Who killed the natural gas car?

Some ‘80s trends just didn’t last. Big hair, shoulder pads, Tears for Fears…natural gas cars?

Clean-burning fuel was a big fad decades ago, albeit because of a major spike in gasoline prices. About 220 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueling stations were built, in order to serve the 20,000 CNG cars on Canadian roads.

Transit vehicles and taxis were first to hop on board the CNG bandwagon, but any car could (and still can) be converted into a bi-fuel CNG car. Bi-fuel cars can run on either conventional gasoline or compressed gas at the flip of a switch.

Despite the initial mad scramble for compressed gas technology, there are now only about half as many CNG cars in use now as there were in the 80s. The technology is about as forgotten as a bad synth-pop hit. Right?

Would it surprise you to find out that the world’s largest CNG fueling station is in Lima, Peru? CNG cars are still popular all over the world, from South America to Europe. So why didn’t they take off in North America?

Some claim it lacked proper government backing, especially now that the government has thrown its weight (and regulation, and funding) behind electric hybrids and ethanol fuels. Others say it was deregulation, and some say there just wasn’t enough public interest.

Canadian Natural Gas Vehicle Alliance president Alicia Milner says it was a combination of these factors. She adds that given its cleanliness, the low price of natural gas (about 40% lower than gasoline) and Canada’s abundant supply, this is a great time to re-explore CNG technology.

After all, haven’t you noticed the ‘80s are totally back in style?  Gag me with a spoon!