Natural Gas-Powered Cars and Trucks: Options and Issues

104 Pages·2015·2.344 MB·English

by  Hayley Ackerman

TRANSPORTATION ISSUES, POLICIES AND R&D

N G - C
ATURAL AS POWERED ARS
T
AND RUCKS

O I
PTIONS AND SSUES

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T I , P
RANSPORTATION SSUES OLICIES
R&D
AND

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TRANSPORTATION ISSUES, POLICIES AND R&D

N G - C
ATURAL AS POWERED ARS
T
AND RUCKS

O I
PTIONS AND SSUES

HAYLEY ACKERMAN
EDITOR

New York
Copyright © 2015 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

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ISBN: (cid:28)(cid:26)(cid:27)(cid:16)(cid:20)(cid:16)(cid:25)(cid:22)(cid:23)(cid:25)(cid:22)(cid:16)(cid:28)(cid:26)(cid:21)(cid:16)(cid:28) (eBook)

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CONTENTS

Preface vii
Chapter 1 Natural Gas for Cars and Trucks:
Options and Challenges 1
Bill Canis, Robert Pirog
and Brent D. Yacobucci
Chapter 2 Costs Associated With Compressed Natural Gas
Vehicle Fueling Infrastructure 31
Margaret Smith and John Gonzales
Chapter 3 Business Case for Compressed Natural Gas
in Municipal Fleets 53
Caley Johnson
Index 89

PREFACE

This book is designed to help fleets understand the cost factors associated
with fueling infrastructure for compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles. It
provides estimated cost ranges for various sizes and types of CNG fueling
stations and an overview of factors that contribute to the total cost of an
installed station; and describes how the National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL) used the VICE model to establish guidance for fleets
making decisions about using CNG.
Chapter 1 – The increase in domestic supplies of natural gas has raised
new interest in expanding its use in the transportation sector. This report
considers issues related to wider use of natural gas as a fuel in passenger cars
and commercial vehicles. The attractiveness of natural gas as a vehicle fuel is
premised in large part on its low price (on an energy-equivalent basis)
compared to gasoline and diesel fuel. When prices for gasoline and diesel are
relatively low or natural gas prices are relatively high, natural-gas-based fuels
lose much of their price advantage. While natural gas has other benefits—such
as producing lower emissions than gasoline and diesel and protecting users of
transportation fuels from the volatility of the international oil market—it is
largely the cost advantage, if any, that will determine the future attractiveness
of natural gas vehicles. There are a number of technology pathways that could
lead to greater use of natural gas in transportation. Some require pressurized
systems to use natural gas in a gaseous state, and others convert natural gas to
a liquid. Two of the most widely discussed options use compressed natural gas
(CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Other technological approaches use
liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), propane, and hydrogen. In addition, natural gas
can be used to generate electricity to power electric vehicles. Increasing the
use of natural gas to fuel vehicles would require creation of an extensive
viii Hayley Ackerman
nationwide refueling infrastructure. Although a small number of CNG vehicles
have been on U.S. roads for more than 20 years, CNG use has been limited to
vehicles that return to a central garage for refueling each day, such as refuse
trucks, short-haul trucks, and city buses. LNG, on the other hand, requires
large insulated tanks to keep the liquefied gas at a very low temperature and is
therefore seen as more suitable for long-haul trucks. In both cases, the limited
availability of refueling stations has limited the distances and routes these
vehicles may travel. Congress has taken a strong interest in spurring
production and use of natural gas vehicles. Legislation has been introduced on
a wide range of proposals that would equalize the tax treatment of LNG and
diesel fuels, provide tax credits for natural gas vehicles and refueling
equipment, require the production of vehicles that could run on several
different fuels (such as gasoline and CNG), increase federal research and
development on natural gas vehicle tank and fuel line technologies, and revise
vehicle emission regulations to encourage manufacturers to produce more
CNG passenger cars. Legislation pending in the 113th Congress includes
proposals that would extend expired tax credits for refueling property and fuel
cell vehicles (S. 2260), authorize the use of energy savings performance
contracts to support the use of natural gas and electric vehicles (S. 761), and
require the U.S. Postal Service to study the feasibility of using natural gas and
propane in long-haul trucks (S. 1486).
Chapter 2 – This document is designed to help fleets understand the cost
factors associated with fueling infrastructure for compressed natural gas
(CNG) vehicles. It provides estimated cost ranges for various sizes and types
of CNG fueling stations and an overview of factors that contribute to the total
cost of an installed station. The information presented is based on input from
professionals in the natural gas industry who design, sell equipment for, and/or
own and operate CNG stations.
Chapter 3 – Compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle projects can be highly
profitable, or they can lose money, depending on numerous aspects of the fleet
and station. To assist fleets and businesses in evaluating the profitability of
potential CNG projects, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
built the CNG Vehicle and Infrastructure Cash-Flow Evaluation (VICE)
model. The VICE model demonstrates the relationship between project
profitability and fleet operating parameters. This report describes how NREL
used the VICE model to establish guidance for fleets making decisions about
using CNG.