Open Market for NGVs
Utilizing the NGV Market
Some major corporations are investing heavily in the development of natural gas vehicles in response to the announcements by GE and Chesapeake Energy that they will collaborate to develop fueling technologies for NGVs and by Chevrolet and Ram that they will produce natural gas pickup trucks.
In order to meet the need for on-highway applications, Cummins Inc., which develops, produces, distributes, and maintains engines, announced that it has begun developing a 15-liter Heavy-Duty, Spark-Ignited Natural Gas Engine. Cummins claims in their statement that they believe there is a substantial market for engines using diesel replacements.
According to the company's news release, "The ISX15 G will be built on the market-leading ISX15 diesel engine and will build on Cummins technical leadership with spark-ignited, Stoichiometric cooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation (SEGR) technology. After treatment, a simple, maintenance-free three-way catalyst will be all that is required for the exhaust. Compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, or biomethane will all be used to power the engine.
Cummins has made significant expenditures in the development of natural gas engines for its joint venture with Westport Innovations in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is already producing on-highway spark-ignited natural gas engines for Cummins Westport. Cummins Westport offers a range of engines, ranging in size from 5.9 liters to the recently disclosed 12-liter ISX12 G.
The American natural gas utilities pushed these manufacturers to spend this money.
AGA members including AGL Resources, SoCal Gas, and Questar Gas are investing their own money in refueling systems for natural gas vehicles with the intention of supporting these producers by purchasing the NGVs they are manufacturing for their own fleets.
The business leaders in our nation are investing money in these programs because they recognize the immense market potential for natural gas automobiles. This rush of activity should serve as a warning to other potential participants that there is a need for transportation fueled by abundant supplies of clean, domestic natural gas.
