History of Natural Gas Vehicles

Natural Gas, in the form of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), has been used as a transportation fuel in vehicles for more than 60 years around the world. Comprised of about 95% methane, its clean burning properties, abundant supply and relatively low cost have made it a popular and environmentally sensitive fuel choice for drivers in Europe, Russia, South America, Australia and New Zealand, and the United States and Canada. There are over 1 million Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs) on the road worldwide with thousands of public, fast-fill refueling stations to support them. Across Canada, there are about 120 stations that serve over 20,000 NGVs in most of the more densely populated areas across the country.

Some common vehicle applications for NGVs are:

While most current NGVs on the road are generally gasoline-powered vehicles with Natural Gas fuel components added, or ‘aftermarket’ conversions, the Original Equipment Manufacturers like Ford and GM are producing NGVs right at the factory. These factory-built NGVs come in bi-fuel and mono-fuel platforms, and are designed for use in commuter, taxi, commercial and heavy-duty vehicle segments.