Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by DrWAVeSport Cd1 on November 7, 2011 at 11:47

jffree1,

How about the GM Plant in Shreveport????  If GM doesn't want the Plant, Sell it to Honda for CNG Vehicle production????  How about giving a Fed and State Rebate of $8 or $10K for CNG vehicles...instead of a "cash for clunkers" rebate????  How about LA jumping in with both feet...like we did with the Casino business, or the O&G Business and jump into building LA owned CNG refueling stations--JVs maybe--CHK seems to love them.  Maybe LA could learn how to "make" money???  LA gets into the business "beds" of plenty of politicians.  What's wrong with CNG???  Do you think LA DNR Scott Angelle might be more receptive if the "Haynesville/Bossier Shale" was under the Baton Rouge/New Orleans Area???  I guess location, location, location says it all, as to whether or not a "politician" finds the "right reasons" to get their "behind," behind a great idea for Louisiana... LOL

Great info.

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Permalink Reply by jffree1 on November 7, 2011 at 12:31

DrW... I don't know what to tell you besides "keep calling/writing your congress critter" to remind them about that facility and how it would make a great place to build NG cars.  I have mixed feelings about subsidies for NG cars (to boost demand for NG as a trans. fuel) but I'm leaning against the idea right now unless Congress can build in a sunset provision so that it dies a swift, quiet & efficient death at its appointed time.  If it is a good idea eventually someone in the private sector will decide to build another car to compete with Honda.  You just have to hope they don't tear down that plant for the scrap iron before that happens.

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Permalink Reply by DrWAVeSport Cd1 on November 7, 2011 at 16:09

jffree1,

It's too bad GM decided to continue the Colorado production in Missouri, and not provide for the Shreveport Plant Crews to continue.  Great for Missouri, but GM could have done some due diligence and combined the power of CNG and the power of Shreveport's GM Crews and created/redesigned a new space for a CNG Truck that would have launched GM into the 21st century, energy wise/environmentally friendlier/and lower our dependence on foreign oil a smudge and built a kick-ass Truck.  But that would require inventive new and brighter Talking/Thinking/Building Blockheads at GM.  What was I thinking? 

And I drive two GM vehicles...  

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Permalink Reply by P.G. on November 7, 2011 at 17:37

I wonder if the decision to close Shreveport didn't come from higher up..?

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Permalink Reply by Hopeful About Natural Gas on November 7, 2011 at 22:22

Would it be practical for an auto aftermarket that would retrofit cars/trucks for CNG?  Can it only run in a new, vehicle designed for CNG?

 

 

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Permalink Reply by P.G. on November 8, 2011 at 3:38

Until CNG stations becomes readily  available nation wide, it would make more sense to produce dual fuel vehicles if that's possible...

Utility companies have gone to great lengths and expense to run gas lines to millions of homes..seems like it should be fairly simple to tap some of those existing main lines to make their product available to automobiles...why isn't anyone talking about doing that?

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Permalink Reply by dbob on November 8, 2011 at 6:33

P.G.

 

Most of the local utility distribution lines are at low pressure, and would requrie significant compression to be used to fill a vehicle.  to be able to fill several vehicles quickly would requrie even more comporession or lager storage tanks at the gas station.  Then, you eventually get the problem of needing large gas lines to supply the station. 

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Permalink Reply by Les Bamburg on November 8, 2011 at 8:12

Dbob, the easy solution is the slow-fill kit that allows the vehicle to be re-fuelled overnight at the residence.

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Permalink Reply by dbob on November 8, 2011 at 16:59

Les,

 

Agreed and understood.  I think Honda's slow fill station is about $2k,  I thought P.G. was suggesting gas stations capable of handling multiple vehicles.  Rereading his post, its obvious he meant more of a home station.  

 

Obviously if one is willing to accept the slow fill rate, its fairly practical.  

 

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Permalink Reply by P.G. on November 8, 2011 at 22:48

Where are the cng stations that are coming online now getting their ng? Are utility companies supplying the ng through a pipeline or is it being trucked in in tanks?

It wasn't my intent that cng stations be supplied by the same small low pressure line running into a home.

I'm just saying ng is available in almost every city in the US..just doesn't seem like it would be such a large hurdle to create access for motorists if a real effort was taken..be it having to be compressed  or what ever process required..

 

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Permalink Reply by Aubrey C. Sanders, Jr. on November 11, 2011 at 15:53

Yes, it is both possible and practical to retrofit most vehicles with either dual fuel or CNG capability. Vehicle does not requre a different design. Lots of such vehicles in AZ. As one who is in O&G business, and a native born Louisianain, I am very disappointed that we (LA) appear to be so far behind AZ which is where I just happen to live. Oil and gas production in AZ is very minute.

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Permalink Reply by LP on November 8, 2011 at 0:06

Why would our government want to support the development of CNG vehicles at the Shreveport GM plant or anywhere in this country when it can give $529 million dollars to build a $90,000 electric sport car in Finland? Energy Secretary Steven Chu believes it is the smart thing to do to support Fisker’s Karma sports car:

the company could eventually deliver a highly fuel-efficient hybrid car to a mass audience.

The Wal-Mart parking lots will be full of this $90,000 hybrid. There could eventually be no space to park your Rolls Royce. What a silly idea to support American products and workers when we can spend our borrowed money to create jobs and products in foreign countries.

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