Natural Gas Vehicles | Environmental Benefits
Pollutants
In many cities, motor vehicles are the single largest source of air pollutants. Trucks and buses produce high levels of all carbon monoxide and are also a major source of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides - the main ingredients of unhealthy ground-level ozone.
Health issues
Vehicle exhaust emissions can have a direct health impact on the general public, particularly older and infirmed people or individuals with a predisposition to lung disease. The fine particles contribute to the black smoke produced by diesel and have been linked to asthma and cancer. Although improvements have been made in new formulated petrols and diesels, motor vehicles using traditional fuels continue to emit a significant proportion of urban pollutants. NGVs produce lower levels of all pollutant emissions than either petrol, diesel or LPG.
A Cleaner Fuel
Natural Gas is one of the cleanest burning fuels commercially available.
In addition to greenhouse reductions, CNG reduces vehicle emissions in and around local suburbs and city streets. The three key elements of urban emissions are:
- Greenhouse gases (mainly CO2)
- Urban Air Quality (otherwise known as urban SMOG)
- Toxic Air Contaminants
Compared to diesel, CNG can reduce:
- Tailpipe emission of CO2 by as much as 20%
- Particulate matter (fine airborne particles) by as much as 95%
- Oxides of nitrogen (NOX) - a major contributor to urban SMOG) - by as much as 60%
- Toxic Carbon Monoxide by as much as 80%.
* Source: US Dept of Energy's Renewable Energy Laboratory, October 2000.
World First
The California Air Resources Board is a world leader in developing significant programs to certify vehicles for low emissions.
- NGVs are the first vehicles certified to meet these stringent low-emission vehicle standards.
- NGVs are the only vehicles to meet California's strict ultra-low and super ultra-low emission standards.