Australia has VAST reserves of CNG ; compressed natural gas. Its the stuff your using in your heater at home and in your gas stove. Its cheap, safe, and exists in VAST quantities in Australia. The infrastructure is already in place in most areas. I mean it is possible to fill a CNG car from your house that’s connected to CNG gas for very little money.
CNG installation is very similar to an LPG system for your car. Its also emits far less CO2 than Petrol/diesel and LPG.
Yet, there no subsidy or political drive to roll out this important transport fuel source in Australia. Its largely being IGNORED by all levels of government…
This is an exploratory article. One of many I will produce to look at this complex and important issue.
Ill be asking questions like:
Why a subsidy on LPG but not CNG?
Why isn’t there a political interest in using this as transport fuel given the KNOWN benefits.
Why is Germany and countries like Brazil embracing CNG yet Australia who sits on massive reserves ignoring this fuel reserve that literally right under our feet?
Why doesnt Honda sell the CNG car the Honda Civic GX in australia? The Civic GX ( or a similar car) combined with the PHILL home fill up system would make a great start to rolling out CNG in Australia.
Heres some basic info on CNG from its wiki. Some additional information on CNG cars with cost and benefits on its wiki page also.
On the 6/6/08 there was an interview with a canberra resident using CNG and it raises some interesting points.
Heres a small excerpt:
GORDON TAYLOR: Canberra has one CNG filling station at Fyshwick. Run by gas distributor Alinta on behalf of ACTEW-AGL, it has 105 customers, including Dennis Rocha, whose family car runs on CNG.
GORDON TAYLOR: The bowser tells it all, just 58.5 cent s a cubic metre, that’s equivalent to 53 cents a litre for petrol. For Dennis Rocha, it’s just $20 to fill the tank.
DENNIS ROCHA: I think we will probably save more than two-thirds of what we would normally spend, same mileage for mileage.
GORDON TAYLOR: Natural gas provides fuel for an energy starved world, while its environmental credentials are equally impressive. CNG’s greenhouse emissions are 80 per cent lower than petrol. Used widely overseas, it’s a fuel that’s been ignored in Australia and that’s despite Australia selling off natural gas by the ship load to countries such as China, Japan, South Korea and the United States.
More to come on this important issue. if you have any questions you want me to look up about CNG then post in comments.
July 8th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Hello.
I like your site and wanted to know if you would be interested in exchanging blogroll links.
Thanks in advance
July 8th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
[...] and exists in VAST quantities in Australia. The infrastructure is already in place in most … credit : [...]
July 9th, 2008 at 8:39 am
[...] Why no CNG car subsidy in Australia? [...]
July 15th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Wonder if you guys would consider mentioning the GreenRoads site on the blog. Its a site that offsets greenhouses gases for free, if you use their map site, which is free to use.
its at http://thegreenroad.com.au/
Its about cars, and the environment, pretty much exactly what you guys are all about.
July 27th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Our government in US isn’t pushing toward green fuels like they should be. The US has also a vast supply of natural gas, so why are we buying from other countries? What is really going on?