Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) no image

Published on February 4th, 2010 | by Nick Chambers

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Utah Law Would Make Natural Gas Conversions $8,000 Cheaper

February 4th, 2010 by  
 

Phill—Honda's home CNG refueling station

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If a bill currently working its way through the Utah legislature becomes law, the installation cost of compressed natural gas (CNG) conversion retrofit kits in gas-powered vehicles would drop by about 57% in the state—from a current average of $14,000 to a much more reasonable $6,000.

CNG powered cars hold a ton of promise as an alternative to gas and diesel due to their extremely low emissions, low wear and tear on engines, low cost of fuel, and the abundant availability of natural gas from domestic sources.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the legislation came about as a direct result of frustration by Utah residents and lawmakers with the perceived burdensome regulations imposed on CNG conversion kits by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). According to CNG conversion advocates, the current EPA rules surrounding the kits are too stringent, leading to inflated prices and a dearth of kits for a tiny selection of vehicle models.

To get around the EPA rules, the proposed state law would create a process whereby a CNG conversion kit would not have to be certified by EPA to be considered a legal conversion. Instead the kit would simply have to be approved and installed by a Utah Division of Air Quality certified technician and checked for safety every 3 years or 36,000 miles. According to the bill’s sponsors, the law would make much less expensive kits available to a larger selection of cars. And, get this… apparently the EPA is okay with this approach!

As the bill’s sponsor, Republican State Representative Jack Draxler said that the main goal is to get as many clean burning CNG vehicles on the road as possible in a short time. “This winter we’ve had red-air days going into red-air weeks and … almost red-air months,” Mr. Draxler said in the Salt Lake Tribune article. “We will never get enough vehicles on the road running on compressed natural gas if we wait for the EPA.”

I’m generally resistant to taking pot shots at big federal agencies for a calculated political gain. I mean it’s certainly easy enough to bash an agency like the EPA for doing something wrong, but really the core problem lies with our ridiculously out-of-whack political process—part of which is due to our politicians making the very institutions we depend on look like idiots even though those institutions are simply implementing the laws the politicians created.

However, in this case it seems the EPA needs to re-evaluate their CNG kit policies… especially if a state can figure out how to get around the regulations and, in the end, the EPA is fine with that loophole. Just make the loophole the actual policy and problem solved. If this is a problem nationwide, it seems that Utah’s solution could be a template for other states looking for ways to reduce the emissions of cars already on the roads.

Source: Salt Lake Tribune | Image Credit: Nick Chambers





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Not your traditional car guy.


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  • MD

    Many of the same cars we drive here in the USA have a counter part in Europe and they already run on Propane, so instead of messing around with useless legislation, why not just sell the cars that are already available over here in the USA… Bureaucratic BS really…

  • MD

    Many of the same cars we drive here in the USA have a counter part in Europe and they already run on Propane, so instead of messing around with useless legislation, why not just sell the cars that are already available over here in the USA… Bureaucratic BS really…

  • MD

    Many of the same cars we drive here in the USA have a counter part in Europe and they already run on Propane, so instead of messing around with useless legislation, why not just sell the cars that are already available over here in the USA… Bureaucratic BS really…

  • MD

    Many of the same cars we drive here in the USA have a counter part in Europe and they already run on Propane, so instead of messing around with useless legislation, why not just sell the cars that are already available over here in the USA… Bureaucratic BS really…

  • Tim Cleland

    I’m for anything that starves OPEC.

    This would also go a long way toward helping our economy as it would lower our trade deficit since we

    have plenty of NG here.

  • Tim Cleland

    I’m for anything that starves OPEC.

    This would also go a long way toward helping our economy as it would lower our trade deficit since we

    have plenty of NG here.

  • It’s a good idea. In Australia LPG conversion rebates have led to many vehicles getting the conversion.

  • It’s a good idea. In Australia LPG conversion rebates have led to many vehicles getting the conversion.

  • Mark in Texas

    Certainly $6000 for a CNG conversion is much better than $14000 per CNG conversion but the thing is that outside of the juristiction of the EPA it only costs $800 to $1200 to convert a car to run on CNG.

    I applaud Utah for doing what they can but the problem is the insane EPA regulations that make conversion of vehicles to run on natural gas ridiculously expensive.

  • Mark in Texas

    Certainly $6000 for a CNG conversion is much better than $14000 per CNG conversion but the thing is that outside of the juristiction of the EPA it only costs $800 to $1200 to convert a car to run on CNG.

    I applaud Utah for doing what they can but the problem is the insane EPA regulations that make conversion of vehicles to run on natural gas ridiculously expensive.

  • Guillermo Arias

    I really don’t get it. In my country Peru, conversions cost no more than $2,500. (With insurance) ¿How can it cost $14,000 in the USA?. In Peru, in the past 10 years THOUSANDS of cars have been converted to natural gas and LPG also.We have also a program from the government that (basically) pays for the conversion (of course you have to qualify) and then you pay it, EACH TIME YOU FILL THE TANK. That is, every car in the program is identified via rfid chips and the pumps can read it and retransmit to a data base, then a little extra is charged to your consumption of gas. That is, the more gas you charge, the fastest you pay. In this manner, specially taxis, pay the conversion in no more than 24 to 36 months… (and it feels very very easy in your wallet- in fact, sometimes you forget that you are paying 4 it). The system works with no flaws. I’m sure it can be replicated everywhere. (and I hope you all understand my rudimentary English).

  • Guillermo Arias

    I really don’t get it. In my country Peru, conversions cost no more than $2,500. (With insurance) ¿How can it cost $14,000 in the USA?. In Peru, in the past 10 years THOUSANDS of cars have been converted to natural gas and LPG also.We have also a program from the government that (basically) pays for the conversion (of course you have to qualify) and then you pay it, EACH TIME YOU FILL THE TANK. That is, every car in the program is identified via rfid chips and the pumps can read it and retransmit to a data base, then a little extra is charged to your consumption of gas. That is, the more gas you charge, the fastest you pay. In this manner, specially taxis, pay the conversion in no more than 24 to 36 months… (and it feels very very easy in your wallet- in fact, sometimes you forget that you are paying 4 it). The system works with no flaws. I’m sure it can be replicated everywhere. (and I hope you all understand my rudimentary English).

  • What is happening on this issue? did we ever get this solved so that we could get less expensive kits installed?
    In the Dominican Republic the the cost to convert a gas powered vehicle to cng was $700.See this site: http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2007/5/10/23848/Fernandez-inaugurates-first-Dominican-natural-gas-plant

  • Ken

    Has this law passed yet and if so where do I find an installer?
    5-267-4287

  • ed
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