Differences in Refueling
Refueling a natural-gas vehicle may also be a little different. The fueling point is typically at the front of the vehicle, although in some NGVs, such as the Honda Civic GX, the fueling point is in the rear. An NGV can be fueled at a "fast-fill" pump in about the same time it takes to fuel any gasoline- or diesel-powered vehicle. Alternatively, an NGV can be fueled in five to eight hours using a "slow-fill" method. The home refueling stations offered by Honda are of the slow-fill variety, requiring car owners to refuel their vehicles overnight.
Two car companies leading the way in NGV design and engineering are Honda and DaimlerChrysler. Honda is the first manufacturer to offer a retail NGV -- the Honda Civic GX sedan, which also comes with a home refueling station the company has dubbed "Phill." The Civic GX is a dedicated NGV, which means it can only run on natural gas. DaimlerChrysler is manufacturing an E-class Mercedes that runs on both gasoline and natural gas. It is given a classification of "NGT," which stands for "Natural Gas Technology," and can travel 621 miles on a single fueling -- 186 miles using natural gas and 435 miles using gasoline.
The Phill Home Refueling Appliance
While vehicles such as the Civic GX and the E 200 NGT are only available in very limited markets (the former in certain western states, the latter in Europe), NGVs are expected to become more widely available to consumers in the next two decades, especially as the price of oil continues to rise. When that happens, being green will be a little bit easier.
Source: Howstuffworks
