Natural
Gas vehicles better than hybrid cars?
Updated April 9, 2012
Honda
natural gas Civic next to Phill
Editor's Note -- Since this article was published back in 2007, the natural gas space has become a bigger focal point thanks to the breakthroughs in fracking. Even better, recent studies suggest that fracking environmental concerns have been overblown and can be mitigated through proper regulations. We'll have more on this topic soon. Also, check out the Soultek plan for energy independence, which is influenced by natural gas.
USA
Today is wondering why people don't care about natural
gas vehicles. It's cheaper than gasoline. Natural gas
vehicles are clean. Why so much attention on hybrid
vehicles rather than natural gas?
"Gasoline-electric hybrids have received attention
because they are touted by Japanese automaking giant
Toyota. They are being introduced haltingly by other
automakers because their high-tech battery packs and dual
gas-electric power plants make them costlier and less
profitable to produce."
The article then claims there is a 60 year supply of
natural gas. Hmmm. You mean at current consumption levels,
right? If America started guzzling natural gas the way we
guzzle gasoline, those reserves would dry up quite
quickly, right?
More important, why is America
moving to imported liquid natural gas if domestic
natural gas is so plentiful? Ultimately, if America
significantly increases natural gas use, it will be
imported natural gas - much of which comes from countries
that also hate the U.S. Is that really a significant
improvement?
Fuel diversity is a good idea and natural gas is worth
exploring, but it does only offer limited help. More
important, comparing fuels to fuel efficiency-increasing
technology, such as hybrid cars, is a very poor
comparison.
posted by Dahcredyns
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