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.