Converting a Vehicle to Natural Gas

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is a fossil fuel substitute for petrol, diesel, or propane fuel. Natural Gas is composed mostly of methane from underground reserves or cleansed gasses from landfills and other biomass methane sources. It is a more environmentally friendly alternative and it is safer than other fuels in the event of a spill. Natural gas is not toxic or corrosive and will not contaminate ground water. Currently the only available natural gas car in the United States is the Honda Civic GX, but it is also possible to convert most other vehicles to natural gas.

The two main reasons for converting a vehicle to natural gas are to save money on gasoline and to help the environment. Natural gas is currently selling for less than half of the cost of regular gasoline. Government rebates are also available to help with the cost of conversion and to further lower the cost of natural gas fuel. Natural gas also burns cleaner, which means that it produces less harmful emissions. Most natural gas vehicles use compressed natural gas, which can be refueled at home or at a filling station.

Steps to take if you want to convert your vehicle to CNG:

1. The most important thing to do first is to make sure your model of vehicle has been approved for conversion with a certificate of conformity. Strict U.S. EPA rules cover the sales and installation of alternative fuel conversion systems. These regulations do not allow consumers to install kits themselves.

2. Analyze your vehicle to decide whether it is worth converting it to alternative fuel. The cost of converting a single gasoline car to natural gas can be in the thousands. If your vehicle is old or your not planning to keep it for a long time, then it may not be worth the cost.

3. Determine whether your car can handle the added weight of the CNG canisters. The entire conversion can add up to 500 lbs., depending on the size and number of tanks your vehicle needs.

4. Consider where and how you will refuel your car. There are more than 800 CNG fueling locations in the U.S., but not all are open to the public and one may not be located near you. There are several convenient online sources that can help you find a natural gas filling station. Natural gas vehicles and stations are paving the way for hydrogen technology. You may want to convert your car so that it runs on both CNG and hydrogen or a combination of the two.

The other option is to install a home fueling device like the FuelMaker ‘Q’ and Phill. These are ‘time-fill’ fueling devices that compress and refuel directly from a households existing gas supply. With both of these devices, fueling is done overnight or when the vehicle is idle.

5. Conversion from gasoline to CNG should be done by a qualified technician, using approved conversion kits. Consult a gas conversion specialist to convert your existing vehicle to natural gas. He should be able to tell you whether your car can be converted properly. You will also be given a cost estimate at that point. Install a dual fuel system if you want to convert your car without any major modifications. This allows the car to run on diesel if needed with just a flip of the switch on the dashboard.