GM eyes Natural Gas

General Motors is looking to develop a pick up which will run on natural gas ... The same stuff that heats many of our homes ...

On average, natural gas will cost 1/3 less than the stuff at the pumps

GM figures that a vehicle that uses COMPRESSED natural gas will save a driver up to $10,000 over 3 years ...
That would be over $3,000/yr ... But as we saw in the previous post, the average family spends $4,000/ on gas ... Interesting

there are already 11,000 natural gas vehicles in use in the US now - there are more than 2 million in Pakistan

13 countries have more natural gas vehicles than the US (Dec 2010)

Fossil fuels account for 78% of our fuel production - get 11% tax incentives

Renewables account for 11% of energy production - get 77% of tax incentives

Natural gas average = $2.35/MCF
Crude Oil = $106/barrel

There are not enough compressed gas stations to allow much use outside of large metropolitan areas
•••••
So I haven't heard what he mileage is on these vehicles between fill ups ...

Nor have I heard the dangers that accompany a tank full of natural gas ...

I know there is inherent risks with any type of fuel ... But with the recent fiasco with the electric vehicles catching on fire - I'm not sure I want to be sitting my family on a "bottle rocket" ... It makes me worry

It is also inefficient for people on the outlying areas of larger states ... Well larger than New England where you can get to a new state in tera of minutes instead of hours ...
but states like Montana, Texas, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, Nebraska - places where there is a wide range between their larger cities ... I suppose you could put the upper California as well and Oregon too where they seem to have population concentrations in one part of the state and then the rest is pretty sparse.

How much will it cost for a "Mom & Pop" station to switch and put in the new pumps?

I'm betting if it takes off that they will find a drastic change in motoring trends -- and the businesses that rely on tourism will be the ones who suffer in the long run.