Iran Boosting Production of Natural Gas Dual-Fuel Vehicles
04 August 2008
Press TV. Iranian automakers have produced more than 120,000 dual-fuel CNG and gasoline vehicles that use natural gas and regular gasoline during the first quarter of the current (Iranian calendar) year (March 20-July 21).
Iranian car manufacturers, including the country’s number one automaker Iran Khodro, have increased production of cars that utilize both gasoline and compressed natural gas (CNG) by about 20-fold over the past two years.
“[Dual-fuel] car production rose to 429,000 last year from 20,000 two years ago,” [Iranian Minister of Industries and Mines Ali-Akbar] Mehrabian said at Iran’s first national conference on CNG, which was held in the capital from August 2 to 3.
Although the world’s fourth-largest oil producer, Iran’s refining capacity is lacking, and the country faces gasoline shortages as well as being saddled with an import bill. The government implemented a gasoline rationing program last year to reduce consumption.
The Iranian cabinet issued a statement in June saying that 60% of vehicle produced this year (Iranian calendar year 1387, which ends 20 March 2009) are to be either dual-fuel or full CNG vehicles.
The US ought to have a similar increase. There are many places in a car body where small compressed natural gas tanks can be fit. There is no major theoretical advantage to large compressed gas tanks. It would not be hard to have dual injectors under computer control. A triple system that allowed the use of the tanks for propane could have some advantages. Perhaps there could be an organism created that would produce propane. Methane can be made and compressed in home systems if needed. ..HG..
Posted by: Henry Gibson | 04 August 2008 at 03:25 PM
We need Iran to do some more saber-rattling to get gas prices back up!!!! C'mon Ahmad - you little shrimp!
Posted by: ejj | 04 August 2008 at 05:51 PM
PickensPlan bloggers are keen on NG and dual fuel cars. They have been talking about the Phill compressor, kits for cars and what it would cost. If we could convert 1 million cars per year over the next 10 years it could really make a difference.
Posted by: sjc | 04 August 2008 at 11:10 PM
Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran!
Posted by: John McCain | 05 August 2008 at 12:44 AM
No, no, no, give them an olive branch, some pimentos and teach them to love pizza!
Posted by: Burack O'Bomba | 05 August 2008 at 10:05 AM
So wait, even the Iranians are ahead of the US in clean transportation?
Figures.
So how, exactly, do we go about explaining this to our congresscritters in a way they can understand? (Maybe - "Enable clean cars or we'll send you to the private sector - and not a cushy lobbying or thinktank gig either...")
Posted by: rob | 05 August 2008 at 08:15 PM