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To: JimisJim who wrote (124841)	10/12/2009 12:55:26 PM
From: elmatador	Respond to of 206145

Leaders on Gas powered vehicles: Argentina, Pakistan, Brazil and Iran. Iran has become the world's fourth-largest CNG-vehicle producer following Argentina, Pakistan and Brazil, according to the International Association for Natural Gas Vehicles. Natural Gas Relief? Iran also has an alternative-fuel plan under way that capitalizes on the country's natural gas resources and reduces its reliance on refined crude, but the results have so far been limited. The plan involves encouraging the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) for Iranian motorists. Cars that can run on CNG, which are prevalent in South Asia and Latin America, can be more economical and environmentally friendly. In fact, the price of CNG retails at around 4 cents per cubic meter (roughly equivalent to one liter of gasoline). Moreover, the technology used to compress natural gas is far less complex than that needed to refine crude. Considering that Iran is the world's fourth-largest producer of natural gas, the switch to CNG makes sense, but there is one big drawback. Vehicles must be modified to run on CNG, and CNG stations would have to be built across the country. None of this would be quick or cheap for Iran. Nevertheless, Iran has made notable progress since kicking off its CNG plan in 2007, when Iran Khodro Industrial Group — Iran's leading automaker — invested $50 million in low-consumption, flexible-fuel engine production lines. Former Iranian Oil Minister Gholam Hossein Nozari said in July that there are currently 880 CNG stations in Iran, with plans to build an additional 400 within the next several months. Since Iran Khodro started ramping up production of CNG-capable vehicles, Iran has become the world's fourth-largest CNG-vehicle producer following Argentina, Pakistan and Brazil, according to the International Association for Natural Gas Vehicles. As of May 2009, Iranian government officials claim the official count of CNG-capable vehicles on the road totaled 1.4 million. The total number of cars in Iran was estimated to be 11.7 million in 2008, according to the Global Market Information Database. All in all, estimated fuel replacement by CNG is currently around 7 percent of Iran's total automobile fuel consumption, up from zero five years ago. While Iran seems to be making steady progress in the CNG arena, it still has a way to go before the switch to CNG would make a significant dent in the country's gasoline imports. fxstreet.com

To: JimisJim who wrote (124841)	10/12/2009 1:12:05 PM
From: elmatador	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 206145

LATAM has 48% of the world's fleet of NG vehicles. en.wikipedia.org

To: JimisJim who wrote (124841)	10/12/2009 2:03:05 PM
From: Elroy Jetson	6 Recommendations Read Replies (5) \| Respond to of 206145

As you point out, capital costs will be the primary determinant of what form of energy is used for transportation. The costs involved for each alternative are highly dependent upon changing technology. Considering only energy cost, natural gas powered electricity is far cheaper than natural gas powered automobiles. After all costs and energy losses are taken into account, large power plants are far more efficient than automobile-sized combustion units, regardless of the fuel source for the BTUs. Upgrading current power plants and transmission systems to current technology would shift this energy cost difference more strongly in favor of electricity.