I haven't updated in some time, but things are going well. I have driven about 22,000 miles in the eight months since I purchased this vehicle and there have been no mechanical issues since the Impco system update. Rather than attempting to update several different posts, I will cover all that I know within this posting.
Prices: The cost at the pump has risen about 20 cents per gge, which coincides with an increase in the costs of natural gas. Depending on where you fill up, a gge is between 1.70 and 1.90. As a mineral owner, the rise in natural gas prices is certainly welcome, but it does eat into the cost savings of using CNG. I believe that over time, the price of gasoline will continue to drift upward. Historically the price of natural gas has more or less followed the price trends of oil. The ability to extract natural gas from previously impossible formations has changed that trend. Since we have an abundance, prices on CNG should remain low for quite some time. In the future the price difference between gasoline and CNG should grow which equates to added savings for the CNG operator.
Observations: CNG is adequate as a fuel, but it is not gasoline. It just doesn't generate the same power. It does ok on my daily commute plus when I pull my boat, but don't buy a CNG powered vehicle with the idea that you are going to race between red lights with folks who burn gasoline. As previously discussed, this issue is negated by having a bi-fueled vehicle.
I have found that the pumps at Freedom Fuel on 70th Street in Shreveport seem to give me an extra gge or two when I fill up there. I don't have an explanation for why that may be, but I have noticed it each time I have filled up there. Maybe it's the creepy eagle stare.
The first CNG tank rupture fatality in the US has unfortunately been recorded. Two workers near Green Bay were transporting a forklift which was unsecured in the back of a box truck. This was intended to be a very short trip. When the driver braked to turn, the forklift slid forward and the fork penetrated the CNG tank. The rupture caused catastrophic damage to the cab, crushing the driver and ejecting the passenger through the windshield.
a link to the news report: CNG Tank Rupture
and another link to a news report with photos: Photos
one more from a cng message board: CNG Chat
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