Calculator Tools

Tool #1:  NGVAmerica's NG Vehicle Guide
What to get: data you're going to need to use the Calculator, including for example which vehicles can be converted and cost data.

Grab it here: http://www.ngvamerica.org/pdfs/marketplace/MP.Analyses.NGVs-a.pdf

This document that Stephe Yborra of NGVAmerica and the Clean Vehicle Education Foundation maintains is one of your main resources. Here's what you can find inside:

      • an up-to-date list of all the heavy-duty engines that are manufactured for NG and applications/vehicles in which they are used;
      • an up-to-date list of all the light-duty vehicles that are able to be converted in either a dedicated or bi-fuel application, whether they are EPA or Carb certified, what year's kits are available and what companies can do those conversions; and
      • a list of the company representatives you can call to give current numbers and information on any of the information presented in the Guide.

Stephe does a great job keeping it up-to-date, generally making updates to it every 2-3 months.

Tool #2:  Your local/regional natural gas provider
What to get: NG fuel cost data.
This is the main item on which you will have to do some of your own homework, but it shouldn't be that difficult if your local utility is prepared to discuss the use of CNG as a fuel. What you need to know is a cost for natural gas that they would charge you for use in vehicles. For some fleets this may be the same rate they pay for NG for heating or other purposes; for others it may be a different number. The Calculator takes into account the federal tax credit (that the fleet gets) of $0.50/GGE or $0.55/DGE of natural gas.