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CNG and LNG: What’s Best for Your Fleet?

A Westport and Clean Energy Webinar

June 20, 2013
Your Natural Gas Experts

John Howell

 Senior Director, Marketing

 Westport OnRoad Group

Jim Harger

 Chief Marketing Officer

 Clean Energy Fuels

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Today’s Discussion Topics

The case for natural gas as a vehicle fuel

7 factors to consider in choosing the right fuel

CNG / LNG comparison

Fueling considerations

Application considerations

Payback analysis

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WHY NATURAL GAS

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Why Natural Gas?

More and more fleets 

across North America are 

switching to natural gas

Every day there’s another 

announcement of 

companies that have 

decided to transition

Key reason is economics:

 Natural gas is less expensive 

than diesel or gasoline

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To optimize savings, 

fleets must consider the 

right factors to make the 

best decision:

 Type of engine system

 Type of fuel

 Type of fuel storage
7 Factors for an Informed Fuel Decision

1. Vehicle Type and 

Application

 LNG / CNG differences 

and advantages

2. Duty Cycle

 Range, speed, idle time

3. Combined Weight

 Payload, storage tank 

weight

4. Hours of Service

 Drive, idle, down time

5. Fuel Cost

 Savings vs. diesel and 

gasoline

6. Fleet Fueling Needs

 Refueling cycles

7. Fueling Infrastructure

 Availability 

on your 

routes

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CNG / LNG – the Distinction

CNG and LNG are simply two different ways natural 

gas is stored

There is no such thing as an “LNG engine” or a “CNG 

engine”

 It’s not engine type that differentiates LNG and CNG, it’s 

how the fuel is stored and supplied to the engine

 Both are delivered to the engine as a gas

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LNG / CNG – Storage

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 Natural gas in its cryogenic 

liquid form

 Stored at -260F (-162 C) at 

atmospheric pressures

 Pressurized natural gas

 Stored at pressures of 

3,000 (non-North America 

standard) to 3,600 psi

(North America standard)
LNG / CNG – Energy Density

Both CNG and LNG are less dense forms of energy 

than petroleum-based liquid fuel

 NGVs need to have larger fuel tanks to store the same 

amount of energy

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Source: US Energy Information Administration
LNG / CNG – Energy Density

Relative to one 

gallon of diesel:

 LNG = 1.7 DGE

 CNG = 3.8 DGE

Energy density is an 

important factor you 

need to consider 

when choosing a 

natural gas vehicle

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0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

One DGE

DIESEL

CNG

LNG
FUELING CONSIDERATIONS

CNG and LNG

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CNG Fueling Considerations 

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Compressed Natural Gas - the Basics

Good for light, medium, 

and some heavy duty 

applications

 <250 miles/day

Natural gas delivered by 

gas company pipeline

Gas is dried, compressed 

& stored at 4,500 psi and 

dispensed to vehicle at 

3,600 psi

Dispensed at similar rate 

to gasoline (5-8 gpm) 

Stored in cylinders 

onboard the vehicle

 Gallon/Gallon for OTR, 

CNG weighs 4X compared 

to LNG

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CNG Time Fill 

CNG provides a “complete fill” because we can 

dissipate heat over time

 3 to 6 hour fill period

Lowest cost installation

 Best value

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CNG Fast Fill  High heat gain during fueling  >20% loss of storage  Large capital investment  $5 million for 4 lanes 

dispensing at >10 gpm each  1⁄2 acre of land

 Plus utility services

 NG supply, 100 psi minimum  >2MW electrical demand  2,500+ HP  $30,000/month demand charge

 >2X compared to LNG

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CNG Station Reality

The majority are not “truck friendly”!

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LNG Fueling Considerations

 

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Liquid Natural Gas – the Basics

Heavy-duty vehicles

 >250 miles/day, 5-7 

days/week operation

Pipeline gas cooled to -

260 F (liquefaction)

 Adds $0.50 to $0.75/DGE

Dispensed at 15+ 

DGE/minute

Delivered in cryogenic 

trailer to the LNG station 

& stored in cryogenic 

tanks

 OTR transportation can 

impact price compared to 

pipeline transport (CNG)

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LNG Fast Fill Fueling  Transparent to diesel fueling  Stations can be expanded without 

utility constraints

 Store 2X energy/volume as CNG  Single/Dual LNG cryogenic tank(s)  Gallon/Gallon for OTR applications with 

120+ DGE, LNG weighs 1⁄4 of CNG

 Don’t use it, you lose it  7 day shelf life  Higher FET and sometimes SET 

compared to CNG  Sales tax (some states)

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APPLICATIONS

CNG / LNG 

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Consider Your Application

 Choosing between LNG and CNG is really about the spectrum 

- at either end the choice is relatively fixed

 

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CNG LNG

light-duty

automotive & industrial

bus &

vocational trucks

heavy-haul

transport
Fueling Options Widen in the Middle

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CNG LNG

bus &vocational trucks

 CNG is a good 

option for:

 Refuse and 

transit using 

fast or time fill

 Medium duty 

applications 

< 300 miles per 

fill

 Cold LNG is a 

good option for:

 Long driving range 

requirements

 8.9L to 12L 

engines hauling 

up to 80,000 lbs
Your Fleet’s Duty Cycle is Important

Helps you evaluate:

 How much energy your vehicles require

 How often vehicles will need to be refueled

Consider:

 Number of hours a vehicle is in use per day

 Number of hours a vehicle is driven per day

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5

DAYS

LNG NEEDS TO 

BE USED WITHIN 

5 DAYS TO AVOID 

TANK VENTING

 LNG is an attractive 

solution if your fleet 

vehicles are in 

constant operation 

and need to be 

refilled quickly
Payload and Storage Tank Weight Count

The weight difference between CNG and LNG is 

dependent on the amount of fuel being stored

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LNG CNG

26 Gal. 58 Gal.

Diesel

15 Gal.
Ask Yourself...

How much tank weight can you afford?

 A Westport LNG tank providing 60 DGE’s of storage 

capacity weighs 1,100 lbs when full 

 CNG tank packages providing 60 DGE of fast fill storage 

capacity typically weighs 1,600 lbs

How much space will the tank require?

 LNG tanks are typically mounted with standard diesel tank 

brackets 

 CNG pressure vessels are typically packaged in steel racks

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NG Tank(s) 

Storage Capacity and Weight Impact

LNG Tanks 

Nominal Size

(Gal)

Effective 

Size

(Gal)

Effective Diesel 

Gallon 

Equivalents 

(DGE)

Dry 

Weight

(lbs)

Wet 

Weight

(lbs)

Diesel 

Weight

(lbs)

NET Weight 

(NG- Diesel)

119 102 60 495 850 1,025 (175)

150 128 75 620 1,065 1,150 (85)

CNG Tanks

Configuration

Nominal 

Size

(DGE)

Effective Size

(DGE)

Dry 

Weight

(lbs)

Wet 

Weight

(lbs)

Diesel 

Weight

(lbs)

NET Weight 

(NG- Diesel)

2 Tanks – Rail 

Mount 82 62 1,200 1,575 1,050 525

Notes:

1. LNG tanks have a vapor space that reduces effective storage volume in converting from nominal to effective.

2. 1.7 gallons of LNG = 1 DGE = 1 gallon of diesel on an equivalent energy basis.

3. CNG tanks have heat of compression during fueling and residual fuel at low pressure in converting from nominal to effective.

4. Diesel Weight includes diesel tank, equivalent amount of diesel fuel + DPF + SCR + Urea Storage with solution.

5. DPF + SCR + Urea Storage with solution is 550 lbs (industry standard).

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Consider Your Fleet’s Fueling Needs

Return to base fleets are good candidates for CNG

 You can install infrastructure to fuel at base using fast fill or 

time fill

Time fill is an attractive fueling method that is less 

costly and complex

 Does not require a storage system 

 Compressor is smaller and less expensive

 Attractive option for fleets that are idle overnight, like refuse 

and school buses

Fleets that operate around the clock need a fast fill 

option

 Public or private

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Cost of CNG/Gallon is f Station Investment

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Impact of Hours of Service at the Pump

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A 42 hour difference 

per year per truck
INFRASTRUCTURE

Natural Gas Fueling

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North American Infrastructure

CNG is more publicly available than LNG

CNG stations must be near a pipeline network

 Concentrated in California, New York, Utah, Oklahoma, 

Arizona, Texas, Colorado 

LNG can be hauled long distances from the liquefier 

while remaining economical

About 150 LNG stations would provide fueling 

coverage along all of the 

major interstate trucking 

routes

 At 300 mile intervals

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230

LNG

NUMBER OF 

PUBLIC STATIONS 

PLANNED TO 

OPEN IN 2013
More CNG / LNG Stations Open Every Month

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PAYBACK ANALYSIS

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The Advantage of Natural Gas Prices 

April 2013 Overall Average Fuel Prices on Energy-Equivalent Basis 

National Average Price:

GGE DGE Per Million Btu

Gasoline $3.59 $4.01 $31.13 

Diesel $3.58 $3.99 $30.99 

CNG $2.10 $2.34 $18.21 

LNG $2.18 $2.45 $19.00

Ethanol (E85) $4.66 $5.20 $40.40 

Propane $3.77 $4.20 $32.65 

Biodiesel (B20) $3.75 $4.19 $32.52 

Biodiesel (B99-B100) $4.23 $4.72 $36.65 

* April 2013 Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report

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Sample Business Case: CNG 

10 Pick-up truck order (Westport WiNGTM Ford F-250)

Average life of the truck 5 years

Mileage per truck (annual) 30,000

Fuel economy 15 mpg

Incremental cost $9,500*

Gasoline price $3.46/gallon

CNG price $1.29/GGE

Fuel cost savings per truck per year $4,344

Payback 26 months**

Total fuel cost savings over fleet lifecycle $ 217,200

 * All pricing to be confirmed with Ford dealer

** Subject to mileage 

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Sample Business Case: LNG 

10 truck order (Westport 15L and Paccar Class 8 truck)

Average life of the truck 5 years

Mileage per truck (annual) 120,000

Fuel economy 6 mpg

Incremental cost with 53 DGE’s (single tank) $65,000*

Diesel price $3.95/gallon

LNG price $2.45/DGE

Fuel cost savings per truck per year $30,000

Payback 2.2 – 2.5 years**

Total lifecycle fleet savings $850,000

 * All pricing to be confirmed with Paccar dealer

** Subject to duty cycle and displacement

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Questions?

For more information, please contact:

John Howell

Senior Director of Marketing, Westport

jhowell@westport.com

James Harger

Chief Marketing Officer

jharger@cleanenergyfuels.com

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