8.6.08
 
Natural gas fuels M.U.D. car
By: Steve Jordon, Omaha World-Herald

Omaha's natural gas supplier today rolls out its new natural-gas-powered Honda Civic GX NGV, a vehicle that costs more but is cheaper to run than a standard model and emits 25 percent less pollution.

At $24,100, the sedan cost about one-third more than a gasoline-powered Civic. But fuel will cost about 6 cents per mile, compared with about 15 cents for gasoline. At that rate, the lower fuel cost would make up for the higher price tag after about 60,000 miles.

Doug Clark, marketing vice president for the Metropolitan Utilities District, will drive the car, keeping it within about 150 miles of the state's only civilian natural-gas fueling station, which is not open to the public and is on M.U.D. property near 61st and Grover Streets. Offutt Air Force Base also has a station.

Most of Clark's out-of-town driving will be to Lincoln for duties as M.U.D.'s lobbyist.

"I could drive to Kansas City, because they have a fueling station there," he said. "And I could probably make it to Oklahoma and Texas."

But South Dakota, Iowa and western Nebraska are out, and that's the big obstacle for natural-gas-powered vehicles. Without refueling stations, the cars can't go long distances in the Midwest, and without lots of vehicles nobody can afford the $750,000 to $1 million cost of installing a station.

"That is the killer," Clark said.

Los Angeles, New York City, Washington, D.C., and some other cities are starting to embrace the vehicles, however. Fleets of city buses, for example, use enough fuel to support fueling stations.

Clark said M.U.D. is talking with local school districts and other government agencies about natural-gas vehicles, but so far the area's only "NG" fleet is the 66 aging service vans that MUD had converted to natural gas several years ago.

The utility opened a public fueling station in the 1990s to encourage people to look into natural-gas-powered vehicles.

"Nobody came," Clark said, so the station closed.

But with rising concern over pollution and imported petroleum, the timing might be better for a fuel that comes from domestic sources 98 percent of the time, he said. Natural gas costs about $2.18 for the equivalent energy of a gallon of gasoline.

M.U.D. President Tom Wurtz said the utility is looking into grants to install fueling stations.

To replace some of its automobiles this year, M.U.D. plans to buy four or five more of the Hondas, which are the only full-production models built for natural gas. Converted gasoline-powered vehicles lose about 15 percent of their efficiency.

Clark said M.U.D. hopes the big U.S. automakers will start producing natural-gas-powered autos some day.

M.U.D.'s vehicles used the equivalent of about 40,000 gallons of compressed natural gas last year.

Media Relations: 402.504.7169
After hours and on weekends: 402.504.7946

Click here to add your e-mail address to the newsrelease distribution list.

2008 news

News archive

Natural-gas Honda Civic

Price: $24,100 vs. $18,500 for a standard Civic

Mileage: 36 mpg on the highway, 28 in town

Range: 300 miles

Fuel cost per mile: 6 cents vs. 15 cents for a standard Civic

Engine and performance: Same as a standard Civic

Carbon emissions: 25 percent less than standard Civic

Public fueling stations: None in Nebraska or Iowa