October 6, 2009

What does the number 267 have to do with patriotism? It has the same thing that the number 380 has to do with patriotism.

Last September, I drove from La Crosse to Hayward and back for the annual Chequamegon Fat Tire Bike Race. The drive was 380 miles and I accomplished this in a 2006 Honda Civic GX that can hold up to 8 gallons of gas equivalent.

For the hybrid owners reading this, you may think that 47.5 miles per gallon is not that awesome and you are right. But considering I was using an American fuel in the cleanest internal combustion engine ever tested by the EPA…
You may have to reconsider.

…

This August I drove from La Crosse to Mauston on I-90 to present at the 1st annual Mauston Local Energy Fair. I travelled at the speed limit of 65 miles per hour. To be fair, I left Mauston and travelled Hwy 71 back to Sparta and then along highway 16 into La Crosse again at the posted speed limit of 55 miles per hour. The next morning, I drove at 55 miles per hour to and from the 1st annual Green Expo in Decorah, Iowa. The total mileage of both trips was 267 miles and the low fuel light had not even come on since I had 3 of the original 20 bars left. I know that I can travel at least 50 miles with the low fuel light on at speeds of 55 miles per hour on rural highways. If I end up travelling a total of 320 miles on this tank, it will make the math very simple—320 miles divided by 8 gallons equals 40 miles per gallon.

If you could buy your gasoline for $0.83 per gallon you would really have to reconsider not using natural gas. $0.83 x 3 = $2.49. Can you purchase gasoline for $2.49 per gallon? You could purchase CNG at WE Energies in Milwaukee on August 13, 2009 for $0.83 per gallon of gasoline equivalent, while that same day, gasoline at Kwik Trip in La Crosse was $2.65 per gallon.

Ultimately, if you multiply 40 mpg x $2.65 / $0.83, you get the equivalent mileage of 127.7 mpg. How many hybrid owners get that kind of mileage in a 5 passenger 4-door sedan?

But what we are talking about isn’t just money. Where does the original question of patriotism come into the picture?

Consider that nearly 70% of the oil we consume comes from outside the USA and that only 15% of CNG comes from outside the USA. CNG is over 4 times more American than gasoline. When you factor in that only 1.5% of CNG comes from outside North America, you understand where the patriotic theme comes into the picture!

Please help me encourage others to learn about this cheap, clean and American alternative fuel by encouraging your friends to attend 1 SAT 1 on the 1st Saturday of every month at 1 pm for our alternative fuel seminar at Honda Motorwerks. And please help me encourage commercial natural gas refueling along Interstate 90 in La Crosse by signing a letter of encouragement that we will share with organizations that should be providing us with this incredible alternative solution!

For more information, email Chris at chris-hybridguru@centurytel.net.