AUTOMAKERS AND CNG
CNG Vehicles Today
More than 8.7 million CNG-powered vehicles are on the road today, but only about 150,000 are in the United States – and only a small number of these are passenger vehicles. Numerous CNG vehicles are manufactured for drivers in foreign countries, particularly in Europe, Brazil, India and China. Many of these are made by multi-national U.S. auto companies such as Ford and General Motors, while others are manufactured by companies that have a large market share in U.S. automotive sales, such as Volkswagen, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai and Mitsubishi. Of the CNG vehicles manufactured overseas, many have an American, gasoline-only counterpart.
Automakers have stated various reasons for not manufacturing CNG-powered vehicles in the United States, such as low demand or lack of fueling infrastructure. However, as our European, South American and Asian neighbors have shown us, CNG is a viable solution that needs only to be implemented here. A large number of American consumers are unaware that CNG is an alternative and have no idea that the technology is already utilized in other parts of the world. The Global Gallery offers an overview.
Fuel for a Renaissance: Bringing Automakers' Own CNG Expertise Home
Auto sales in the U.S. are the lowest they’ve been in more than a decade. In June 2008 alone, sales fell more than 18% nationwide – resulting in a 35.9% decline for Daimler-Chrysler, 27.8% for Ford Motor Company and 18.3% for GM, when compared to June 2007.1 Even Japan-based Toyota recently announced it was temporarily halting production at its San Antonio, TX, plant, in response to changes in consumer demand and improving the production efficiency and stability of its North America operations by adjusting its production mix. The production facility was originally opened in mid-2006 to manufacture Tundra trucks, hoping to capture a segment of the “True Trucker” market, for customers who desire a durable and powerful vehicle for work or recreational use. 2
The only major automaker with an increase in U.S. sales was American Honda Motor Company, manufacturer of the Honda Civic GX – the only dedicated CNG vehicle currently available in the U.S.
It seems logical that auto manufacturers would respond by designing and producing more CNG vehicles to meet the demand. One company, Toyota, has taken the first step and unveiled a new CNG Camry concept car. However, they haven't announced plans yet to put the vehicle into production. We need to urge Toyota and other manufacturers to get the CNG ball rolling.
GM produced the Chevy Silverado CNG in 2005, but stopped production in 2006. With gasoline and diesel prices rising at the pump and the U.S. at increasingly greater risk from dependence on foreign oil, there’s never been a better time to offer Americans the clean, efficient, affordable cars they want – and that our environment, our economy and our country’s security need us to drive. It’s simple: They made them once. They can make them again.
1Source: Free Press, July 2, 2008
2Source: Toyota Pressroom, July 10, 2008