Fueling Up At Your Dealership – Innovative CNG Solution

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For many years, Compressed Natural Gas engines have been touted as the future in green automotive technology. However, the big drawback has always been the lack of fueling stations. Honda is trying to solve that with an innovative approach – adding CNG stations at your local dealership.

CNG Fueling Up At Your Dealership

For years, fueling up your CNG powered vehicle has lead many people to drive to desolate locations to fuel up. This could change with dealerships getting involved.

With only around 830 fueling stations in the U.S. and with many of those owned by public utilities, finding a fueling station is very, very difficult. In an effort to counter that issue, Steve Center, Honda’s man in charge of environmental business development, recently said that he wants to put CNG fueling stations in two California Honda dealerships this year.

“If the dealer had a fueling station, it would really reduce some of that concern for the customer, Center said at Honda’s U.S. headquarters in Torrance, California, according to a Bloomberg news story. “It’s not our place to create infrastructure, but it’s a chicken-and-egg situation and we’re going to have to nurse that egg along.”

While some may see this as an odd-ball idea, it does have some merit. If you could fuel up at your local dealership, it would dramatically increase the number of fueling stations. Plus, it could be a big bonus for dealers since it would cause more potential customers to visit their place and maybe spend some time at their lucrative parts and service counter. And it could also help them create more life-long customers since more trips to the dealership means more chances to create loyal consumers.

Some may wonder why CNG vehicle owners just fuel up at home don’t. This seems to be a wonderfully convenient option. But, it’s not all that great. Home units take a lot longer to fill up (8-10 hours) because they aren’t pressurized like filling stations. Also, the $3,400 price tag is currently out-of-reach for many.

It remains to be seen if dealers will jump on board to this novel idea. For CNG drivers, it could be a real stress reducer.

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  1. Mickey says:

    It’s a win/win for the dealerships to have these. Not only it helps sell the conversion but a place to go. With that you get customers back on the lot. Hint hint sales sales.

    • Jason (Admin) says:

      It makes sense to me. If the manufacturer provided free financing for the improvement along with a guaranteed allocation of additional vehicles (many of which would be CNG), I’m guessing that a few dealers would commit today.

      The thing is, manufacturers say that dealers should do this or try that, but rarely put their money where their mouth is. 😉

  2. M. Wildman says:

    Good idea. What do you think about CNG conversion kits for Tundras? Run on gas or CNG?

  3. Don Summers says:

    A natural gas refueling station at Crown Honda in Redding,
    California would connect Sacramento and Chico to
    Medford, Oregon on Interstate 5 for Honda CNG Civics.
    A second CNG station at Power Honda in Albany, Oregon
    would connect California to Lakewood and Seattle in the state of Washington.

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