Full Title: Natural Gas for Cars and Trucks: Options and Challenges
Author(s): Bill Canis, Robert Pirog and Brent D. Yacobucci
Publisher(s): CRS
Publication Date: November 1, 2014
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
The increase in domestic supplies of natural gas has raised new interest in expanding its use in the transportation sector. This report considers issues related to wider use of natural gas as a fuel in passenger cars and commercial vehicles.
The attractiveness of natural gas as a vehicle fuel is premised in large part on its low price (on an energy-equivalent basis) compared to gasoline and diesel fuel. When prices for gasoline and diesel are relatively low or natural gas prices are relatively high, natural-gas-based fuels lose much of their price advantage. While natural gas has other benefits—such as producing lower emissions than gasoline and diesel and protecting users of transportation fuels from the volatility of the international oil market—it is largely the cost advantage, if any, that will determine the future attractiveness of natural gas vehicles.