How Much Can I Really Save? Updated 12/27/13

Periodically I will post numbers on the actual cost of driving with CNG.  Keeping with my pledge to maintain honesty, these first numbers may be a little bit inaccurate due to an issue I had with the truck (which I will detail later) which sometimes left me operating on gasoline instead of CNG.  I have excluded those miles traveled as much as I could at this time and I would safely say that my results will be at least 90% accurate.

Reaching an Understanding

Early in this process, I began to understand how difficult it is for most people to own a CNG fueled vehicle and have it make sense.  At this time there is exactly one factory made CNG vehicle in the US, The Honda Civic GX (which I will go into greater detail at a later date).  Others are soon to come, but today that is the option.  That leaves us with purchasing one which has been converted, or converting one of our own.  There is a general understanding that the conversion costs around $10,000.  There is a federal tax credit which covers 50% of the costs of a NEW conversion.  If we do a little quick math on my individual situation, it would take around 3 years to recoup my expenses and begin to save money.  Possible for the adventurer?  Surely, but it isn't that simple.

Is the Performance the Same as Gasoline?

This is the most frequently asked question that others have when talking about driving on CNG.  The truth is that it is not the same.  It is similar at times, but CNG does not generate the same power that gasoline does.  I pull a boat which weighs in the neighborhood of 3,500 lbs.  I can notice a difference when ascending a hill and pulling the boat out of the water.  I always conduct sort of an informal poll among the oil field guys that I talk to while we are both filling up and they report the same observation.  I cannot really notice much of a difference when driving unloaded at my usual at or just below the speed limit pace.