Do You Smell That? My Car Has Gas.

Were not talking about gasoline, or the gas you get after eating at Taco Bell, we are talking about natural gas. Yes the same gas that comes out of your stove can power your car. Of course your car has to be made to run on natural gas. Now if you live in Europe you probably already know this but to us Americans this concept is not quite as common.

There is currently ONE production natural gas vehicle available in the United States and that is the Honda Civic GX. Across the Atlantic there are many choices when it comes to NGVs (Natural Gas Vehicles). This is mainly do to the difference in infrastructures between the US and Europe. According to Forbes there are only around 1,000 natural gas stations in the US.

Photo courtesy of Honda.com

There are many benefits of using natural gas to power vehicles with addition to great fuel economy according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:

• they reduce carbon monoxide emissions 90 to 97 percent
• they reduce carbon dioxide emissions 25 percent
• they reduce nitrogen oxide emissions 35 to 60 percent
• they potentially reduce non-methane hydrocarbon emissions 50 to 75 percent
• they emit fewer toxic and carcinogenic pollutants
• they emit little or no particulate matter
• they eliminate evaporative emissions

So how come everyone is not driving a NGV?

THE GGG VIEW

The number one reason why everyone in the US is not driving a NGV is because there is only one available for purchase to the public. There are also companies that will convert your vehicle to an NGV but I believe they only work on fleet vehicles (i.e UPS, public transportation).

I think it is feeble that there is only one NGV available in the US. Now I do not think natural gas is a permanent solution to the rising oil prices but at this point anything will help. The US has to stop depending on foreign oil or gas prices will continue to get worse.

Whether it is NGV, electric, fuel cell or  bio diesel, the US needs to decide on a uniform alternative fuel source or else none of them will catch on. The American public loves to claim they like freedom of choice but reality is they LOVE uniformity. Like Blu Ray vs. HD DVD, and VHS vs. Betamax, in the end the public won’t adapt until there is only one choice.

China Finally Cutting Back

Yesterday marked the first day of China’s new restriction on car use in an attempt to reduce smog before the 2008 Olympics. The restriction will remove half of China’s 3 million cars from the road on alternate days. The restriction is based on whether the license plate ends in an odd or even number. Does this bring back any memories for those who were in the oil shortages of the 1980’s?

More on this topic a little later…

Original Post via CNN.

NYC Yellow Cabs Being Repainted Green?

Ok well not really….but maybe someday. Personally I wouldn’t mind seeing a different color than yellow. Anyways NYC is speeding up the process of turning their yellow taxi fleet to hybrids at the rate of 300 cars a month. There are already over 1,000 hybrid taxis running around NYC as I type this. The NY Taxi and Limo Commission said that its entire fleet of taxis will be all-hybrid by 2012.

This is another “green” initiative of Mayor/Billionaire/Political Party Flip Flopper Michael Bloomberg. Mr. Bloomberg has said he wants accomplish 127 “green” initiatives before his final term is up in 2010. Thats pretty ambitious Mr. Bloomberg, lets hope you don’t change your mind down the road. By the way for those who were wondering Mr. Bloomberg is the 25th richest person in the United States according to Forbes’s 2007 list.

Original Article via Reuters.

The GGG View (With almost every post we will give our readers our view on the post subject and how it could effect you as an everyday consumer)

This is a good thing for all parties involved. The taxi drivers save tons of money on gas per year, automakers like Ford and Chevy get some much needed revenue and NYC becomes a little less polluted which it needs given the fact it is currently 8th the list of most polluted (ozone) cities in America. And who knows maybe more money in the drivers pockets equals lower fares for us the passengers….ya highly doubt that but who knows.

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