Posted: 1/13/2012 6:38:34 AM EDT
|
Who knows what about them? Are they easy conversions? Cost effective conversions? Hell, are they even worth it? I know its cheaper than normal gas and is supposed to burn cleaner and what not. I heard on the radio a bit ago that there are like 60+ CNG stations in the state and like 80 but the end of the year or some such.
Ive heard there are tax incentives? Or some kind of grant where the state/feds cough up X.XX amount to help pay for the conversion. So, good? Bad? Ugly? Ive been curios about this stuff for a while but I'm not sure id wanna plunker down the money for it, at least not yet. |
|
Depends on where you live I dont have as much experience with the cng conversions but I know they are not much different in the way they operate from the new propane conversions. The CNG tanks are a lot more expensive and you get less capacity in a larger tank. The propane systems I worked with had a separate set of injectors and computer. The conversions we did owners reported losing a couple miles to the gallon but the cost to fill up balanced it out. I dont remember how much the systems cost to install but i remember the CNG systems were about twice as much maybe more than the Propane systems.
If you live in the City CNG might be the best route but if you live in a small town I would go with a propane system as most propane companies can fill the motor fuel tanks. I know the CNG tanks give you less range than the Propane but I am not sure about MPG difference between the two. The place I worked at added the tax incentives for fuel cost at the pump so the propane motorfuel cost was less than our cost to fill bottles. We also gave the customers the information they would need to get the tax cuts on the actual system install as well. |
|
I've heard the conversion costs $6,000 to $8,000 to get the conversion, in a car you will lose most, if not all of your trunk, in a pickup you will lose 1/3 to 1/2 the bed, for that storage loss you will get a range of maybe 100 to 150 miles. I don't know if they still do it, but ONG was running a lot of their light service trucks, 1/2 ton pickups, on CNG, the entire bed was full of canisters to hold it, I asked one of the drivers how far they could go on a full load of fuel, he told me 80 miles! Even with very limited driving they had to fill them up every night. They worked in that case since the tool boxes were on top of the side of the bed, leaving the entire pickup bed free to hold the canisters. I've seen one of the Honda Civics that runs on CNG, the trunk isn't too big in the first place, the CNG models trunk is essentially useless, barely enough room for a common briefcase. CNG is cheaper than gasoline only because there aren't any road or highway taxes on it, if it becomes a popular motor fuel those will be added and bring the cost up to about the same as gasoline. At the same time increased popularity would cause prices of natural gas to skyrocket, home heating costs will increase tremendously. These are the same kind of problems that came with using corn for ethanol, take something that is already a commodity, increase the demand and you cause some real problems, corn went up in price, not only as human food but corn is a mainstay in animal feeds, a lot of it goes into cattle production, so ethanol in fuel caused substantial increases in food costs. CNG as a motor fuel will be a huge mistake, lots of downsides and not much of an advantage. |
|
The tank sizes were one of our big selling points to the propane systems. The tanks for CNG have to be a lot thicker due to the high pressure. A propane tank with the same outer dimensions will hold more fuel because the tank walls don't have to be as thick as it is not as high pressured as the CNG. If you are really interested in a conversion you might call Oklahoma Liquified Gas they should be able to give you info on the tax incentives and how the systems work.
If I remember correctly the Propane conversions ran from 4000 to 4500 and the CNG were right along with what Wingman stated the cost in the CNG systems is the tank that is what makes up over half the cost. |
|
Quoted:
Damn, im not seeing much advantages here 
Never thought of propane, and I don't really wanna loose my bed cause of an oversized tank  I was looking at them a while back. From what I saw the only people who might get a good advantage are companies or municipalities that have a motor pool that gets parked at home every night so they can be filled up. Nothing looked like it was worth the hassle for an individual. |
|
We just had a Tahoe at work converted to CNG. The mileage isn't bad. About 220 miles on the last 10 gallon fill(full tank). Was nice seeing a receipt for $12 for 10 gallons again even though it isn't gasoline. The package we got allows us to with a push of the button switch to regular gas without stopping the engine or parking.
Felt a bit weird having to pop the hood to fill the vehicle up. Kept thinking someone might stop and ask if the vehicle was having trouble. It kinda sounds like the worlds quietest diesel with the ticking noise it makes in the cab as it runs. On the outside of it, it's almost as quiet as a Prius. The downside is it takes up all of the spare tire location while changing the ground clearance a bit. I do however find it a bit disconcerting that the manual reads like the warning on a package of fireworks in the event of an accident. "Ignite fuse. Get away quickly." The highlighted portion being identical to the manual. I think our conversion was around $10K on a new Tahoe (~1200miles). |
|
Quoted:
The propane tanks take about as much space as a tool box I ran an 80 gal on a 3/4 ton for years. That was way before the computerized fuel injection/ignition system. We simply put a heat exchanger in and a rubber diaphragm carb/air cleaner on the existing carb. Propane is a good way to go if you can use the old systems instead of the digital controls. |
|
There is a place that is in Tulsa. They have a truck that they claim can go 800 miles between fill-ups. It is a dual-fuel vehicle. They claim they drove to California and back for under $200! My wife's uncle works for Chesapeake and he says that they are developing ocean and rail tankers, and all of the other necessary components to take this fuel national and international. Her Uncle drives a company truck that has been converted and he thinks that it is a good thing.
When the CEO was asked why they didn't wait for Gov't assistance/funding, his reply was that if they waited for that, then it would be a long time coming, if it ever happened. CNG Tulsa |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Damn, im not seeing much advantages here
Never thought of propane, and I don't really wanna loose my bed cause of an oversized tank hell that's a town truck, you don't haul anything with it anyway; besides it can't even make it through a mud puddle 
Ill have you know it has hauled stuff. I put to much mud and dirt on it for it to be a town truck. Good day to you sir! 
|