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Clean Cities Vehicle Buyer's Guide For Consumers: Natural Gas Vehicles Printable Versi_ <br />#ad,reJ ?)_ 'Poe) <br />What is Natural Gas? A <br />Natural gas is a mixture of hydrocarbons, mainly methane. Found in gas wells or produced in <br />conjunction with crude oil, natural gas is a clean-burning, domestically produced fuel that generates <br />significantly fewer emissions than conventional gasoline or diesel when used to power vehicles. <br />The natural gas used in vehicles is either compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG). <br />CNG is compressed to 2,400-3,600 pounds per square inch and stored on-board a vehicle in specially <br />designed and constructed cylinders, Vehicles that run on CNG have engines and fuel systems that are <br />optimized for gaseous fuel use. LNG, cooled to -260°F and stored in insulated cryogenic tanks, is used <br />mostly in medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. <br />What Types of Vehicles Run on Natural Gas? <br />According to the Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition (NGVC), there are 130,000 NGVs in the U.S. and 2 <br />million worldwide. Light-duty natural gas vehicles are available in a variety of body styles and can be <br />equipped with dedicated or bi-fuel fueling systems. Dedicated CNG vehicles are designed to run only <br />on CNG; bi-fuel CNG vehicles have two separate fueling systems that enable the vehicle to use either <br />CNG or gasoline. In general, dedicated NGVs demonstrate better vehicle performance and lower <br />emissions than bi-fuel (also referred to as dual-fuel) vehicles because their engines are optimized to run <br />on natural gas. In addition, the vehicle does not have to carry two types of fuel, thereby increasing <br />cargo capacity and reducing weight. <br />In model year 2003, auto manufacturers produced 16 models of light-duty sedans, service vans, <br />passenger vans, and light-duty pickup trucks capable of running on CNG. View current model vear <br />light-duty NGVs <br />Do NGVs Require Special Maintenance Considerations? <br />Maintenance <br />Consideration Description <br />Fuel Tanks High-pressure tarries that hold CNG require periodic <br /> inspection and certification by a licenced inspector. <br /> Find a certified cylinder inspector. <br />Oil Changes Some natural gas vehicle OEMs now recommend oil <br /> change intervals about half as often as similar <br /> gasoline or diesel models (10,000 - 12,000 miles.) <br /> Refer to the vehicle owners manual or consult the <br /> manufacturer to determine proper maintenance <br /> intervals. <br />What Are the Benefits of Driving a Natural Gas Vehicle? <br />Benefit Description <br />http://www.eere.energy gov/cleancities/vbg/consumers/printable/cng_print.shtml 12/13/2004