1,000 people.

According to the California Energy Commission's Consumer Energy Center, natural gas powered vehicles produce up to 80 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline-powered vehicles.

Honda's website reports that the vehicle will go up to 250 miles on a tank of natural gas, and the company sells an accessory that allows drivers to refill from their existing home gas lines - although it can take up to 16 hours to refill an empty tank.

Most U.S. states currently have at least a few natural gas refilling stations, with California leading the way with over 100 of them. Otherwise, the refueling infrastructure is still in its infancy.

Breaking news brought to you by the Oxford Princeton Programme, specialists in natural gas courses. This and other related topics are part of the forthcoming course Overview of the North American Natural Gas Industry in Houston, Texas on 24 February, 2009.