Compressed natural gas

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"CNG" redirects here. For other uses, see CNG (disambiguation).

Blue diamond symbol used on CNG-powered vehicles in North America

Green bordered white diamond symbol used on CNG-powered vehicles in China

Compressed natural gas (CNG) (methane stored at high pressure) is a fuel which can be used in place
of gasoline, diesel fuel and propane/LPG. CNG combustion produces fewer undesirable gases than the
aforementioned fuels. In comparison to other fuels, natural gas poses less of a threat in the event of a spill,
because it is lighter than air and disperses quickly when released. Biomethane – cleaned-
up biogas from anaerobic digestion or landfills – can be used.

CNG is made by compressing natural gas, (which is mainly composed of methane, CH4), to less than 1 percent
of the volume it occupies at standard atmospheric pressure. It is stored and distributed in hard containers at a
pressure of 20–25 MPa (2,900–3,600 psi), usually in cylindrical or spherical shapes.

CNG is used in traditional gasoline/internal combustion engine automobiles that have been modified or in
vehicles which were manufactured for CNG use, either alone ('dedicated'), with a segregated gasoline system
to extend range (dual fuel) or in conjunction with another fuel such as diesel (bi-fuel). Natural gas vehicles are
increasingly used in Iran, especially Pakistan,[1] the Asia-Pacific region, Indian capital of Delhi, and other large
cities like Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata—as well as cities such as Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, etc. Its
use is also increasing in South America, Europe and North America because of rising gasoline prices.[2] In
response to high fuel prices and environmental concerns, CNG is starting to be used also in tuk-
tuks and pickup trucks, transit and school buses, and trains.

The cost and placement of fuel storage tanks is the major barrier to wider/quicker adoption of CNG as a fuel. It
is also why municipal government, public transportation vehicles were the most visible early adopters of it, as
they can more quickly amortize the money invested in the new (and usually cheaper) fuel. In spite of these
circumstances, the number of vehicles in the world using CNG has grown steadily (30 percent per
year).[3] Now, as a result of the industry's steady growth, the cost of such fuel storage tanks has been brought
down to a much more acceptable level. Especially for the CNG Type 1 and Type 2 tanks, many countries are
able to make reliable and cost effective tanks for conversion need.[4]

CNG's volumetric energy density is estimated to be 42 percent that of liquefied natural gas (because it is
not liquefied), and 25 percent that of diesel fuel.[5]

Contents

1Users

1.1Motor vehicles

1.2Locomotives

2Advantages

3Drawbacks

4Codes and standards

5Comparison with other natural gas fuels

6Worldwide

6.1South America

6.2Asia

6.3Africa

6.4Europe

6.5North America

6.5.1Canada

6.5.2United States

6.6Oceania

7Deployments

8See also
9References

Users[edit]
Motor vehicles[edit]

CNG pumps at a Brazilian fueling station

Main article: Natural gas vehicle

Worldwide, there were 14.8 million natural gas vehicles by 2011, led by Iran with 2.86 million, Pakistan (2.85
million), Argentina (2.07 million), Brazil (1.7 million) and India (1.1 million).[6] with the Asia-Pacific region
leading with 5.7 million NGVs, followed by Latin America with almost four million vehicles.[2]

Several manufacturers (Fiat, Opel/General Motors, Peugeot, Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda and others) sell bi-
fuel cars. In 2006, Fiat introduced the Siena Tetrafuel in the Brazilian market, equipped with a 1.4L FIRE
engine that runs on E100, E25 (Standard Brazilian Gasoline), Ethanol and CNG.

Any existing gasoline vehicle can be converted to a dual-fuel (gasoline/CNG) vehicle. Authorized shops can
do the retrofitting and involves installing a CNG cylinder, plumbing, a CNG injection system and the
electronics. The cost of installing a CNG conversion kit[7] can often reach $8,000 on passenger cars and light
trucks and is usually reserved for vehicles that travel many miles each year. CNG costs about 50% less than
gasoline and emits up to 90% fewer emissions than gasoline.[8]

Locomotives[edit]
CNG locomotives are operated by several railroads. The Napa Valley Wine Train successfully retrofit a diesel
locomotive to run on compressed natural gas before 2002.[9] This converted locomotive was upgraded to utilize
a computer controlled fuel injection system in May 2008, and is now the Napa Valley Wine Train's primary
locomotive.[10] Ferrocarril Central Andino in Peru, has run a CNG locomotive on a freight line since
2005.[11] CNG locomotives are usually diesel locomotives that have been converted to use compressed natural
gas generators instead of diesel generators to generate the electricity that drives the traction motors. Some
CNG locomotives are able to fire their cylinders only when there is a demand for power, which, theoretically,
gives them a higher fuel efficiency than conventional diesel engines. CNG is also cheaper than petrol or diesel.

Advantages[edit]
CNG powered bus in Madrid, Spain being refueled.

Natural gas vehicle have lower maintenance costs than other hydrocarbon-fuel-powered vehicles.

CNG fuel systems are sealed, preventing fuel losses from spills or evaporation.

Increased life of lubricating oils, as CNG does not contaminate and dilute the crankcase oil.

Being a gaseous fuel, CNG mixes easily and evenly in air.

CNG is less likely to ignite on hot surfaces, since it has a high auto-ignition temperature (540 °C), and a
narrow range (5–15 percent) of flammability.[12]

CNG-powered vehicles are considered to be safer than gasoline-powered vehicles.[13][14][15]

Less pollution and more efficiency:

CNG emits significantly less pollution directly than gasoline or oil when combusted (e.g., carbon
dioxide (CO2), unburned hydrocarbons (UHC), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur
oxides (SOx) and PM (particulate matter)). For example, an engine running on petrol for 100 km emits
22 kilograms of CO2, while covering the same distance on CNG emits only 16.3 kilograms of CO2.[16]

Due to lower carbon dioxide emissions, switching to CNG can help mitigate greenhouse gas
emissions.[12] However, natural gas leaks (both in the direct use and in the production and delivery of the fuel)
represent an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. The ability of CNG to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
over the entire fuel lifecycle will depend on the source of the natural gas and the fuel it is replacing.

The lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions for CNG compressed from California's pipeline natural gas is given a
value of 67.70 grams of CO2-equivalent per megajoule (gCO2e/MJ) by CARB (the California Air Resources
Board), approximately 28 percent lower than the average gasoline fuel in that market (95.86 gCO2e/MJ).
CNG produced from landfill biogas was found by CARB to have the lowest greenhouse gas emissions of any
fuel analyzed, with a value of 11.26 gCO2e/MJ (more than 88 percent lower than conventional gasoline) in
the low-carbon fuel standard that went into effect on January 12, 2010.[17]

Drawbacks[edit]
Compressed natural gas vehicles require a greater amount of space for fuel storage than conventional gasoline
powered vehicles. Since it is a compressed gas, rather than a liquid like gasoline, CNG takes up more space for
each GGE (gasoline gallon equivalent). However, the tanks used to store the CNG take up space in the trunk of
a car or bed of a pickup truck which has been modified to additionally run on CNG. This problem is solved in
factory-built CNG vehicles that install the tanks under the body of the vehicle, leaving the trunk free (e.g., Fiat
Multipla, New Fiat Panda, Volkswagen Touran Ecofuel, Volkswagen Caddy Ecofuel, Chevy Taxi - which sold
in countries such as Peru). Another option is installation on roof (typical on buses), but this could require
structural modifications. In 2014, a test (by the Danish Technological Institute) of Euro6 heavy vehicles on
CNG and diesel showed that CNG had higher consumption, but same noise and pollution of CO2 and
particulates, however NOx emission was lower.[18]

Codes and standards[edit]

The lack of harmonized codes and standards across international jurisdictions is an additional barrier to NGV
market penetration.[19] The International Organization for Standardization has an active technical committee
working on a standard for natural gas fuelling stations for vehicles.[20]

Despite the lack of harmonized international codes, natural gas vehicles have an excellent global safety record.
Existing international standards include ISO 14469-2:2007 which applies to CNG vehicle nozzles and
receptacle[21] and ISO 15500-9:2012 specifies tests and requirements for the pressure regulator.[22]

NFPA-52 covers natural gas vehicle safety standards in the US.

Comparison with other natural gas fuels[edit]

Compressed natural gas is often confused with LNG (liquefied natural gas). Both are stored forms of natural
gas. The main difference is that CNG is stored at ambient temperature and high pressure, while LNG is stored
at low temperature and nearly ambient pressure. In their respective storage conditions, LNG is a liquid and
CNG is a supercritical fluid. CNG has a lower cost of production and storage compared to LNG as it does not
require an expensive cooling process and cryogenic tanks. However, CNG requires a much larger volume to
store the energy equivalent of gasoline or petrol and the use of very high pressures (3000 to 4000 psi, or 205 to
275 bar). As a consequence of this, LNG is often used for transporting natural gas over large distances, in
ships, trains or pipelines, where the gas is converted into CNG before distribution to the end user.

CNG is being experimentally stored at lower pressure in a form known as an ANG (adsorbed natural gas) tank,
where it is adsorbed at 35 bar (500 psi, the pressure of gas in natural gas pipelines) in various sponge like
materials, such as activated carbon[23] and MOFs (metal-organic frameworks).[24] The fuel is stored at similar or
greater energy density than CNG. This means that vehicles can be refueled from the natural gas network
without extra gas compression, the fuel tanks can be slimmed down and made of lighter, weaker materials.

Compressed natural gas is sometimes mixed with hydrogen (HCNG) which increases the H/C ratio
(hydrogen/carbon ratio) of the fuel and gives it a flame speed up to eight times higher than CNG.[25]
Worldwide[edit]
This section needs to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent
events or newly available information. (March 2019)

Iran, Pakistan, Argentina, Brazil and China have the highest number of CNG run vehicles in the world.[6]

Top ten countries

with the largest NGV vehicle fleets - 2013[26][27]
(millions)

Registered Registered
Rank Country Rank Country
fleet fleet

1 Iran 3.50 6 Italy 0.82

2 Pakistan 2.79 7 Colombia 0.46

3 Argentina 2.28 8 Uzbekistan 0.45

4 Brazil 1.75 9 Thailand 0.42

5 China 1.58 10 Indonesia 0.38

World Total = 18.09 million NGV vehicles

South America[edit]

CNG station in Rosario, Argentina.

CNG vehicles are commonly used in South America, where these vehicles are mainly used as taxicabs in main
cities of Argentina and Brazil.[28] Normally, standard gasoline vehicles are retrofitted in specialized shops,
which involve installing the gas cylinder in the trunk and the CNG injection system and electronics. Argentina
and Brazil are the two countries with the largest fleets of CNG vehicles,[28]with a combined total fleet of more
than 3.4 million vehicles by 2009.[2] Conversion has been facilitated by a substantial price differential with
liquid fuels, locally produced conversion equipment and a growing CNG-delivery infrastructure.

As of 2009 Argentina had 1,807,186 NGV's with 1,851 refueling stations across the nation,[2] or 15 percent of
all vehicles;[28] and Brazil had 1,632,101 vehicles and 1,704 refueling stations,[2] with a higher concentration in
the cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.[28][29]

Colombia had an NGV fleet of 300,000 vehicles, and 460 refueling stations, as of 2009.[2] Bolivia has
increased its fleet from 10,000 in 2003 to 121,908 units in 2009, with 128 refueling stations.[2] Peru had 81,024
NGVs and 94 fueling stations as 2009,[2] but that number is expected to skyrocket as Peru sits on South
America's largest gas reserves.[28] In Peru several factory-built NGVs have the tanks installed under the body of
the vehicle, leaving the trunk free. Among the models built with this feature are the Fiat Multipla, the new Fiat
Panda, the Volkswagen Touran Ecofuel, the Volkswagen Caddy Ecofuel and the Chevy Taxi. Other countries
with significant NGV fleets are Venezuela (15,000) and Chile (8,064) as of 2009.[2]

Asia[edit]

A CNG powered Volvo B10BLEbus, operated by SBS Transit in Singapore.

A CNG powered Hino bus, operated by BMTA in Thailand.

In Singapore, CNG is increasingly being used by public transport vehicles like buses and taxis, as well as
goods vehicles. However, according to Channel NewsAsia on April 18, 2008, more owners of private cars in
this country are converting their petrol-driven vehicles to also run on CNG – motivated no doubt by rising
petrol prices. The initial cost of converting a regular vehicle to dual fuel at the German conversion workshop
of C. Melchers, for example, is around S$3,800; with the promise of real cost-savings that dual-fuel
vehicles bring over the long term.

Singapore currently has five operating filling stations for natural gas. Sembcorp Gas Pte Ltd. runs the station
on Jurong Island and, jointly with Singapore Petroleum Company, the filling station at Jalan Buroh. Both these
stations are in the western part of the country. Another station on the mainland is in Mandai Link to the north
and is operated by SMART Energy. SMART also own a second station on Serangoon North Ave 5 which was
set up end of March 2009; The fifth and largest station in the world was opened by the UNION Group in
September 2009. This station is recognized by the Guniness World Records as being the largest in the world
with 46 refuelling hoses. This station is located in Toh Tuck. The Union Group, which operates 1000 CNG
Toyota Wish taxis plan to introduce another three daughter stations and increase the CNG taxi fleet to 8000
units.

As a key incentive for using this eco-friendly fuel Singapore has a green vehicle rebate for users of CNG
technology. First introduced in January 2001, the GVR grants a 40 percent discount on the OMV (open market
value) cost of newly registered green passenger vehicles. This initiative will end at the end of 2012 as the
government believes the 'critical mass' of CNG vehicles would then have been built up.

The Ministry of Transport of Myanmar passed a law in 2005 which required that all public transport vehicles -
buses, trucks and taxis, be converted to run on CNG. The Government permitted several private companies to
handle the conversion of existing diesel and petrol cars, and also to begin importing CNG variants of buses and
taxis. Accidents and rumours of accidents, partly fueled by Myanmar's position in local hydrocarbon
politics,[30] has discouraged citizens from using CNG vehicles, although now almost every taxi and public bus
in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, run on CNG. CNG stations have been set up around Yangon and other
cities, but electricity shortages mean that vehicles may have to queue up for hours to fill their gas
containers.[31] The Burmese opposition movements are against the conversion to CNG, as they accuse the
companies as being proxies of the junta, and also that the petrodollars earned by the regime would go towards
the defense sector, rather than towards improving the infrastructure or welfare of the people.

In Malaysia, the use of CNG was originally introduced for taxicabs and airport limousines during the late-
1990s, when new taxis were launched with CNG engines while taxicab operators were encouraged to send in
existing taxis for full engine conversions. The practice of using CNG remained largely confined to taxicabs
predominantly in the Klang Valley and Penang due to a lack of interest. No incentives were offered for those
besides taxicab owners to use CNG engines, while government subsidies on petrol and diesel made
conventional road vehicles cheaper to use in the eyes of the consumers. Petronas, Malaysia's state-owned oil
company, also monopolises the provision of CNG to road users. As of July 2008, Petronas only operates about
150 CNG refueling stations, most of which are concentrated in the Klang Valley. At the same time, another 50
were expected by the end of 2008.[32]

As fuel subsidies were gradually removed in Malaysia starting June 5, 2008, the subsequent 41 percent price
hike on petrol and diesel led to a 500 percent increase in the number of new CNG tanks installed.[33][34] National
car maker Proton considered fitting its Waja, Saga and Persona models with CNG kits from Prins
Autogassystemen by the end of 2008,[35]while a local distributor of locally assembled Hyundai cars offers new
models with CNG kits.[36] Conversion centres, which also benefited from the rush for lower running costs, also
perform partial conversions to existing road vehicles, allowing them to run on both petrol or diesel and CNG
with a cost varying between RM3,500 to RM5,000 for passenger cars.[33][37]
A CNG powered bus in Beijing. CNG buses in Beijing were introduced in late 1998.

In China, companies such as Sino-Energy are active in expanding the footprint of CNG filling stations in
medium-size cities across the interior of the country, where at least two natural gas pipelines are
operational.[citation needed]

In Pakistan, the Karachi government under the order of Supreme Court in 2004 made it mandatory for all city
buses and auto rickshaws to run on CNG with the intention of reducing air pollution.

In Pakistan in 2012, the federal government announced plans to gradually phase out CNG over a period of
approximately three years given natural gas shortages which have been negatively affecting the manufacturing
sector.[38] Aside from limiting electricity generation capacity, gas shortages in Pakistan have also raised the
costs of business for key industries including the fertilizer, cement and textile sectors.[39]

Iran has one of the largest fleets of CNG vehicles and CNG distribution networks in the world. There are 2335
CNG fueling stations, with a total of 13,534 CNG nozzles.[40] The number of CNG burning vehicles in Iran
exceeds 3.5 million. CNG consumption by Iran's transportation sector is around 20 million cubic meters per
day.[41]

Africa[edit]
Egypt is amongst the top 10 countries in CNG adoption, with 128,754 CNG vehicles and 124 CNG fueling
stations. Egypt was also the first nation in Africa and the Middle East to open a public CNG fueling station in
January 1996.[42]

The vast majority 780000 have been produced as dual fuel vehicles by the auto manufacturer in the last two
years, and the remainder have been converted utilizing after market conversion kits in workshops. There are
750 active refueling stations country wide with an additional 660 refueling stations under construction and
expected to come on stream. Currently the major problem facing the industry as a whole is the building of
refueling stations that is lagging behind dual fuel vehicle production, forcing many to use petrol instead.

Nigeria CNG started with a pilot project in Benin City Edo State in 2010 by Green Gas Limited. Green Gas
Limited is a joint venture company of NGC (Nigerian Gas Company Ltd.) & NIPCO PLC. As at October 2012
about seven CNG stations have been built in Benin City Edo State, with about 1,000 cars running on CNG in
Benin City Edo state. In Benin City Edo state, major companies such as Coca-Cola are using CNG to power
their fork-lifts/trucks while Edo City Transport Ltd (ECTS) is also running some of its buses on CNG.

Europe[edit]
CNG powered bus in Italy

In Italy, there are more than 1173 CNG stations.[43] The use of methane for vehicles, started in the 1930s and
has continued off and on until today. Since 2008 there have been a large market expansion for natural gas
vehicles (CNG and LPG) caused by the rise of gasoline prices and by the need to reduce air pollution
emissions.[44] Before 1995 the only way to have a CNG-powered car was by having it retrofitted with an after-
market kit. A large producer was Landi Renzo, Tartarini Auto, Prins Autogassystemen, OMVL, BiGAs,... and
AeB for electronic parts used by the most part of kit producer. Landi Renzo and Tartarini selling vehicles in
Asia and South America. After 1995 bi-fuel cars (gasoline/CNG) became available from several major
manufacturers. Currently Fiat, Opel, Volkswagen, Citroën, Renault, Volvo and Mercedes sell various car
models and small trucks that are gasoline/CNG powered. Usually CNG parts used by major car manufacturers
are actually produced by automotive aftermarket kit manufacturers, e.g. Fiat use Tartarini Auto components,
Volkswagen use Teleflex GFI[45] and Landi Renzo components.

In Belgium CNG is a very new fuel. At the beginning of 2014 there were only 17 refuelling stations, all of
them in Flanders, but the number is now increasing rapidly. At the beginning of 2015 there were 29 refueling
stations in Belgium, all of them in Flanders.[citation needed] As of January 2017, there are 76 active refueling stations
in Belgium, most of them being in Flanders since only 7 of them are in Wallonia or Brussels.[46] As a fuel and
compared to petrol, CNG has an advantageous fiscal treatment with lower excises duties (although VAT is
always paid). Since CNG, as a car fuel, is not totally exempted of excise duties, CNG cars do not pay a prime
road tax to partially compensate the State for the loss of revenue. Instead LPG cars pay a prime road tax in
Belgium, because LPG is totally exempted from excise duties. Since CNG is not totally exempted of excise
duties, in Belgium it is allowed to connect a car to the home network of natural gas and to refuel the car from
home. The purchase of CNG cars is not subsidised by the government, but by the Belgian producers and
distributors of natural gas. Fiat and Volkswagen sell factory-equipped CNG-cars in Belgium. At the end of
2013 there were only 344 cars running with CNG in Belgium.[citation needed]

CNG powered bus in Germany

In Germany, CNG-generated vehicles are expected to increase to two million units of motor-transport by the
year 2020. The cost for CNG fuel is between 1/3 and 1/2 compared to other fossil fuels in Europe.[citation needed] In
2016 there are around 900 CNG stations in Germany[47]and major German car manufacturers like Volkswagen,
Mercedes, Opel, Audi offer CNG engines on most of their models. Augsburg is one of the few cities that only
run CNG operated public buses since 2011.[48]

In Turkey, Ankara municipality is increasingly using CNG buses, where numbers have reached 1090 by
2011.[49] Istanbul has started in 2014 with an order of 110 buses.[50] Konya also added 60 buses to its fleet the
same year.[51][52]

In Portugal there are 9 CNG refueling stations as of September 25, 2017.[53]

In Hungary there are four public CNG refueling stations in the cities Budapest, Szeged, Pécs and Győr. The
public transportation company of Szeged runs buses mainly on CNG.[citation needed]

In Bulgaria, there are 96 CNG refueling stations as of July 2011. One can be found in most of Bulgaria's big
towns.[54] In the capital Sofia there are 22 CNG stations making it possibly the city with the most publicly
available CNG stations in Europe. There are also quite a few in Plovdiv, Ruse, Stara Zagora and Veliko
Tarnovo as well as in the towns on the Black Sea – Varna, Burgas, Nesebar and Kavarna. CNG vehicles are
becoming more and more popular in the country. The fuel is mostly used by taxi drivers because of its much
lower price compared to petrol. Currently (as of July, 2015) the city of Sofia is rapidly renewing its public
transport fleet with MAN Lion's City buses running on CNG.[55] Also, many companies switch to CNG cargo
vans and even heavy trucks for their daily operations within city limits.

In Macedonia, there is one CNG station located in the capital Skopje, but it is not for public use. Only twenty
buses of the local Public Transport Company have been fitted to use a mixture of diesel and CNG. The first
commercial CNG station in Skopje is in the advanced stage of development and is expected to start operation
in July 2011.[citation needed]

In Serbia, there are several public CNG refuelling stations two of which are in the capital Belgrade and the rest
in the towns of Novi Sad, Pančevo, Kruševac and Čačak.[citation needed]

In Slovenia, there are four public CNG refuelling stations as of December 2018. Two in the capital Ljubljana,
and one each in Maribor and Jesenice. Additionally, at least 14 new refuelling stations are planned in all city
municipalities by the end of 2020.[56] Ljubljana Passenger Transport operates 66 CNG fuelled city buses, as of
May 2016.[57][58] Its Maribor counterpart, Marprom has 19 CNG city buses in their fleet, as of October
2018.[59][60]

In Croatia, there are two public CNG refuelling stations situated close to the center of Zagreb and
in Rijeka.[61] At least 60 CNG buses are in use as a form of a public transport (Zagreb public transport
services).

In Estonia, there are 11 public CNG refuelling stations – 4 in the country's capital Tallinn and the others one
in Tartu, Pärnu, Viljandi, Rakvere, Jõhvi and Narva.[62] From 2011, Tartu has five Scania manufactured CNG
buses operating its inner-city routes.[63]
CNG powered bus in Sweden

In Sweden there are currently 90 CNG filling stations available to the public (as compared to about 10 LPG
filling stations), primarily located in the southern and western parts of the country as well the Mälardalen
region[64] Another 70–80 CNG filling stations are under construction or in a late stage of planning (completions
2009–2010). Several of the planned filling stations are located in the northern parts of the country, which will
greatly improve the infrastructure for CNG car users.[65] There are approx. 14,500 CNG vehicles in Sweden
(2007), of which approx. 13,500 are passenger cars and the remainder includes buses and trucks.[66] In
Stockholm, the public transportation company SL currently operates 50 CNG buses but have a capacity to
operate 500.[67] The Swedish government recently prolonged its subsidies for the development of CNG filling
stations, from 2009-12-31 to 2010-12-31.[68]

In Spain CNG is a very new fuel and the refueling network is being developed. In Madrid, the EMT, uses 672
buses running with CNG. At the beginning of 2015 there were 35 CNG refueling stations in Spain. Several car
brands sell brand-new cars running with CNG, including Fiat, Volkswagen, Seat and Skoda among others.[citation
needed]

As of 2013, there are 47 public CNG filling stations in the Czech Republic, mainly in the big cities.[69] Local
bus manufacturers SOR Libchavy and Tedom produce CNG versions of their vehicles, with roof-mounted
tanks.

North America[edit]

The Honda Civic GX is factory-built to run on CNG and it is available in several U.S. regional markets.
Buses powered with CNG are common in the United States such as the New Flyer Industries C40LF bus in Washington,
D.C. shown here.

Canada[edit]

Natural gas has been used as a motor fuel in Canada for over 20 years.[70] With assistance from federal and
provincial research programs, demonstration projects and NGV market deployment programs during the 1980s
and 1990s, the population of light-duty NGVs grew to over 35,000 by the early 1990s. This assistance resulted
in a significant adoption of natural gas transit buses as well.[71]

The NGV market started to decline after 1995, eventually reaching today's vehicle population of about
12,000.[71]

This figure includes 150 urban transit buses, 45 school buses, 9,450 light-duty cars and trucks, and 2,400
forklifts and ice-resurfacers. The total fuel use in all NGV markets in Canada was 1.9 PJs (petajoules) in 2007
(or 54.6 million liters of gasoline liters equivalent), down from 2.6 PJs in 1997. Public CNG refueling stations
have declined in quantity from 134 in 1997 to 72 today. There are 22 in British Columbia, 12 in Alberta, 10 in
Saskatchewan, 27 in Ontario and two in Québec. There are only 12 private fleet stations.[19]

Canadian industry has developed CNG-fueled truck and bus engines, CNG-fueled transit buses, and light
trucks and taxis.

Fuelmaker Corporation of Toronto, the Honda-owned manufacturer of CNG auto refueling units, was forced
into bankruptcy by parent Honda USA for an unspecified reason in 2009.[72] The various assets of Fuelmaker
were subsequently acquired by Fuel Systems Corporation of Santa Ana, California.

United States[edit]

This MARTA Bus is a New Flyer XN40 which runs on CNG. 70% of MARTA's bus fleet is CNG.
CNG Fueling Station in Columbus, Ohio

Similar to Canada, the United States has implemented various NGV initiatives and programs since 1980, but
has had limited success in sustaining the market. There were 105,000 NGVs in operation in 2000; this figure
peaked at 121,000 in 2004, and decreased to 110,000 in 2009.[71]

In the United States, federal tax credits are available for buying a new CNG vehicle. Use of CNG varies from
state to state; only 34 states have at least one CNG fueling site.[73]

In Texas, Railroad Commissioner David Porter launched his Texas Natural Gas Initiative in October 2013 to
encourage the adoption of natural gas fuel in the transportation and exploration and production sectors.[74] As of
2015 Texas is rapidly becoming a leader in natural gas infrastructure in the US with 137 natural gas fueling
stations (private and public).[75] Nine months into FY2015 Commissioner Porter reports Texas CNG, LNG
Sales Show 78 Percent Increase Over FY 2014 year to date.[76] Per Commissioner Porter[76] in June 2015:
“Natural gas vehicles are becoming mainstream faster than expected. These collections are nearly double the
amount collected last year at this time. At 15 cents per gallon equivalent, $3,033,600 of motor fuel tax equates
to the sale of 20,224,000 gallon equivalents of natural gas.” The $3 million in Texas natural gas tax receipts is
for both CNG and LNG for FY2015 through the May 2015. The Texas fiscal year starts Sept 1 so 9 months tax
collections are represented.

In Athens, Ala., the city and its Gas Department installed a public CNG station on the Interstate 65 Corridor,
making it the only public CNG station between Birmingham and Nashville as of February 2014. The city's
larger fleet vehicles such as garbage trucks also use this public station for fueling. The city also has two slow-
fill non-public CNG stations for its fleet. Athens has added CNG/gasoline Tahoes for police and fire, a CNG
Honda Civic, CNG Heil garbage trucks, and CNG/gasoline Dodge pickup trucks to its fleet.

In California, CNG is used extensively in local city and county fleets, as well as public transportation
(city/school buses). There are 90 public fueling stations in southern California alone, and travel from San
Diego so the Bay Area to Las Vegas and Utah is routine with the advent of online station maps such as
www.cngprices.com. Compressed natural gas is typically available for 30-60 percent less than the cost of
gasoline in much of California.
Gwinnett County Transit Orion VII CNG 029 on the 35 Bus on Peachtree Corners.

The 28 buses running the Gwinnett County Transit local routes run on 100 percent CNG. Additionally, about
half of the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority express fleet, which runs and refuels out of the
Gwinnett County Transit facility, uses CNG.[77]

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority was running 360 CNG buses as early as in 2007, and is the
largest user in the state.[78]

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) of New York City currently has over 900 buses powered
by compressed natural gas with CNG bus depots located in Brooklyn, The Bronx and Queens.

The Nassau Inter-County Express (or NICE Bus/formerly New York MTA Long Island Bus) runs a 100%
Orion CNG-fueled bus fleet for fixed route service consisting of 360 buses for service in Nassau County, parts
of Queens, New York, and the western sections of Suffolk County.

The City of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has switched some of the city's vehicles to compressed natural gas in an
effort to save money on fuel costs. Trucks used by the city's street and water, sewer and gas departments have
been converted from gasoline to CNG.[79]

Personal use of CNG is a small niche market currently, though with current tax incentives and a growing
number of public fueling stations available, it is experiencing unprecedented growth. The state of Utah offers a
subsidised statewide network of CNG filling stations at a rate of $1.57/gge,[80] while gasoline is above
$4.00/gal.

Elsewhere in the nation, retail prices average around $2.50/gge, with home refueling units compressing gas
from residential gas lines for under $1/gge. Other than aftermarket conversions, and government used vehicle
auctions, the only currently[when?] produced CNG vehicle in the United States is the Honda Civic GX sedan,
which is made in limited numbers and available only in states with retail fueling outlets.

An initiative, known as Pickens Plan, calls for the expansion of the use of CNG as a standard fuel for heavy
vehicles has been recently started by oilman and entrepreneur T. Boone Pickens. California voters
defeated Proposition 10 in the 2008 General Election by a significant (59.8 percent to 40.2 percent) margin.
Proposition 10 was a $5 billion bond measure that, among other things, would have given rebates to state
residents that purchase CNG vehicles.

On February 21, 2013, T. Boone Pickens and New York Mayor, Michael Bloomberg unveiled a CNG powered
mobile pizzeria. The company, Neapolitan Express uses alternative energy to run the truck as well as 100
percent recycled and compostable materials for their carryout boxes.[81]
Congress has encouraged conversion of cars to CNG with a tax credits of up to 50 percent of the auto
conversion cost and the CNG home filling station cost. However, while CNG is much cleaner fuel, the
conversion requires a type certificate from the EPA. Meeting the requirements of a type certificate can cost up
to $50,000. Other non-EPA approved kits are available. A complete and safe aftermarket conversion using a
non-EPA approved kit can be achieved for as little as $400 without the cylinder.[82]

Oceania[edit]
During the 1970s and 1980s, CNG was commonly used in New Zealand in the wake of the oil crises, but fell
into decline after petrol prices receded. At the peak of natural gas use, 10 percent of New Zealand's cars were
converted, around 110,000 vehicles.[83]

A Custom Coaches bodied Mercedes-Benz O405NH running on CNG, operated by Sydney Buses in Australia

Transperth Mercedes-Benz OC500LE running on CNG

For a period of time, Brisbane Transport in Queensland, Australia adopted a policy of purchasing only CNG
buses. Brisbane Transport has 215 Scania L94UB and 324 MAN 18.310 models as well as 30 MAN NG 313
articulated CNG buses. The State Transit Authority purchased 100 Scania L113CRB, 283 Mercedes-Benz
O405NH and 254 Euro 5-compliant Mercedes-Benz OC500LEbuses.[84]

In the 1990s Benders Busways of Geelong, Victoria trialled CNG buses for the Energy Research and
Development Corporation.[85]

Martin Ferguson, Ollie Clark and Noel Childs featured on The 7:30 Report raised the issue of CNG as an
overlooked transport fuel option in Australia, highlighting the large volumes of LNG currently being exported
from the North West Shelf in light of the cost of importing crude oil to Australia.[86]

Deployments[edit]
AT&T ordered 1,200 CNG-powered cargo vans from General Motors in 2012. It is the largest-ever order of
CNG vehicles from General Motors to date.[87] AT&T has announced its intention to invest up to $565 million
to deploy approximately 15,000 alternative fuel vehicles over a 10-year period through 2018, will use the vans
to provide and maintain communications, high-speed Internet and television services for AT&T customers.[88]