By George Anderson
Honda wants to clear the air. The company has been selling its natural gas vehicles to fleet operators for seven years and now, for the first time, it is offering its Honda Civic GX sedan with home refueling station to consumers in California.
The environmental benefits of natural gas vehicles are striking. According to Honda, cars powered by natural gas emit 87 percent less nitrogen oxide, 70 percent less carbon monoxide and 25 less carbon dioxide than those that run on standard gasoline.
Although it needs to be refueled more often than its gasoline-powered counterpart, 220 miles on a tank versus 330 miles, the natural gas Civic GX is cheaper to fuel on a mile basis (3.75 cents compared to 8.8 cents).
Honda, according to The Associated Press, expects to sell 300 of its natural gas Civics this year.
The manufacturer of the refueling machine, FuelMaker Corp. out of Toronto, plans to make its equipment available for purchase in locations outside of California including Arizona, Salt Lake City, Dallas and Milwaukee.
Moderator's Comment: Have events, such as the war in Iraq, rising oil prices, and reports on global warming, created the conditions for developing a mass market for hybrid cars and other alternative energy products? What is the market for commercial users such as the fleet of vehicles used by companies in distribution? - George Anderson - Moderator