Love's adds CNG at station in Kingfisher
Love's Country Store has added compressed natural gas in Kingfisher as part of its partnership with Chesapeake Energy Corp.

BY JAY F. MARKS jmarks@opubco.com 1
Published: February 26, 2011
KINGFISHER — About 40 people huddled braved freezing temperatures and snow flurries Thursday to celebrate the opening of the first compressed natural gas fueling station at a Love's Country Store.

The Oklahoma City-based chain of convenience stores and truck stops dallied with the gasoline alternative in the 1980s, but spokeswoman Jenny Love Meyer said this time is different.
Now Love's is partnering with industry giant Chesapeake Energy Corp., which will supply natural gas for the fueling station.
CNG was selling for $1.39 a gasoline gallon equivalent Thursday, while gas as $3.29 a gallon.
Chesapeake has been an advocate for CNG as a transportation fuel.
The company is in the process of converting its own fleet of about 4,000 trucks to run on CNG, a move that will give Chesapeake one of the top green fleets in the country, Chief Operating Officer Steve Dixon said.
He said Chesapeake has led by example in pushing for increased use of CNG, which is clean, affordable and abundant.
Taylor Shinn, Chesapeake's senior director of corporate development, said state government and business leaders have done a good job in laying the groundwork for Oklahoma to capitalize on the natural gas produced in the state.
Oklahoma has about 40 public CNG fueling stations in Oklahoma, according to Central Oklahoma Clean Cities, including 11 in the Oklahoma City metro area.
“Oklahoma is setting a strong example for the rest of the nation on how to develop a CNG infrastructure network to serve the public and fleet operators,” Shinn said.
“This is accomplished when the public and private sector work together and a respected retailer such as Love's embraces the economic and environmental benefits of natural gas as a transportation fuel.”
Oklahoma Energy Secretary Mike Ming said the opening of another new CNG station was a welcome development for the state.
“I think everyone realizes CNG is a great fuel,” he said. “Getting the stations out here is a great step.”
Meyer said the Kingfisher station, which will help fuel Chesapeake's fleet in the area, is a test case for Love's.
The company doesn't have any definitive plans to add CNG at any of its other 260 locations, she said.
Love's offered CNG at a couple of Oklahoma locations in the 1980s, but there wasn't sufficient demand for the fuel. Meyer said the circumstances have changed.
“This is the first of what we hope will be more CNG fueling stations at Love's locations across Oklahoma and the rest of the country as the market develops,” she said.
Demand for CNG hasn't developed enough to interest QuikTrip, another Oklahoma-based convenience store chain.
“Right now it's just not on our radar,” spokesman Mike Thornbrugh said. “It's like any other commodity. If there was a huge consumer demand for it, we'd be doing it.”


Read more: http://newsok.com/loves-adds-cng-at-station-in-kingfisher/article/3544187#ixzz1FGpiGxjI

Click to read this great article in full.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/255376-the-time-has-come-for-natural-gas-transportation



The Time Has Come for Natural Gas Transportation

countries like Brazil, Iran, Italy, Pakistan and Singapore have very successfully adopted natural gas transportation

Today, natural gas is selling at an average price over one third cheaper than gasoline. Even better, natural gas is on average 42% cheaper than diesel.

the U.S. has the most advanced and extensive natural gas pipeline distribution network and huge natural gas reserves (combined, the two are America’s No. 1 competitive advantage over all other countries on earth), the only intelligent thing to do is to utilize this advantage and adopt natural gas in the transportation sector to reduce foreign oil imports.

Great, but where can I buy a natural gas powered car?

Great, but where can I buy a natural gas powered car?

Most gasoline cars can be converted. Google it.

Great, but where can I buy a natural gas powered car?

"Honda Tries To Capitalize On Oklahoma's Natural Gas Industry"

http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=12384131


"...the following dealers were found near 73101"

http://automobiles.honda.com/tools/dealer-locator/results.aspx?address=&city=&state=&zip=73101&dealername=&filters=ATTR45

This video shows other recent CNG stations in Okla.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEiw-hV8ATI

Great, but where can I buy a natural gas powered car?

Kerry for the time being you can put your name on a long list to buy a Honda Civic or buy a conversion kit for a vehicle.

I don’t ordinary like any more government involvement than necessary but what’s really needed is a government mandate that would require the sale of NG fueled / Bi fueled NG vehicles. It should be a very low percentage of total sales but if they can mandate CAFE standards there is no reason why the fed couldn’t make a mandate. Mass production should bring cost down but right now we just don’t have enough of the right political leadership to make large amounts of progress on this issue.

We could save our self trillions, increase our security, create many good new wealth creating jobs and reduce pollution.
It’s very hard to understand why we don’t see a major effort moving us much faster in this direction.

I looked into the conversions kits last year. The EPA doesn't allow them, regardless of what the manufacturers claim. Only 3 vehicles can be legally be convert to CNG and a Nissan Armada and Ford 500 are not on the list.

Great, but where can I buy a natural gas powered car?

@Cameron is totally right. Honda actually is the only manufacturer currently producing dedicated NGV's to be sold in the US. However, there's a growing number of options for fleets and it certainly seems like more consumer NGVs are on their way.

This year, Honda is making their CNG Honda Civic GX available in all 50 states. You can get more information on their official site. http://automobiles.honda.com/civic-gx/

I looked into the conversions kits last year. The EPA doesn't allow them, regardless of what the manufacturers claim. Only 3 vehicles can be legally be convert to CNG and a Nissan Armada and Ford 500 are not on the list.

The options are a lot wider than that. You should be able to find everything you want to know about converting on our web site...

http://www.cngnow.com/EN-US/Vehicles/Pages/ConverttoCNG.aspx

I wouldn't mind converting my old tank if it were possible to do so. it rarely leaves Norman, and when it does, it doesn't go all that far.
Given the low milage such tanks deal with for in-town travels, it's on the wish list should I hang on to it.

We have been looking into buying a CNG Honda for a year now. The first one came into Fowler last week and was pre sold.... to someone in Texas.

Most gasoline cars can be converted. Google it.

But at considerable cost apparently. Read a few years back it was in the $1,200 ballpark but read that the cost to convert some City vehicles was insanely high. Sorry but don't have any of the particulars. Don't see how anyone can justify the cost of conversion with the cost of "savings" if that is the case

But at considerable cost apparently. Read a few years back it was in the $1,200 ballpark but read that the cost to convert some City vehicles was insanely high. Sorry but don't have any of the particulars. Don't see how anyone can justify the cost of conversion with the cost of "savings" if that is the case
I don't have all the details either, but I have seen entire fleets converted. Last figure was $1,900, and thats considerably cheaper than purchasing a new CNG vehicle. I've seen many fleet Ford F150's done. The first thing we need is the infrastructure; not much sens running CNG if its a PITA to find a filling station. I took a trip to Australia in 2009 driving through New South Wales and South Australia. Every gas station had either CNG or LNG. My Ozzie mate told me they had done that 15-20 years ago across Australia. We're far behind much of the rest of the industrialized world in this regard.

Don't get me wrong, a conversion kit may certainly be cheaper than buying new (but is it legal, as someone else suggested it isn't). But what I am saying, how many years of fuel "savings" will it take before the conversion kit has paid for itself? Same question I had for people when they were looking at getting a car with better gas mileage. if you are in the market for a new car anyway, go right ahead. But if your car is paid for does it make any since to take on payments again etc? Even if your mileage doubled, how long would it take before you broke even on the added expense?

Don't get me wrong, a conversion kit may certainly be cheaper than buying new (but is it legal, as someone else suggested it isn't). But what I am saying, how many years of fuel "savings" will it take before the conversion kit has paid for itself? Same question I had for people when they were looking at getting a car with better gas mileage. if you are in the market for a new car anyway, go right ahead. But if your car is paid for does it make any since to take on payments again etc? Even if your mileage doubled, how long would it take before you broke even on the added expense?The last time I researched, which is a while back now, it appeared to me that you did not need EPA approval if you went with a dual fuel system and kept the existing gas tank in place.

Payback time depends of course on the cost of conversion and the cost difference between gasoline and CNG. The cost of conversion can vary depending on what you want to do with the tanks. When I researched it was at least $5,000 and probably closer to $10,000 for cars and pickups and $15,000 to $20,000 for big trucks.

With $4 to $5 gas and about $1 CNG and approximately the same efficiency that works out to a savings of $.20 to $.26 per mile driven at 15 mpg. A $5,000 cost would pay back in 20,000 to 25,000 miles.

Mileage will not double but it does appear that mileage should remain about the same as with gasoline. Power should be about the same.

The vehicle would have to have at least more life than the payback period to make it worthwhile so generally would have to be newer.

If we switch to CNG how long will it be before CNG cost the equivalent of $3.50 per gallon? If our cars ran on dried leaves, dry leaves would cost $3.50 per gallon. The price of oil has ZERO to do with the cost of getting oil out of the ground, refining it, and delivering it to market. The only advantage to CNG is that we pay the high cost to US companies. That is until new gas fields are turned into national parks and then we have to import CNG.

The last time I researched, which is a while back now, it appeared to me that you did not need EPA approval if you went with a dual fuel system and kept the existing gas tank in place.

Payback time depends of course on the cost of conversion and the cost difference between gasoline and CNG. The cost of conversion can vary depending on what you want to do with the tanks. When I researched it was at least $5,000 and probably closer to $10,000 for cars and pickups and $15,000 to $20,000 for big trucks.

With $4 to $5 gas and about $1 CNG and approximately the same efficiency that works out to a savings of $.20 to $.26 per mile driven at 15 mpg. A $5,000 cost would pay back in 20,000 to 25,000 miles.

Mileage will not double but it does appear that mileage should remain about the same as with gasoline. Power should be about the same.

The vehicle would have to have at least more life than the payback period to make it worthwhile so generally would have to be newer.Good post^
With mass production the additional cost to vehicles coming off the factory floor would likely come down, perhaps significantly.
Bigger tax incentives (at least at first) could help kick start the conversion.

It would not be practical to convert anywhere close to 100% of vehicles to NG.
I’m guessing that a 30% to 60% number would be more practical

With extensive use NG prices would go up but if a high percentage of vehicles were dual fuel (NG / gasoline) if NG became too expensive folks would start using more gasoline than NG. But wide scale use of NG would likely bring gasoline prices down.

There are still huge amounts of domestic NG reserves in the ground that haven’t even been drilled for yet.
Canada also has huge NG supplies. We can import LNG from friendlier sources. There are several ways to manufacture NG including coal gasification.

Right now we have so much NG on the market that some in the NG industry are looking at ways to export it.

Good post^
With mass production the additional cost to vehicles coming off the factory floor would likely come down, perhaps significantly.
Bigger tax incentives (at least at first) could help kick start the conversion.
Plus the great thing about a vehicle designed to use CNG is that the tanks can be incorporated more efficiently. If you have a pickup and you lost most of the bed volume with tanks or an SUV and you lose all your cargo space to tanks via a conversion it is a pretty big downside.

As much natural gas as we have I really do not know why there is not greater interest.

...could take a while for 'retail cng' to catch on (though the fundamentals for the switch are glaringly obvious) -- much faster migration (and impact) would be possible for big 'fleets'

"UPS adds liquified natural gas ( LNG ) powered big-rigs to its fleet"

http://www.sbsun.com/business/ci_17487104

Plus the great thing about a vehicle designed to use CNG is that the tanks can be incorporated more efficiently. If you have a pickup and you lost most of the bed volume with tanks or an SUV and you lose all your cargo space to tanks via a conversion it is a pretty big downside.

As much natural gas as we have I really do not know why there is not greater interest.

You make another excellent point. If vehicle are redesigned from the ground up to use duel fuel /NG they would have larger fuel capacity and not be as range limited. They would also not be as restrictive to cargo/ trunk space

The reason why we don’t see more interest in using more NG for transportation is almost 100% political but sooner or later with the right leadership we are going to start seeing a lot more NG used for our transportation.

With extensive use NG prices would go up but if a high percentage of vehicles were dual fuel (NG / gasoline) if NG became too expensive folks would start using more gasoline than NG. But wide scale use of NG would likely bring gasoline prices down.

Yes - that is the answer to high fuel prices. Cars that can switch between two or more fuel sources is the only way to drive down prices in the long run. Otherwise we are merely changing cells in the same prison. Imagine if your cell phone could operate on two or three networks and you got to choose each time you made a call. The price of cell phone calls would drop like a rock.

Another CNG station opened in Kingfisher, Okla by Chesapeake and Love's. Another station is opening tomorrow in OKC on NW 23rd St. It will be an OnCue. Here's the Love's opening video.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQo8EXYRtBs

You make another excellent point. If vehicle are redesigned from the ground up to use duel fuel /NG they would have larger fuel capacity and not be as range limited. They would also not be as restrictive to cargo/ trunk space

The reason why we don’t see more interest in using more NG for transportation is almost 100% political but sooner or later with the right leadership we are going to start seeing a lot more NG used for our transportation.

Right now I get about 400 miles on a tank of gasoline. Does anyone know the size difference between a gasoline tank that holds 20 gallons of gasoline vs the size of a CNG tank that could hold enough CNG to get a car 400 miles?

I would be happy if I could 200 miles on gasoline, flip a switch and get the other 200 miles on CNG.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJiE504n_Fw&feature=channel_video_title

When I pump gasoline I pay by the gallon. What is CNG measured in? What is the federal tax rate on this unit of purchase and how does it compare to the federal tax on a gallon of gasoline?

When I pump gasoline I pay by the gallon. What is CNG measured in? What is the federal tax rate on this unit of purchase and how does it compare to the federal tax on a gallon of gasoline?

cubic feet is how it is measures. How it is displayed varies; mass (pounds), BTUs, therms (100,000 BTUs) or 'gallon of gasoline equivalent'

1 gge = 114,119 BTU's = 1.14 Therms = 5.660 lb. natural gas

About a year ago their was a $7000 tax credit for the vehicle, not sure if it is still around.

Not sure on the federal tax either, their was talk of a 50-cents per GGE fuel tax credit but if that just to reducing existing tax or was taken off the cost of fuel I do not know and last I had heard on that it still needing reconciled between a senate and house version. This early in the cycle of using it as a fuel they may not have one to incentivize it till it becomes popular and will then be the same per equivalent of fuel. Also unless the home fill units call the government or gas company they have no way to know the percentage used in a car vs heating your home.

Also unless the home fill units call the government or gas company they have no way to know the percentage used in a car vs heating your home.

Just give that some time. They will probably call it a Smart Meter so everyone will get on board with it.

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n167/cameron405/okctalk/DSC05447.jpg

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n167/cameron405/okctalk/DSC05444.jpg

New public CNG fueling station opens in Oklahoma
Another compressed natural gas fueling station is open for business, thanks to Chesapeake Energy Corp. and OnCue Express.

BY JAY F. MARKS jmarks@opubco.com 0
Published: June 7, 2011
EL RENO — Chesapeake Energy Corp. and OnCue Express are at it again.

The partners on Monday celebrated the opening of their 10th compressed natural gas fueling station. Nine have opened this year.
OnCue is the owner and operator of the public fueling station at Chesapeake's El Reno field office, 3400 S Radio Road.
Chesapeake, which has converted its Oklahoma vehicle fleet to run on compressed natural gas, also has worked with OnCue to open several CNG fueling stations this year in hopes of encouraging others to consider the gasoline alternative.
“Bringing CNG to El Reno allows the community, state and nation to take a step forward in reducing our dependency on foreign oil,” said James Roller, Chesapeake's market development coordinator. “Natural gas allows business owners, schools and cities to lower fuel expenses while improving their budgets.
“Natural gas also creates a cleaner environment, sells at a significant discount to gasoline and is domestically produced and abundant, all of which support the overall energy industry in Oklahoma, an industry that provides one in seven state jobs.”
OnCue Marketing Chief Executive Officer Jim Griffith said CNG is a cheaper alternative to gasoline.
“CNG is affordable, clean and good for Oklahoma and is much more price stable,” Griffith said. “While unleaded prices are more than $3.50 per gallon, CNG from OnCue has remained $1.39 per gallon since last summer.
“The price difference has been a significant incentive for businesses, schools, cities and individuals to convert to CNG.”


Read more: http://newsok.com/new-public-cng-fueling-station-opens-in-oklahoma/article/3574798#ixzz1PAw0xUMO


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaVxk_Omg2E

Does anyone know if one gallon of CNG is an equivalent to one gallon of gasoline as far as mileage goes?

My grandfather and father ran an Allis-Chalmers combine on natural gas on the farm as far back as the '70s. Made a horrible hissing sound when refueling.

Seems to me that once a bunch of people convert, then the law of supply/demand comes into play and the price for CNG will increase unless production increases at the same rate.

My grandfather and father ran an Allis-Chalmers combine on natural gas on the farm as far back as the '70s. Made a horrible hissing sound when refueling.

Seems to me that once a bunch of people convert, then the law of supply/demand comes into play and the price for CNG will increase unless production increases at the same rate.


That hissing noise is nothing compared to the noise made when blowing down a large diameter high pressure NG pipeline

That hissing noise is nothing compared to the noise made when blowing down a large diameter high pressure NG pipeline

Does anyone know if one gallon of CNG is an equivalent to one gallon of gasoline as far as mileage goes?


The energy obtainable from burning one US gallon is 115,000 BTU.
The energy obtainable from burning 100 SCF of CNG is 98,300 BTU.
The BTU of NG at the well head can very a great deal.

FYI 33.7 kilowatt hours of electricity is equivalent to one gallon of gasoline.

The energy obtainable from burning one US gallon is 115,000 BTU.
The energy obtainable from burning 100 SCF of CNG is 98,300 BTU.
The BTU of NG at the well head can very a great deal.

FYI 33.7 kilowatt hours of electricity is equivalent to one gallon of gasoline.

Re-phrased--will a tank of CNG roughly take you the same distance as a tank of gasoline? Or--is there a problematic difference?

Re-phrased--will a tank of CNG roughly take you the same distance as a tank of gasoline? Or--is there a problematic difference?

No…… With the same size tank NG will not take you near as far.
To help with range problems more NG storage is needed.
This could be better accomplished if vehicles were redesigned from the ground up for more storage.
But at current prices NG is significantly cheaper per mile.

Haven't seen the '12, but the '11 Honda Civic GX, the only factory CNG car around, had an 8-gallon (equivalent) tank, which at the EPA-rated MPG(e) would be good for 200 miles or so. (Then again, those 200 miles would cost you about $11.50, versus $35 or so for gasoline.)

GM to Sell Pickups With Option to Burn Compressed Natural Gas (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-05/gm-to-sell-pickups-with-option-to-burn-compressed-natural-gas.html)


General Motors Co. (GM), the world’s largest automaker, plans to begin taking orders in April on pickups that run on both gasoline and compressed natural gas, potentially reducing costs for users.

The Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500 HD extended-cab pickups will be offered with a 6.0-liter, V-8 engine that can “seamlessly” transition between natural gas and gasoline, the Detroit-based automaker said today in a statement.

A vehicle such as the ones GM will offer can save a driver $6,000 to $10,000 in fuel costs over a three-year period because CNG is cheaper than gasoline, Joyce Mattman, director of GM commercial product and specialty vehicles, said before the announcement.

“It helps our fleet customers with their total cost of ownership,” Mattman said. “CNG is unique in that it’s not attached to the price of oil, so over time it’s maintained a lower retail price than both gasoline and diesel fuels.”

The bi-fuel option will help expand GM’s customer base for CNG products, Mattman said.

CNG-only vehicles “are a challenge when you’re using one specific fuel that doesn’t have infrastructure or support across the entire country,” Mattman said. “The range-anxiety issue is very real in this application as well.”

GM didn’t disclose the prices of the vehicles, and any premium over gasoline-only cars might offset savings on fuel.

Fueling Stations

Natural gas costs on average one-third less than conventional gasoline and there are 1,000 CNG-fueling stations in the U.S., of which about half are open to the public, according to Natural Gas Vehicles for America, a trade group based in Washington.

Mattman declined to say how many CNG pickups GM plans to sell.

The CNG vehicles are part of a broader strategy by GM to offer alternative-fuel vehicles, including the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt. The Volt can go about 40 miles on electricity before a gasoline engine kicks in and powers a generator to recharge the battery. The vehicle is aimed at customers who are worried about range.

GM began selling CNG cargo vans in 2010. Honda Motor Co. sells a CNG version of the Civic sedan in the U.S. Chrysler Group LLC has said it will bring a CNG pickup to the U.S. this year for fleet customers.

Engine Costs

The additional cost for an engine using natural gas is $3,000, compared with $3,300 for diesel and $8,000 for an electric hybrid, Alfredo Altavilla , who heads Fiat SpA (F)’s Iveco truck unit, said in September 2010, when Fiat laid out its natural-gas aspirations. Fiat is the majority owner of Chrysler.

GM said bi-fuel pickups will be offered to both commercial and retail customers and be delivered late this year.

The truck, which will be covered by GM’s three-year, 36,000-mile warranty and five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, will be built in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and sent to a supplier for installation of the fuel system and tank, the company said.

The pickups will have tanks that can hold the equivalent of 17 gallons (64 liters) of CNG and a 36-gallon tank of gasoline, giving the vehicles a combined range of more than 650 miles (1,000 kilometers), said Mike Jones, product manager for GM’s fleet and commercial operations. He declined to break out the range obtainable on CNG alone.

“The broadest range of usage of this is going to be in the commercial market,” he said.

GE and Chesapeake Energy Corporation Announce Collaboration to Speed Adoption of Natural Gas as Transportation Fuel -- Initiative Targets Natural Gas Fueling Infrastructure Development Agreement Designed to Develop Products and Services for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Transportation and Home Fueling Solutions Chesapeake to Deploy More than 250 of GE’s ecomagination™-Qualified “CNG In A Box™” Fueling Systems across the United States through 2015 through its Affiliate, Peake Fuel Solutions

03/07 04:00 AM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- GE and Chesapeake Energy Corporation (CHK:$23.43,00$-0.13,00-0.55%) today announced a collaboration to develop infrastructure solutions that will help accelerate the adoption of natural gas as a transportation fuel. This groundbreaking technology and services project marks a significant milestone toward increasing energy independence in the United States through the increased use of natural gas—an abundant, reliable and cleaner-burning source of energy for both consumers and commercial users.

To formalize the agreement, GE and Chesapeake have signed a memorandum of understanding on a product and services development partnership, representing a multi-year collaboration between the two companies to develop and bring to market compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) transportation and natural gas home-fueling solutions. By improving access to CNG, which is most commonly used in light- to medium-duty vehicles such as pickups, vans, SUVs, taxicabs, transit buses, refuse and delivery trucks as well as consumer vehicles, along with LNG, which is commonly used for heavy-duty industrial purposes, dependence on foreign energy sources can be reduced while simultaneously lowering fueling costs and vehicle emissions.

The collaboration is designed to leverage GE’s global Oil & Gas technology portfolio with Chesapeake’s expertise in developing innovative fueling solutions to lower the ownership and operational costs of natural gas vehicle (NGV) fueling stations. With the development of shale resources dramatically increasing the amount of low-cost natural gas in North America, the GE-Chesapeake collaboration can help incentivize operators to put more NGVs on the nation’s highways.

As part of today’s announced collaboration, beginning in the fall of 2012 GE will provide more than 250 modular and standardized CNG compression stations for NGV infrastructure. These units, also known as “CNG In A Box™,” have gone through GE’s rigorous ecomagination-qualification process and will provide the core infrastructure to enable expanded access to CNG at fueling stations and other designated installations.

A vehicle using CNG can reduce annual fuel costs up to 40 percent, assuming 25,700 miles per year driven, gasoline priced at $3.50/gallon and CNG at $2.09/gasoline gallon equivalent. This represents savings totaling as much as $1,500 per fleet vehicle per year. In total, for each fleet vehicle using fuel provided by CNG In A Box instead of gasoline, a fleet operator can reduce CO2e emissions from fuel combustion by about 24 percent, or 2.2 metric tons per vehicle annually, assuming an average fleet vehicle travels approximately 25,700 miles per year.

“Both GE and Chesapeake are known for taking on tough energy challenges and putting the best minds and technologies to work to develop solutions,” said Aubrey K. McClendon, Chesapeake’s Chief Executive Officer. “The partnership announced today between GE and Chesapeake’s affiliate, Peake Fuel Solutions, combines Chesapeake’s natural gas expertise with GE’s extensive global manufacturing capabilities and will bring transformative products to industries and individual consumers across the U.S. These products and services will allow customers to enjoy the clear advantages of clean, affordable and abundant American natural gas at about half the cost of gasoline.”

Said GE Energy President & CEO John Krenicki, “GE is fundamentally committed to natural gas—our technologies help extract it, move it and turn it into power, whether it’s highly efficient gas turbines delivering electricity at the utility scale or, in the near future, a vehicle at a refueling station. What makes this project particularly exciting is that it paves the way to taking the immense reserves of natural gas being discovered in the U.S. and using them right here in the U.S. That paves the way for faster economic growth, energy security, more jobs and reduced environmental impact.”

This CNG technology will be brought to market by Peake Fuel Solutions—a Chesapeake affiliate—which has extensive experience with natural gas vehicles, vehicle emission controls and natural gas market dynamics. Chesapeake also brings considerable in-house expertise in CNG market development to the GE collaboration, including retail station relationships, fleet outreach and education programs and policy engagement.

CNG In A Box takes natural gas from a pipeline and compresses it on-site at an industrial location or at a traditional automotive refilling station to then turn it into CNG. A CNG vehicle, such as a taxi, bus or small truck, can then refill its tank using a traditional fuel dispenser, much like those used for diesel or gasoline refueling.

Key features include:

The gas compression, storage, cooling, drying and controls are easy to ship and maintain due to its compact “In Box” design.
The units come in two configurations: an 8 foot x 20 foot container or 8 foot x 40 foot container, depending on the site’s need.
Its modular and intuitive design makes it “Plug & Play” on-site.
The offering includes GE Wayne branded dispensers with credit card capability and provision for “Point Of Sale” interface.
The fuel dispenses at a rate of about 7 gasoline gallon equivalent per minute.
Other elements of the new collaboration include:

Aftermarket services for natural gas fueling infrastructure.
GE’s LNG fueling plants, which adapt GE’s proven large-scale LNG liquefaction technologies to smaller-scale operations. Using LNG as a substitute for diesel or fuel oil can reduce combustion emissions up to 25 percent.
Development of home refueling technologies.
Co-marketing of products and services resulting from the partnership.

http://www.ted.com/talks/t_boone_pickens_let_s_transform_energy_with_natura l_gas.html

Here's a video of T. Boone Pickens at a recent TED conference. Pretty good laydown, even if you don't agree with all his numbers or are concerned about fracking. OK should be the leader in CNG infrastructure and vehicles. I used to drive CNG powered commercial vehicles 15 years ago, and there was little difference between the gasoline and CNG versions of the same vehicles.

I am looking to buy a new vehicle in the next year or so, and was dismayed to read in earlier posts that the Civic is wait listed. Guess I better get on the list. OKC should not purchase another government vehicle that runs on gasoline. Ever.

I had heard a rumor that it takes a really long time to fill up a CNG vehicle. Anyone here know if that is true or false?

I had heard a rumor that it takes a really long time to fill up a CNG vehicle. Anyone here know if that is true or false?

Only depends on the delivery system.
No reason why it should, especially since the pressure is higher.

I had heard a rumor that it takes a really long time to fill up a CNG vehicle. Anyone here know if that is true or false?



CNG In A Box takes natural gas from a pipeline and compresses it on-site at an industrial location or at a traditional automotive refilling station to then turn it into CNG. A CNG vehicle, such as a taxi, bus or small truck, can then refill its tank using a traditional fuel dispenser, much like those used for diesel or gasoline refueling.

Key features include:

The gas compression, storage, cooling, drying and controls are easy to ship and maintain due to its compact “In Box” design.
The units come in two configurations: an 8 foot x 20 foot container or 8 foot x 40 foot container, depending on the site’s need.
Its modular and intuitive design makes it “Plug & Play” on-site.
The offering includes GE Wayne branded dispensers with credit card capability and provision for “Point Of Sale” interface.
The fuel dispenses at a rate of about 7 gasoline gallon equivalent per minute.

Other elements of the new collaboration include: ....

I had heard a rumor that it takes a really long time to fill up a CNG vehicle. Anyone here know if that is true or false?



CNG In A Box takes natural gas from a pipeline and compresses it on-site at an industrial location or at a traditional automotive refilling station to then turn it into CNG. A CNG vehicle, such as a taxi, bus or small truck, can then refill its tank using a traditional fuel dispenser, much like those used for diesel or gasoline refueling.

Key features include:

The gas compression, storage, cooling, drying and controls are easy to ship and maintain due to its compact “In Box” design.
The units come in two configurations: an 8 foot x 20 foot container or 8 foot x 40 foot container, depending on the site’s need.
Its modular and intuitive design makes it “Plug & Play” on-site.
The offering includes GE Wayne branded dispensers with credit card capability and provision for “Point Of Sale” interface.
The fuel dispenses at a rate of about 7 gasoline gallon equivalent per minute.

Other elements of the new collaboration include: ....

Cool. Thanks. I was hoping that was just a nasty rumor (20 minute fill up time... shudder). I would love to get a CNG car but I guess most of us will have to wait until either more are being made or all the big companies have stocked up on all their fleet cars and leave some for the rest of us.

I had heard a rumor that it takes a really long time to fill up a CNG vehicle. Anyone here know if that is true or false?

You can also purchase a slow refill station for your garage. It will fill up over a few hours, but you get to pay the much cheaper rate from your household supply.
http://www.cngnow.com/vehicles/refueling/Pages/refueling-at-home.aspx

Oh, maybe that's were the rumor comes from about it taking a long time. But to fill up at home, that would be excellent!

Looks like it's about $5K for the home refueling equipment.

If you could take the CNG equipment from the original install vehicle and reinstall it on the replacement vehicle, that would reduce cost of conversion.

Any one know maintenance costs if any? I am talking about any filters or annual pressure checkups, etc.

Energy companies know the public will pay whatever they charge for vehicle fuel. Sure people may slack off driving but they will still buy gasoline. This is due to no other choice. So due to this fact I believe that whatever fuel source a vehicle would use for power, the price of that source will rise to a level equivalent to the price of gasoline. And I do mean whatever fuel source. CNG, hydrogen, solar, whatever.

CNBC's Rick Santelli is in Edmond today and highlights a company, CNG Interstate (http://www.cnginterstate.com/), that does conversions to cars and trucks to run on natural gas and gasoline at the same time. One can even switch between fuels on the fly, according to the video. Pretty exciting stuff.

•Equivalent of 66-cent a gallon gas from your own garage.



“This is the coolest story I have ever worked on – ever!”
– Rick Santelli.


Video: Rick Santelli reports from CNG Interstate in Edmond, Oklahoma - April 09, 2012 (http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000083040#eyJ2aWQiOiIzMDAwMDgzMDQwIiwiZW5j VmlkIjoiT3I3TUIvanh5djEycDYvWE51YWdzZz09IiwidlRhYi I6ImluZm8iLCJ2UGFnZSI6MSwiZ05hdiI6WyLCoExhdGVzdCBW aWRlbyJdLCJnU2VjdCI6IkFMTCIsImdQYWdlIjoiMSIsInN5bS I6IiIsInNlYXJjaCI6IiJ9)

Maynard that’s good stuff. I have been watching.

Over 30 years ago I worked for a company that burned propane in their bi-fueled vehicles.
There are only very minor differences in the parts used for natural gas powered vehicles. This is a proven technology that makes a lot of sense for vehicles that drive a lot of miles. Once you have worn out your vehicle some parts can be moved to your new vehicle.
But if you’re only driving about 10,000 or less a year conversion to NG probably doesn’t make economic sense.

Maynard that’s good stuff. I have been watching.

Over 30 years ago I worked for a company that burned propane in their bi-fueled vehicles.
There are only very minor differences in the parts used for natural gas powered vehicles. This is a proven technology that makes a lot of sense for vehicles that drive a lot of miles. Once you have worn out your vehicle some parts can be moved to your new vehicle.
But if you’re only driving about 10,000 or less a year conversion to NG probably doesn’t make economic sense.


There's the problem. Most people would never recoup their investment. It only makes sense if you are driving many many miles a day. Then you have to stop and fill up twice as much because those big tanks that were shown in the clip can get about 17 GGEs in there. They are 24 GGE tanks buit you can only get about 17 in them. I do it every day so I know and that 24 GGE tank cost right around $3700.00. That just for the tank.

They need to get the price way down before it becomes feasible for the average joe.

My hybrid gets about 40 mpg per tank so at $4 gasoline my fuel cost is $.10 per mile. That doesn't include the eventual battery replacement cost.

If I converted another 14 mpg vehicle I own to CNG and used the home fuel station so natural gas is $.66 per gge then my fuel cost per mile is $.047 per mile. My cost of fuel at $4 gasoline is $.286 per mile. The difference is approximately $.24 per mile. If my cost of conversion is $9400 then my capital cost is returned in 39,167 miles. That doesn't include the home fuel station cost.

I think I may do a conversion and sell the hybrid.

I remember many years ago I worked for a guy that had his pickup setup to run on gas or propane I think and could switch on the fly.

I did the cost calculator on the CNG site and according to them I'll save $250 a year. Don't think the cost of converting warrants a change.

Hertz Introduces Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Vehicle Rentals In US 04/11/2012
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hertz brings CNG vehicles to Oklahoma City airport, expanding customers' rental options

PARK RIDGE, N.J., April 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hertz Corporation (HTZ:$14.32,00$0.13,000.92%) (HTZ.NaE) is announcing the introduction of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles to its fleet in the US. Hertz will begin renting eight CNG Honda Civics and two CNG GMC Yukons at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City early next month. All vehicles will include NeverLost GPS units to assist renters in mapping local CNG refueling stations.


http://photos.prnewswire.com/pb-large/EN/2012/02/08/19/20120208192134ENPRNPRN-HERTZ-CORP-LOGO-1y-1-1328728894MR.jpg


"Hertz is committed to providing our customers with a full spectrum of vehicle options to suit their rental needs including clean emission vehicles such as CNG, electric vehicles, as well as other fuel-efficient vehicles included in our Green Traveler Collection," said Mark P. Frissora, Hertz Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "As more low emission, fuel efficient vehicles become available for general use we will continue to expand our rental fleet, reflecting our dedication to offering sustainable travel options."

The new vehicles will be on display at the Oklahoma City Thunder's home game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, April 11. In conjunction with the Oklahoma City Thunder's Green Week, an NBA initiative for environmental awareness, Hertz will also be raffling off 10 weekend CNG vehicle rentals to game attendees.

The expansion of energy-efficient and clean vehicles stems from the launch of Living Journey, Hertz's global sustainability strategy announced earlier this year.

CNG is a cleaner-burning fuel, emitting up to 30 percent less carbon dioxide and up to 75 percent less carbon monoxide. The fuel also typically costs half the price of gasoline and is produced domestically. Last year, Hertz introduced the addition of CNG vehicles through Hertz On Demand at Oklahoma State University. Hertz also deploys CNG airport buses at its Los Angeles Airport location and rents CNG vehicles in both Italy and the United Kingdom.

Oklahoma City is serving as a pilot program for Hertz'sCNG airport rentals program. In addition to having significant CNG fueling infrastructure across the state -- approximately 70 existing or planned public stations -- Oklahoma is also home to several of the top natural gas producers in the country, including Chesapeake Energy Corporation(CHK.NaE).

"Through its natural gas vehicles rental program, Hertz shows its industry leadership and further illustrates the exciting future of natural gas as a transportation fuel," said Aubrey K. McClendon, Chesapeake Chief Executive Officer. "By renting a CNG vehicle, Hertz customers will cut their fueling costs in half, while driving a vehicle that is better for the environment. We hope the success of Hertz's program in Oklahoma City leads to adoption of this program nationwide."

Donlen Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Hertz Corporation, played a key role in developing this program. "This initiative is a great example of what can happen when industry leaders collaborate to create meaningful change," said Gary Rappeport, Donlen CEO. "Natural gas vehicles play an important part in the future of fleet and mobility solutions as companies look toward achieving their sustainability and operational goals. Together, Hertz and Donlen are investing in programs like this to change the landscape of available transportation solutions." About Hertz

Hertz is the largest worldwide airport general use car rental brand operating from approximately 8,500 locations in approximately 150 countries worldwide. Hertz is the number one airport car rental brand in the U.S. and at 94 major airports in Europe, operating both corporate and licensee locations in cities and airports in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. In addition, the Company has licensee locations in cities and airports in Africa and the Middle East. In addition, Hertz operates one of the world's largest equipment rental businesses, Hertz Equipment Rental Corporation, offering a diverse line of rental equipment, including tools and supplies, and new and used equipment for sale from approximately 320 branches in the United States, Canada, France, Spain, Italy, China and Saudi Arabia, as well as through its international licensees. In late 2008, Hertz introduced a global car-sharing service, now referred to as Hertz On Demand, where customers can rent by the hour from various locations in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Hertz also owns Donlen Corporation, based in Northbrook, Illinois, which is a leader in fleet leasing and management services.

About Donlen Corporation

A wholly-owned subsidiary of The Hertz Corporation(HTZ.NaE) , Donlen with headquarters in Northbrook, IL, is the fleet industry's most comprehensive and integrated provider of financing and asset management solutions.

http://newsok.com/hertz-to-offer-cng-rentals-at-will-rogers-world-airport/article/3665520

My hybrid gets about 40 mpg per tank so at $4 gasoline my fuel cost is $.10 per mile. That doesn't include the eventual battery replacement cost.

If I converted another 14 mpg vehicle I own to CNG and used the home fuel station so natural gas is $.66 per gge then my fuel cost per mile is $.047 per mile. My cost of fuel at $4 gasoline is $.286 per mile. The difference is approximately $.24 per mile. If my cost of conversion is $9400 then my capital cost is returned in 39,167 miles. That doesn't include the home fuel station cost.

I think I may do a conversion and sell the hybrid.



You have to include the cost of the home fueling station at over $5,000 plus installing the thing and then you have to add in the cost that it takes to run it. That fueling station runs about 1/2 gge an hr. so if you fill 14 gals that will take 28 hrs. to fill. Now if you add in the electricity it takes to run that (240 V) then you will start seeing the true cost. The figures you are quoting are no where near close to what the actual figures would be.

You have to include the cost of the home fueling station at over $5,000 plus installing the thing and then you have to add in the cost that it takes to run it. That fueling station runs about 1/2 gge an hr. so if you fill 14 gals that will take 28 hrs. to fill. Now if you add in the electricity it takes to run that (240 V) then you will start seeing the true cost. The figures you are quoting are no where near close to what the actual figures would be.I haven't decided on the home fueling station yet. Maybe will wait as I think they'll get cheaper.

The electricity is estimated at $.22 which is included in the $.66 for the home unit or so I was told.

But the ONG station on 59th was $1.11 last Thursday.

I could actually get away with about 4 gge but I think I will probably go 14. The conversion is going to be less than what I was estimating.

I haven't decided on the home fueling station yet. Maybe will wait as I think they'll get cheaper.

The electricity is estimated at $.22 which is included in the $.66 for the home unit or so I was told.

But the ONG station on 59th was $1.11 last Thursday.

I could actually get away with about 4 gge but I think I will probably go 14. The conversion is going to be less than what I was estimating.

ONG was at $1.29 last week. It changes all the time. It was at .89 in Jan. If you go with an aspirated kit and used tank you can get out quite a bit cheaper. The in home fueling stations range in all sizes. The more they will pump the more you will pay and the more elec. they use. When you hear someone say they are filling at home for .66 per gge that is just not true. When you add up the true cost after everything it might be cheaper than filling at a station but not by much.

Did you contact an installer? What type of system are you looking at? Don't believe everything they tell you. I have been around this stuff for more than a few years and have heard some stories.