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Natural Gas


Go-Ped + propane = Pro-Ped

What do you get when you exchange the 2-stroke gas engine on a Go-Ped for a 4-stroke propane-powered piston popper? Why, a Pro-Ped (of course!) You also get rid of almost all the particulates and carcinogens that burning gasoline produces as well as the mess and bother of mixing gas and oil that 2-strokes require. Patmont Motor Werks (PMW) has hooked up with LEHR, the maker of the propane power plant, and is now offering the cleaner fuel choice on both their two-wheeled GSR Sport Go-Ped and their 4-wheeled (and appropriately named) Go-Quad. ... Read more →

Some say "No plug, no deal," but not everyone is gonna buy that Sebastian Blanco

This week, the Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers found that plug-in hybrids have to be "affordable" if automakers think that customers will want to buy them. People are interested, U ...

AM General to build CNG-powered VPG MV-1 people-mover at Hummer H2 factory Jeremy Korzeniewski

Remember the Standard Taxi from the Vehicle Production Group? It's now called the MV-1, and production is slated to begin next year at the AM General plant in Mishawaka, Indiana. That's the same ...

VIDEO: Argonne National Lab developing Omnivorous Engine Jeremy Korzeniewski

Gasoline, ethanol, methanol, butanol, natural gas... there are a ton of choices when deciding on what fuel is best suited for automotive use, and each of them offer at least some reason to ...

Medic! Spanish bifuel ambulances curb emissions, disappoint drivers Xavier Navarro

A Spanish ambulance company in the city of Zaragoza, Ambuibérica, is trying out bifuel vehicles to transport patients. The 10 Mercedes-sourced vehicles use bifuel powertrains that can burn ...

Volkswagen installs larger CNG tank in the Touran TSI EcoFuel, extends range to 444 miles 28 days ago on Autoblog Green

The VW Touran TSI EcoFuel MPV is getting an additional compressed natural gas (CNG) tank that significantly improves the car's range. A new tank placed under the trunk increases the total CNG capacity from 18 to 24 kg. Since the Touran TSI Ecofuel uses 4.6 kg of CNG to run 100 km, the compact ...

Volkswagen extends the range of the Touran TSI EcoFuel to 416 miles 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

Volkswagen's natural gas-fueled Touran TSI EcoFuel is one of the most popular compact MPV's in Europe and the Wolfsburg automaker intends to keep it that way. The latest edition has been made more efficient than before and was given more fuel capacity. The underfloor natural gas storage tanks ...

Mercedes-Benz launches BlueEfficiency Sprinter van 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

Over the past year, Mercedes-Benz has been rolling out high mileage BlueEfficiency versions of several passenger car models and has now expanded the eco-tweaks to their commercial vehicles. Effective immediately, two different Sprinter BlueEfficiency variants are available with different engines. ...

Sales of natural gas powered cars increase in Germany 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

Despite the general economic downturn – felt in Germany as much as anywhere else – sales in Germany of natural gas (CNG) powered cars increased by 14 percent this year. Specifically, the increase saw 6,561 more CNG vehicles sold this year so far, adding about 80,000 CNG vehicles to ...

AFVTech working on CNG-powered, 600 hp 1933 Ford Roadster 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

Take something old – in this case, a 1933 Ford Roadster body – and make it into something new – a CNG-powered, 600 hp beast, perhaps. That's what's happening over at AFVTech, which is prepping the hot rod for the upcoming Alternative Fuels and Vehicles Institute expo that's ...

Top Ten "green" cars that met their fate during Cash for Clunkers 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

One rule that all clunked cars needed to adhere to was a maximum rating of 18 MPG from the federal government, right? What wasn't required was that the clunked car be considered dirty. After all, it's pretty clear that CNG vehicles burn clean, but that didn't stop 232 of them from meeting their ...

Fiat announces new dual fuel natural gas Qubo Natural Power MPV 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

Fiat is launching a new dual-fueled version of its Qubo van in Europe that can run on gasoline or compressed natural gas. The Qubo Natural Power is propelled by a 70 hp, 1.4-liter engine that should give the van leisurely performance. The new Qubo is intended primarily for use in urban areas ...

How important is the appearance of a green car? 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

There has been quite a spate of green car designs in the past few years that seem penned to prove the adage that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Indeed, some eco-intentioned vehicles appear to be the end result of an ultimate death match between form and function in which form never stood ...

DOE invests $300 million in clean fuels, including one lonely hydrogen station 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

What does it cost to displace 38 million gallons of petroleum per year? According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), almost $300 million. That's the amount that DOE head Steven Chu announced last week would go from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into buying about 9,000 ...

Can I convert an older vehicle to something more environmentally-friendly? 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

Cash For Clunkers is officially over and helped put almost 700,000 new cars on the road. Now that the easy $4,500 are no longer available to buyers with low-mpg cars, we thought it'd be a good time to answer AutoblogGreen reader Adam's question that he submitted for our Greenlings series. Adam ...

Sin City orders up 26 CNG-powered stretch limos for new CityCenter 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

The giant CityCenter that is under construction in Las Vegas – which, at a cost of $8 billion, it is the largest single privately funded development in U.S. history, say the developers – certainly has the funds to invest in some green enhancements. The 18-million-square-foot ...

What's up with natural gas vehicles? 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

One thing we try to do with our weekly series of Greenlings articles is answer reader questions about the green car industry (if you've got a burning need to know something, please let us know). Considering today's news that the Honda Civic GX is now available for sale in Utah, we thought we'd ...

Honda Civic GX enters third market in Utah 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

Somewhere, perhaps, T. Boone Pickens is smiling. Honda's natural gas-powered Civic GX – the only passenger vehicle powered by this fuel available for sale in the U.S. – just increased its area of availability by a third. Until now, you could only buy the GX in California (since 2006) ...

Irmscher offers sporty after-market LPG conversion for the Opel Antara 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) is the fuel of choice for lots of European drivers who want to save money at the pump. It's much cheaper than gasoline or diesel and it's also promoted through tax incentives, since it burns cleaner than either of the two most common liquid fuels (gasoline and ...

Save the Acropolis: Athens orders 108 Mercedes CNG trash trucks 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

As it is in many large cities, air pollution has long been a major problem in Athens, Greece. However, aside from the usual health issues found in other areas, air pollution is a concern in Athens because of the effect it can have on ancient sites like the Acropolis. To help reduce at least a ...

Daimler introduces new Freightliner natural gas truck 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

Daimler's Freightliner truck division is expanding its natural gas offerings with a new Business Class M2 112 NG chassis. The first five chassis are being delivered to the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles where they will be used in the drayage fleet. The trucks are powered by Cummins Westport ...

Proposed U.S. legislation would provide tax breaks for natural gas vehicles 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

Senator Robert Menendez (D - NJ) has introduced new legislation to promote natural gas for use in our automobiles. The NAT GAS Act, co-sponsored by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D - NV) and Senator Orrin Hatch (R - UT), would extend and increase tax credits for vehicles powered by ...

T. Boone Pickens' wind farm plan dies out 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

T. Boone Pickens has spent $60 million in the last year promoting the "Pickens Plan," an idea for a giant wind farm in Texas. Now, the billionaire oil man is saying he will postpone the project for at lesat a couple of years. The first hints that things weren't going as planned came last November, ...

Volkswagen launches Golf Plus Bi-Fuel in Germany 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

Volkswagen has added another LPG-fueled model to its lineup with the new Golf Plus BiFuel. Like most other vehicles capable of running on liquified petroleum gas, the Golf has a dual fuel setup that allows the driver to switch over to gasoline if LPG is not available. The use of LPG cuts ...

Dacia introduces LPG fueled Logan in France at €6,700 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

Renault's low-cost Dacia brand has just introduced a new LPG-fueled version of the Logan sedan in France. The Logan is powered by the same 75 hp 1.4-liter engine used in the Sandero that debuted in March. The Logan 1.4 MPI 75 LPG has a starting price of just €8,700 but it is eligible for a ...

BMW expands landfill-methane electrical generation at Spartanburg plant 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

Since 2002, BMW's assembly plant in Spartanburg, SC has been using methane captured from a nearby landfill site to fuel electrical generators. As part of the current expansion of the plant to support the addition of X3 production, BMW has invested another $12 million to expand power generation from ...

TransAtlas: a new and interactive map for alt-fuel hunters, policymakers 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

Ever wondered where all the biodiesel drivers are? Or how about where to find the most corn ethanol is made? Questions like these can be answered over at TransAtlas, a new project by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL). While good old Joe Internet can ...

LPG-fueled Chevy Spark launched in India 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

Chevrolet has just launched a factory LPG conversion of the little Spark in the Indian market. The Spark is re-badged version of the Daewoo Matiz sold in most of Asia. While there are a number of after-market conversions available, this is the first factory installation. Like most such ...

VIDEO: Orange County Choppers builds custom motorcycle powered by natural gas 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

Just about two years ago, the crew from Orange County Choppers built a custom motorcycle powered by E85. That bike was paid for by the Iowa Farm Bureau, which obviously has a vested interest in promoting the use of corn-based alcohol fuel. Apparently, the Teutels haven't given up on promoting ...

227 MPH Audi A4 beats Bugatti to set world record for fastest car powered by biogas 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

After a few earlier attempts were unsuccessful in setting an official record, Jürgen Hohenester, a German racecar driver and automotive tuner, has finally set a new world record for reaching the fastest speed ever recorded running a vehicle on biogas. Yes, Guiness has indeed been notified. ...

Honda starts making Civic GX in Indiana 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

We recently discussed the benefits and challenges of running a car on natural gas. If that inspired you to think about making the switch, you probably pretty quickly narrowed down your choices down to the Honda Civic GX and, well, that's it for fresh-from-the-factory major automakers. Converted ...

Volkswagen installs TSI EcoFuel in the Touran minivan 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

Volkswagen has apparently decided it's about time to install its latest and most powerful CNG (compressed natural gas) bifuel powertrain under the hood of the Touran, a compact MPV, as well as the Cross Touran (pictured above). The 1.4-liter TSI EcoFuel powerplant has an output of 150 horsepower ...

Honda's FuelMaker finds a new home at Fuel Systems Solutions 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

FuelMaker, the Honda company that makes the Phill natural gas home refueling system, was forced into involuntary bankruptcy about a month ago. For a while, T. Boone Pickens' Clean Energy Fuels was maybe going to buy the company, but that didn't happen. Honda has found a buyer for FuelMaker, though, ...

Fiat likes compressed natural gas, now offering 6 different models 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

Will compressed natural gas soon be a widely used automotive fuel in the U.S.? Probably not, but it could become more common if Fiat's European moves are any indication. CNG is a popular alternative in some parts of Europe and several automakers, including Fiat, offer factory-equipped cars that run ...

ADAC says Passat EcoFuel is the greenest car in Europe 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

ADAC, the famous German drivers' association, thinks that the VW Passat TSI EcoFuel Trendlne with natural gas (CNG) is the most environmentally friendly car in Europe. This is the result of ADAC's ECOT, in which the car scored 92 out of 100 points. The car received special awards during the ...

Can I run a car on natural gas? 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

Can you run a car on compressed natural gas? Yes, you can. Wow, that was easy. I guess we can wrap up this week's Greenlings post quickly. Not so fast. Like just about everything else in this world, the full answer is much more complicated than the simple yes. Here in the United States, there are ...

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