The automotive world surprises us almost every day!
I think we all have heard of Tesla and Elon Musk's electric cars, but who has heard of propane? I've used propane for heaters, grills, and etc. but who would have known you could use propane for your own vehicle! Does it save you money? Is it a gimmick?
How do you fill it up? Well, I'm learning all of this as I am writing this blog and I am going to share some of the research I've done to try and understand the concept of propane fuel automobiles. I will leave links at the bottom of this blog so you all can see and read where I am receiving my information. I also refer to these vehicles as "Propane" but they are technically called "CNG" which stands for "Compressed Natural Gas".
According to CNEX.com, they say, "The way propane vehicles work is similar to conventional, gas-powered cars. Typically, propane is stored in liquid form inside a separate tank and is then either converted to vapor inside the combustion chamber or injected as a liquid, where it is burned to produce power, just like gasoline." Okay, so maybe gas and propane are almost used in the same way. Propane is just turned into a liquid form and is used in that way.
My next question is how cost-effective is propane vs. gasoline? It may help the environment, but does it help our wallets? CNEX.com says, "When it comes to miles per gallon, propane-powered cars often have fuel economy that is comparable to gas-powered vehicles. But because propane costs less per gallon than gasoline, standard-size vehicles can see thousands of dollars in fuel savings." According to caranddrivers.com, they say "In EPA highway figures and using the most recent national average price of $3.52 per gallon for regular gasoline, the Civic LX and hybrid cost 9.0 and 8.0 cents per mile compared with just 5.6 cents per mile for the CNG. But that’s still not enough of a difference for the Civic CNG to pay for its added cost in any reasonable amount of time." Wow! So you are saving money!
My final question, how do you fill up a propane vehicle? socalgas.com says, "The process for refueling an NGV should be very familiar since it's almost identical to the process used at local gasoline stations. Most dispensers accept major credit cards and the filling time is similar to using a gasoline pump.
Here are the instructions to operate most public CNG dispensers:
-
Turn off your engine. Do not smoke.
- Remove the vehicle's dust cap and take the fueling nozzle off its holder.
- Align the arrows on the nozzle so they point to each other.
- Place the nozzle over the fuel receptacle push it on.
- Rotate the lever so that the arrows point away from each other to lock the nozzle on.
- Insert your fleet or credit card and follow the instructions on the screen.
- Once payment is authorized, lift the dispenser handle, and fueling will begin.
- When the fill is complete, lower the handle to turn the dispenser off.
- To disconnect the nozzle, slowly rotate the nozzle handle 180 degrees until the arrows are again pointing to each other.
- Remove the nozzle. You may hear a slight release of pressure.
- Return the nozzle to its holder and replace the dust cap.
Okay... That sounds just like how I put gas in my car...
Well, I hope you all have learned a little more about how propane vehicles work and how they can benefit you! I know I've learned a lot about it!
Thank you guys for reading this week's blog!
Here are the articles my information came from if you want to read more!
https://www.cenex.com/about/cenex-information/cenexperts-blog-page/propane/save-money-with-a-propane-powered-car#:~:text=The%20way%20propane%20vehicles%20work,produce%20power%2C%20just%20like%20gasoline.
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15119972/2012-honda-civic-natural-gas-test-review/
https://www.socalgas.com/save-money-and-energy/natural-gas-vehicles/how-to-refuel-your-ngv
