I'm back from my Los Angeles - San Jose - Los Angeles trip in the natural-gas powered Honda Civic GX. For my return trip, I took the road less traveled -- the scenic Pacific Coast Highway. I left SJ with 3/4ths of a tank, made two fuel stops on the way, and got home with just under half a tank. Had I driven a gasoline-powered Civic, I might have been able to make it with one fuel stop, but that fuel stop would have cost me a good deal more -- my average fuel cost was almost a buck a gallon cheaper than gasoline.
I know some of you wanted some numbers on the trip, so here they are:
- Total distance: 890.6 miles
- Fuel used: 23.2 GGE (Gasoline Gallon Equivalent)
- Average fuel economy: 38.4 MPG
- Average fuel price: $2.14/GGE
- Highest/lowest fuel price: $2.49/$1.70
- Total fuel cost: $49.54
- Fuel cost per mile: 5.6 cents
How does this compare with gasoline? Since the gasoline-powered Civic has the same EPA highway figure (36 MPG) as the GX, let's assume I would have gotten the same mileage. The average gas price in California is $3.08, which comes out to $71.46, or 8 cents per mile. (Fuel costs were higher than average on my route, so the trip would have actually cost more.)
But let's put aside the numbers and look at the bigger picture.
I ventured 400 miles from home and covered almost nine hundred miles in a car that people say has insufficient range and an insufficient fueling infrastructure -- all without ever dropping below a third of a tank. And better yet, I didn't burn one single drop of imported oil -- or of any oil, for that matter. Every last mile was powered by domestically-produced fuel -- the same stuff that refineries burn off as a waste product. And let's not forget what's coming out of the GX's tailpipe -- or should I say what isn't coming out. The GX is one of the cleanest-burning cars you can buy.
All this leads me to the question: Why aren't consumers clamoring for natural gas vehicles? Honda's been selling the Civic GX for years. CNG is clean and plentiful, and we don't have to fight wars in the Middle East to ensure our supply. Would I buy one? Heck yeah. So why don't I? Mostly because I spend all my time driving test vehicles, and the lack of trunk space makes it a no-go for Robin. Although, her massage table would probably fit in the back seat...
In other news, I said I'd post my Nissan 370Z Roadster review today, but it just needs a bit more tweaking. I'll have it ready tomorrow, so y'all come back and see us, ya heah? -- Aaron Gold
Photo © Aaron Gold
Well you proved that it has range in heavily populated Coastal California. I wonder how feasible that car would be driving across Utah, Nevada,or Montana. I would definitely consider buying one if Honda would produce it in a coupe(2 door). I have this thing about sedans. I’ve priced them out and they’re pretty cheap to buy. They certainly are a conversation piece when a tree hugger shows up at your backyard BBQ!!!
I have a Honda Civic EX 4dr that has averaged 32.5 mpg over its 33K miles, so I know Civics.
Here in Georgia we cannot even buy the CNG Civic but I would if I could. You are so correct about the use of natural gas but the Gum’ment apparently does not consider it very important. If Van Jones the “Green Jobs Czar” had consentrated on green jobs instead of racial rhetoric, we might now be developing CNG infrastructure up and down the east coast.
Actually, I googled CNG STATIONS IN GEORGIA and found there to be at least 15 such outlets available. Perhaps if you racially friendly folks dowm in Georgia focused on trying to find your newly developing CNG infrastructure, instead of dissecting statements made at some non-consequential point in the past by Mr. Jones, you might realize that a CNG Civic might just be your perfect, efficient ride to the next cross burning!
Been trying for years to buy one in Arkansas but can’t find one. Closet found was in New York ad California.
HOO! Hey Hawaiian Don – did I hit a nerve or what!!
Especially nice comment about the cross burning – what a class guy.
Go back and google using zipcode 30096 (Atlanta),for CNG stations and you will find that most are private i.e. closed to the public. The sad fact is that most states with the exception of CA and NY have very few plans concerning a future for CNG as motive power.
True, mine was an emotionally charged comment, just like the “You lie!” comment during the Obama Joint Congress Speech…And just like the “honorable” Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina, I apologize for the words and the circumstances, but not to the content from which they were derived!
I enjoyed your article. What i can’t understand is why a bi-fuel gasoline/cng vehicle is not available in the usa. In birmingham, ala. there is one cng filling station. The flexibility a bi-fuel vehicle would provide is what is needed. For the most part i would use CNG as it is currently $1.37. But having the backup option of gasoline would provide the stability consumers desire until the cng infrastruture is built out. Is there any way to buy the bi-fuel vehicle chevy sells in Asia in the USA?
James — A bi-fuel car sounds like an intriguing idea, although it does pose problems — one of the advantages of buying a CNG-powered car is the tax discounts, but what’s to stop someone from taking hte money and then only running the car on gasoline? (Although given how cheap CNG is, I don’t know why you’d want to.) In any case, Asian countries have different safety and emissions standards than the US, so unless teh vehicle in question was designed for US sale, it might be prohibitively expensive to bring it to the US. — Aaron
The problem I see here is both in infrastructure (despite the fact that there are SOME hydrogen filling stations in a few areas, there ARE NOT enough nation-wide to make this type of vehicle feasible for mass production yet), and supply of natural gas.
Several years ago I made the change from an oil burning furnace to natural gas. The reason was efficiency and cost savings because natural gas was so much less expensive that fuel oil. After about three years, the cost of natural gas skyrocketed due to the increased demand because tens of thousands of others had the same idea I did. Natural gas was no longer cheaper than fuel oil….just more efficient.
I’m sure there are a few natural gas outlets in many areas across the nation. There just aren’t enough yet to make natural gas vehicles a viable alternative in many parts of the country. Once there are, the demand for this fuel will likely cause another price spike similar to the the last one, and it will no longer be the cheap fuel. Ahh, the cost of our national obsession….going Green.
The issue with CNG is infrastructure. I would love to buy one to drive in the DC area but since there are no public CNG fueling stations within my driving radius, that would mean installing a CNG filling station in my home & then never venturing more than 70-80 miles from my house. Since my daily commute is 50 miles each direction that 70-80 limit wouldn’t leave much room for error in terms of the fuel gauge or side trips.