Q1. Why is the government interested in supporting natural gas vehicles?
A1 Natural Gas vehicles offer significant environmental benefits, with greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions in the order of 21% for light duty vehicles, compared to conventional fuels.
Q2. Should I switch to natural gas?
A2 If you own or run a fleet of vehicles or if you drive your vehicle more than 25,000 kilometres per year, switching to natural gas could reduce your operating costs and help the environment. A vehicle can run on natural gas alone, or with gasoline as a backup fuel (referred to as bi-fuel).
Q3. Why are the new incentives only offered in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario?
A4 Because most of the 120 public refuelling stations in Canada are located in the geographical areas targeted during the pilot period. For the location of service stations that sell natural gas closest to you, see the Canadian Natural Gas Vehicle Alliance (http://www.ngvcanada.org/Conversion.html).
Q4. What about performance?
A3 There are few differences between natural gas and gasoline vehicles. There is a slight drop in the maximum horsepower of converted vehicles under a wide-open throttle, because natural gas is less dense than gasoline and displaces some of the air that was destined for the engine. But natural gas vehicles that come straight from the manufacturer are designed to provide similar horsepower to the gasoline versions of the same vehicle.
In colder weather, allow a warm-up period similar to that for gasoline vehicles to ensure proper engine lubrication. If you would normally use a block heater for your gasoline vehicle, use one for your natural gas vehicle.
Q5. Are NGVs safe?
A5 Natural gas is a safer vehicle fuel than gasoline. Because it has a high ignition temperature and narrow explosive limits, it is less likely to ignite accidentally. Lighter than air, natural gas does not settle in low-lying areas as heavier liquid gasoline vapours do. The integrity of the fuel system in an NGV far exceeds the most stringent and rigorous of safety standards. For these reasons, NGVs are allowed to park in underground or enclosed areas. And natural gas is transported safely and reliably by underground pipelines to over 75% of businesses and households in Canada.
Q6. Why NGV today? Why not just wait for fuel cells?
A6 Fuel Cells certainly show a lot of promise in the long term, but there are no commercially available fuel cell cars or trucks on the horizon. The earliest that fuel cell powered automobiles are expected to be commercially available is a decade or more from now based on reports from the auto industry. NGVs have passed the development stage and are commercially available now.