High fuel prices increase demand for vehicles that run on compressed natural gas, but options are few and a poorly-converted vehicle can be dangerous.

Even though the price of gasoline has gone down below $2 per gallon, natural gas costs only 79 cents per gallon.

Many fleet and government vehicles run on natural gas, and conversion kits can be purchased on the Internet.

Last week, a Cedar Hills man discovered the dangers of a self-installed CNG conversion while filling his CNG-converted SUV at a filling station in Orem.

"The man had done much of the conversion work himself and the natural gas tank was mounted inside the passenger compartment of the SUV," said Lt. Doug Edwards of the Orem Police Department. "He stopped to fill up the tank, not realizing there was a leak in the system that filled the closed passenger compartment with natural gas."

Edwards said the man finished filling the tank and opened the door to find his four children, ranging in age from 1 to 6 years old, were unconscious inside the vehicle.

The children were removed from the vehicle and taken to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, but they were released shortly after arrival, Edwards said.

"I am unaware of anything like this ever happening in Orem before, despite the number of converted natural gas vehicles running around town," Edwards said. "I'm no expert on the subject, but would probably not worry about a conversion kit installed by an authorized technician working for a reputable business."

NGVs (natural gas vehicles) have grown in popularity for a number of reasons.

Honda is the only company building a dedicated NGV for consumers interested in driving natural-gas-powered vehicles. The Honda Civic GX runs solely on natural gas.

Ron Brown, fleet manager at Ken Garff Honda Downtown in Salt Lake City, said NGVs have lower emissions than gasoline-powered vehicles.

"It's the cleanest internal combustion engine in the world," Brown said. "Almost zero emissions."

Brown said clean burning propane keeps engines and motor oils cleaner and increases longevity.

"They expect this car to last twice as long as a normal gasoline equivalent," Brown said.

Many people worry that natural gas tanks will explode in a rear-end collision. Brown said he has seen Honda Civic GXs rear-ended severely, and if the tanks are punctured the gas just dissipates into the air instead of running all over the ground like gasoline. He considers the tanks more of a safety benefit than a hazard.

While a new Civic GX's $25,760 price is almost $7,000 higher than that of a gasoline-powered Civic LX, Brown said the buyer will receive a combined $7,000 tax credit from state and federal governments, offsetting the price difference.

Some consumers worry that it will be hard to find a filling station if they drive an NGV.

Mike Imbler, 54, of Sandy said it is not hard to find a filling station if you spend a few moments to research where they are.

Imbler commutes 20-30 miles in his '08 Honda Civic GX and records over 30 mpg in the city. He said he loves it.

"It's great," Imbler said. "My wife took it down to California to visit family. She spent $20 in fuel."

Even with good fuel economy, NGVs tend to have limited range. The Civic GX with its 8-gallon tank and 36 mpg EPA highway rating has a range of almost 300 miles.

Imbler said he doesn't mind the extra stops to fill up because they cost him less than $5.

Brown said there are over 20 filling stations in Utah. He also said the price of natural gas is regulated, so it doesn't fluctuate like the price of gasoline.



Copyright Brigham Young University 19 Nov 2008