Natural gas: Future of the auto industry?

General Electric

and Chesapeake Energy

recently announced plans to fund numerous liquefied-natural-gas fueling stations along major U.S. corridors As billionaire T. Boone Pickens and politicians on Capitol Hill debate whether to offer tax credits to help facilitate a transition to natural-gas-fueled trucking fleets, U.S. automakers Chrysler and General Motors

Stock Forum) are rolling out their own plans for natural-gas-powered vehicles (NGVs). Chrysler's model – a heavy-duty Ram truck that runs on a combination of compressed natural gas and gasoline – is expected to begin production in June, while General Motors' "bi-fuel" Chevrolet Silverados and GMC Sierra 2500s, which are retrofitted with compressed natural gas tanks, are forecast to hit production lines in the fourth quarter of this year. Up until these announcements, the U.S. had only one dedicated natural-gas-powered vehicle – the Honda Civic GX. However, one chink remains in the chain for a possible transition to commercially viable NGVs in the U.S.: How will people who purchase NGVs fill up their tanks? Continue reading this article

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