The New York Times published this great article comparing the Toyota Prius, the Honda Civic Hybrid and the Honda Civic GX that runs on natural gas. Turns out that the GX is the cleanest burning car sold in the United States. It also uses a domestic energy source, and has 25 percent lower greenhouse gas related emissions than a gasoline car.
What’s not to like? It isn’t very peppy, and has a driving range of only around 250 miles, and it is evidently hard to find places to fill up with natural gas outside of major metropolitan areas.
The E.P.A. calculates the GX’s fuel economy on the basis of what it calls the gasoline gallon equivalent. A full tank of natural gas, pressurized at 3,600 pounds a square inch, is equivalent to eight gallons of gasoline. On that basis, the GX is rated at 28 m.p.g. in the city and 39 on the highway. In my own driving, I averaged a bit over 30 m.p.h., slightly better than I did in the conventional Civic.
The GX’s overall emissions are considerably lower than even the Hybrid’s, though it is also rated AT-PZEV. The GX not only emits less smog-causing compounds than a gasoline car, it also produces about 25 percent less of the emissions linked to global warming.
I’ve seen Civics that run on compressed natural gas around Dallas with city-owned cars. Evidently that’s the biggest market for this model, and not really individual drivers.
Are there any Civic GX drivers, or other drivers who have a car that runs on natural gas out there who would like to leave a comment about their experiences? I’d love to hear from you!
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I have a prototype car that should be put in production soon. Not only does it get 70 MPG but it also runs on CNG. Check out this CNG Car, I think it’s going to take America by storm.
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