Natural-Gas Powered Pickups Coming

[porsche4life]

Yup, we replaced a diesel dodge with the CNG Chevy. Really the tow cap on the 2500 HD silverado meets what we need 95% of the time. The dodge still runs good, paid for and cheap to insure, we'll keep it around as an extra.

[red-beard]

There is a CNG compressor good to 25 MPa ~ 3600 psi, for $3700

At a BTU equal of gas, the price is about $1 per gallon. At a savings of $3 per gallon, the unit will payoff in about 1200 gallons.

For a 30 mpg car, this is about 36000 miles. For a 20 mpg car, this is about 24000 miles. So, 2-3 year payback.

CNG Refueling Compressor DMC-3/200 (3.0Nm3/h) | eBay

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by red-beard

There is a CNG compressor good to 25 MPa ~ 3600 psi, for $3700

At a BTU equal of gas, the price is about $1 per gallon. At a savings of $3 per gallon, the unit will payoff in about 1200 gallons.

For a 30 mpg car, this is about 36000 miles. For a 20 mpg car, this is about 24000 miles. So, 2-3 year payback.

CNG Refueling Compressor DMC-3/200 (3.0Nm3/h) | eBay

That unit is in China. I wonder what it cost to ship, and is it legal in the USA? I talked to a local CNG conversion place. They also install the units at gas stations. He said threre were two units available for home use. The small unit is slow and takes overnight to produce a few gallons and the "good" unit can suppy two cars. The cool part is you leave home everyday with a full tank. The bad news is the good home unit is $12,000 installed. You would have to drive a LOT to make that pay back. The on top of the $8K conversion for my El Camino and I am at 20K.

[porsche4life]

Figure in the upkeep on those compressors. They need rebuilt pretty frequently iirc. Much better if you have a tank that lasts a few hundred miles and live near a fueling station.

[GH85Carrera]

There are two stations within a few miles of my house and one just over a mile from my office.

[hardflex]

By the time you use electricity to run the home compressor, is there a savings over the actual refuel stations?

[Joe Bob]

In hot states....every roof should be covered with panels. It's a crime that you can't sell your power generation on the market.....

[porsche4life]

Friend of my dads that has several vehicles and drives a lot did the math and decided it wasn't worthwhile. For him there are two stations nearby, and at least one everywhere he travels. Same for us.... Plus you have a tank of pump gas on board, so its not an issue if you run out of CNG....