CNG ENGINES

The majority of CNG vehicles are bi-fuel, or dual-fuel, meaning they can run on either CNG or gasoline. The Honda Civic GX, though, America’s only CNG vehicle, runs solely on compressed natural gas – it does not have a gasoline reserve tank. This is somewhat surprising, given that one of the few arguments against CNG-powered vehicles has been the lack of fueling infrastructure.

A review of CNG vehicles available today shows that most have dual tanks. So, by making them available here, it would allow drivers to travel freely, yet still take advantage of CNG when and where it is available.  

Powering Up

When initially designed, CNG vehicles tended to have less power than vehicles typically driven by Americans. This is likely due to the fact that these vehicles were designed largely for consumers who were more interested in efficiency and environmental impact than power. 

However, a few CNG vehicles are now being fitted with turbo engines that give the vehicles the horsepower Americans are used to. Mercedes-Benz even designed their CNG vehicles to have exactly the same horsepower when running on CNG or gasoline, allowing the driver switch between the two fuels without noticing a difference in power. One vehicle, the Fiat Siena 1.4 Tetrafuel, has a sensor to automatically switch from CNG to gasoline or ethanol when extra power is needed. Features such as these will help American consumers warm up to the idea of owning CNG vehicles.