Will Chrysler Bring CNG Vehicles To America?
Obama is talking about the Fiat invovement with Chrysler.
This is something out recently about Fiat and CNG vehicles:
April 26, 2009, 1:46 am
An Alternate-Fuel Wild Card in Fiat’s Deck
By Nelson D. Schwartz
In Europe, Fiat is well-known for its mastery of diesel engines. In fact, one reason General Motors bought a 20 percent stake in Fiat’s auto division back in 2000 was to help expand the diesel offerings of its Opel unit. That partnership didn’t work out so well: G.M. paid Fiat $2 billion to extricate itself from the partnership four years later, although Opel did benefit from better diesel technology.
Now as Fiat negotiates with Washington, lenders and labor leaders on a deal to rescue Chrysler (a subject I covered in this article in Sunday’s Times), as well as acquiring Opel from G.M., another fuel that Fiat engineers have advanced could loom large: natural gas.
Fiat is the biggest player in the market for natural gas engines, which produce lower levels of greenhouse gases and other pollutants than either diesel or gasoline engines. In Italy this year the company hopes to sell 120,000 vehicles powered by natural gas, up from 68,000 in 2008.
Generous scrapping incentives from the Italian government will help — you get 3,000 euros if you trade in an old clunker for a new model powered by natural gas, double the allowance of 1,500 euros for junking a standard car. But over the long term, Fiat has a major opportunity to carve out a niche among motorists seeking power and performance while driving green, especially in markets like Germany and Britain, where Opel is strong, and possibly one day in the United States.
The challenge, of course, is fueling up. In Italy, Fiat is collaborating with fuel companies and the Italian government to provide more than a 1,000 stations where motorists can fill their tanks with natural gas. Many cars are equipped to operate on dual fuels, switching from natural gas to the diesel or gasoline tank as needed, depending on what is available.
Natural gas cars and commercial vehicles have been available in the United States for years, but the notion has never hit it big in the mass market, in large part because filling stations have been scarce by comparison. But that was then. An urge to reduce greenhouse gases — and the prospect of another spike in oil prices — could make Fiat’s engine technology very appealing to American drivers eager for an alternative to today’s hybrids.
Could Fiat be good for CNG vehicles in America?
This is something out recently about Fiat and CNG vehicles:
April 26, 2009, 1:46 am
An Alternate-Fuel Wild Card in Fiat’s Deck
By Nelson D. Schwartz
In Europe, Fiat is well-known for its mastery of diesel engines. In fact, one reason General Motors bought a 20 percent stake in Fiat’s auto division back in 2000 was to help expand the diesel offerings of its Opel unit. That partnership didn’t work out so well: G.M. paid Fiat $2 billion to extricate itself from the partnership four years later, although Opel did benefit from better diesel technology.
Now as Fiat negotiates with Washington, lenders and labor leaders on a deal to rescue Chrysler (a subject I covered in this article in Sunday’s Times), as well as acquiring Opel from G.M., another fuel that Fiat engineers have advanced could loom large: natural gas.
Fiat is the biggest player in the market for natural gas engines, which produce lower levels of greenhouse gases and other pollutants than either diesel or gasoline engines. In Italy this year the company hopes to sell 120,000 vehicles powered by natural gas, up from 68,000 in 2008.
Generous scrapping incentives from the Italian government will help — you get 3,000 euros if you trade in an old clunker for a new model powered by natural gas, double the allowance of 1,500 euros for junking a standard car. But over the long term, Fiat has a major opportunity to carve out a niche among motorists seeking power and performance while driving green, especially in markets like Germany and Britain, where Opel is strong, and possibly one day in the United States.
The challenge, of course, is fueling up. In Italy, Fiat is collaborating with fuel companies and the Italian government to provide more than a 1,000 stations where motorists can fill their tanks with natural gas. Many cars are equipped to operate on dual fuels, switching from natural gas to the diesel or gasoline tank as needed, depending on what is available.
Natural gas cars and commercial vehicles have been available in the United States for years, but the notion has never hit it big in the mass market, in large part because filling stations have been scarce by comparison. But that was then. An urge to reduce greenhouse gases — and the prospect of another spike in oil prices — could make Fiat’s engine technology very appealing to American drivers eager for an alternative to today’s hybrids.
Could Fiat be good for CNG vehicles in America?
Views: 37
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by The_Baron on -
Chrysler will be lucky to bring any vehicles to America. There may be light at the end of the tunnel now, but it is very dim and very far away.
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Permalink Reply by sesport on
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Now filing Ch. 11
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090501/ap_on_bi_ge/us_chrysler
Tessla was getting airtime on Letterman, though.
http://www.teslamotors.com/
Here's the rub. That Tessla is priced @ $100K right now. The price is justified as 1) new technology that will eventually come down and 2) contributing to the coffers of R&D to improve the technology, drive the price down, and eventually make it more affordable for the masses.
NGV's are already available at prices the everyday working person can afford. Go figure the logic in all this!!!!!!!!!
Best - sesport
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Permalink Reply by BirdDawg, plain ole' idiot on
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I can see KB in one, if it meets her criteria.
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Permalink Reply by sesport on
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The best laugh was from Letterman. He seemed impressed that the Tesla was highway ready (for long distances). His funny comment was that this was as opposed to other electrics which are basically just golf carts (that still don't get many miles per charge).
Then Ed Begley, Jr. was on a daytime talk show touting his electric car. Didn't mention his mileage, though. He was bragging that he is 90% off the electric grid, with a roof covered in solar panels. He said he'll be completely off the grid as soon as he covers the garage roof. He pedals a bicycle hooked to a small generator to power his kitchen toaster. LOL
Okay, push, push, push for NGV's. I've got much further to travel to work than a golf cart equivalent will take me. And I'm not breaking the piggy bank for an electric roadster/sportscar.
Thanks guys - sesport :0)
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Permalink Reply by intrepid on
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Sooner or later we have to hope, the public will come to it's collective senses and get on the CNG bandwagon.
It's the only thing that makes sense right now.
It's just sickening that all the money we are spending to import foreign oil can't stay here and help our own country because people are not demanding CNG as a transportation fuel.
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Permalink Reply by jim neely on
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the costs for cng for stations and conversions are not economic . the technology that seems to fit our infrastructure is gas to liquids . at the btu cost differential of oil vs nat gas you can produce a boat load of home grown clean diesel at a competitive price . qatar can do it we can do it . jim neely
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