Natural Gas Vehicles
Clean-burning and affordable
Natural gas is an abundant, domestic, clean-burning and cost-effective fuel for vehicles. As Washington state’s largest energy utility, Puget Sound Energy supports the development of natural gas vehicles (NGVs).
For more than 20 years, PSE has used natural gas as a fuel to operate some of its fleet vehicles. Today, there are roughly 400 NGVs in Western Washington, including fleets operated by the City of Seattle, the Port of Seattle, Waste Management, Fort Lewis, and Pierce Transit.
Natural gas is cost effective, safe for the environment and the abundant supply of natural gas ensures market reliability well into the future.
How clean are NGV emissions?
Compared to conventional gasoline or diesel engines, NGVs emit:
- 90-97 percent fewer carbon monoxide emissions
- 25 percent fewer carbon dioxide emissions
- 35-60 percent fewer nitrogen oxide emissions
- 50-75 percent fewer non-methane hydrocarbon emissions
- fewer toxic and carcinogenic pollutants
- little or no particulate matter
Source: EPA
Frequently asked questions
What is the cost to operate a natural gas vehicle?
As gasoline and diesel prices increase there is growing interest in the operation of NGV fleets. The cost of natural gas as a vehicle fuel amounts to about $2 per gallon and operating costs of NGVs are significantly lower than those of traditional gasoline or diesel powered fleets.
Washington state offers several incentives to encourage the use of NGVs.
What are the environmental impacts of NGVs?
Medium and heavy-duty natural gas trucks and buses provide a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles. See above for figures.
How can I ensure there is enough natural gas supply to meet market demand?
Domestically available, natural gas supplies from Canada and the U.S. are abundant. According to the Energy Information Administration, the U.S. has a total resource base of 1,836 trillion cubic feet worth of likely and potential natural gas resources. The total U.S. future supply is forecast to grow, primarily due to the technological advances in tapping natural gas from shale formations.
Where can I refuel natural gas vehicles?
Find fueling stations on our interactive map.
As a vehicle fuel, natural gas can be used without any further refining or processing beyond what is required to heat a home or building. For use as a fuel, natural gas is either compressed or liquefied. The vehicles that operate in Western Washington use compressed natural gas (CNG).
Fleet operators either operate their own refueling stations or have access to CNG public refueling stations.
What kind of mileage do natural gas vehicles get?
Natural gas vehicles get approximately the same fuel mileage as conventional gasoline vehicles on a gasoline or diesel-gallon equivalent basis.
Are natural gas vehicles safe?
Natural gas vehicles are considered safer than gasoline or diesel vehicles because of the inherent properties of natural gas. Natural gas is lighter than air, causing it to rise and dissipate into the air rather than pooling on the ground under a vehicle if a gas tank is punctured. It is non-toxic and has a high ignition temperature and narrower combustion range (of gas-to-air mix) than gasoline.
How can PSE help?
We can help you determine what you need to do to incorporate natural gas vehicles in your fleet.
For more information, call a PSE Energy Advisor at 1-800-562-1482, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Fact sheet
Download this fact sheet with a map of NGV fueling stations in Washington.
Natural Gas Vehicles