QUESTION?- I keep thinking that this is an idea who’s time has come. What do you think the pros and con’s are? http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/05/02/hondas-fuelmaker-finds-a-new-home/
ANSWER- The issue behind natural gas (CNG) is the infrastructure, much like electricity and matching the refueling with demands when people are traveling or general commuting. The money, time and effort that it cost to build the necessary infrastructure is enormous and no one has been able to accurately amortize the timeline when it will be profitable based on the current low demand and lack of real interest. South America clearly has resolved the infrastructure issue and demand for CNG and biofuels as the governments adapted policies quite some time ago.
I believe developing countries could use a program like the home refueling system that you shared, those countries that still lack infrastructure and I bet that the company that purchased the system has underdeveloped nations in mind, because if Honda can't make it work (it's focus is on developed nations) it did not have a market or they felt they could not develop a market in a quick enough time frame.
CNG has had government support for utilities for years and it still has not gained enough traction within the commercial area, large subsidies to other businesses who could purchase trucks outfitted or retrofitted to burn CNG also, but the effort has gone nowhere, mainly because of the refueling issue. Americans by and large are unwilling to give up luxuries that they have been used too, CNG and biofuels vehicles do not enjoy the same horsepower and torque that gasoline powered vehicles have in the current form. Companies are working on improving horsepower and performance to match gasoline.
The real issue becomes what alternative fuel (CNG, BioFuels, Clean Diesel, Electricity, Fuel Cell, Hybrid program etc...) will our government support in creating the necessary refueling stations that are needed. I like Fuel Cell technology as a power source but the infrastructure necessary is way to high. By and large our nation travels great distances and in many communities it is necessary, we aren't a nation that has short commutes and most of our population centers are not densely populated so people have to travel longer distances daily, especially in middle America. It will be hard for folks in the midwest down to Texas to give up there large SUV's and Trucks when that is the comfort level and demands needed to accomplish those families daily needs. Americans still have an appetite for larger vehicles, imagine traveling from Indianapolis, to Chicago in a Smart Car, that vehicle works for a city commute but if that is your main vehicle do you really want to travel 200 miles in that vehicle.
I believe Electricity is the way that I see our country going, electric vehicles can have great torque and horsepower and reach speeds quickly, the infrastructure needed to put recharging stations in current gasoline stations or building a recharging station (these can be unmanned) is simpler than putting in new bio fuel tanks, new diesel tanks or CNG storage tanks. Plus I believe our public sees electricity as greener, although that is perception, the output from the vehicle is clean, however the process to produce the electricity is not clean, most comes from coal, in addition, the wasted batteries will become a disposal issue, but with most things the perception will sell it.
There is a program that is gaining some press and might have legs, check out http://www.projectbetterplace.com/ this company has a radical new take on vehicle purchases and refueling. The company views vehicles much like the cell phone industry views cell phones, where the money is in the service (batteries and refueling) not the physical product. Check it out and I would be interested in your feedback.
Enjoy Today!
That Car Guy
That Car Guy
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