Green

The U.S. Governments efforts to promote gas powered vehicles

The current U.S. Administration, more especially President Obama, is promoting natural gas powered cars and trucks since 2011. When he spoke in front of an enthusiastic crowd of Georgetown University in March 2011, gas prices went higher. Since that time, the current administration has ordered the entire U.S. Federal government fleet to be hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles by 2015. Additionally, the current administration requires cars and light trucks to deliver 54.5 miles to the gallon (MPG) by 2025. This is intended to promote use of alternative fuel vehicles. The Department of Energy allocated a $30 million grant program in July 2012 to fund continued research on natural gas powered vehicles.

The road ahead is not easy. Diesel and gasoline-powered vehicles especially cars remain more economical compared to natural gas powered vehicles. The U.S. has about two million 18-wheelers on the road and converting those to alternative fuel is not an easy task. On the other hand recent legislative efforts to promote natural gas vehicles have failed in the Congress. One such effort, the “Boone Pickens” Bill, which aimed at providing $5 billion in subsidies for buyers of natural gas trucks approved by the House but failed in the Senate.