Feb
19
Pimp My Ride
The car I will be taking for the trip will be a converted 2009 Chevy Tahoe. Now, I realize a Tahoe may not be the first car that comes to mind when you think “green”, so allow me to explain…
The only original equipment manufacturer (OEM) natural gas vehicle (NGV) is the Honda Civic GX. OEM just means it comes straight from the factory ready to go on compressed natural gas (CNG). That’s it, no other options here in the US for a brand new natural gas vehicle. And while the Civic GX may be a great little car, the CNG tank can only hold 7.8 gallons.
If you’ve looked at my map for the road trip (see the “About” page), you know that even with great fuel efficiency I am going to need more than 7.8 gallons to get me from station to station without having to get out and push. So what’s a girl to do? Well luckily, in addition to the OEM option, you can also convert many existing gasoline cars to run on CNG. It requires the purchase of an EPA-certified “conversion kit” and of course the installation which must be done by a certified professional.
But still, why a Tahoe? Why not a small, more efficient car? There are four reasons I am going with the Tahoe. First and foremost, I’m a Texan y’all. Its one thing to show people you can run your car on natural gas but its another to show them you can do it with a variety of vehicle types – and there’s probably one that will suit your preferences. If you’re from Texas and you like big cars, or you have five kids and you need a big car, CNG will still work for you. You don’t have to all pack into a clown car to feel like you are making a good choice.
Second, I need the extra space for tank capacity. Remember 6th grade science class when we learned that gas molecules like to be farther apart than liquid molecules? Well apply that here – CNG takes up more room than gasoline so I need the physical space for the tanks. I’ll do a post just on the tanks soon.
Third, I’ll be using a domestic fuel, so why not a domestic car. Please don’t send me Honda hate mail, I know some are manufactured here but you get my point. I like Hondas, in fact I have an Accord, but for this Great American Road Trip, the Chevrolet is a great fit. This collection of Chevy commercials I found on YouTube helps sum up the “American” – Chevrolet connection pretty well. (At least according to Chevrolet!)
And finally, the good people at Apache Corporation who are letting me borrow the car for my trip wanted a Tahoe. They will put it to good use after my trip, and that’s the most practical vehicle for their needs. So there you have it. Its been ordered and is being ‘converted’ as we speak. When its ready, I’ll post pics here. Stay tuned.
