GM Eyes Biomethane to Fuel 2015 Bi-Fuel Impala
Publication: NGV Journal
October 20, 2014
Cleveland-based quasar energy group uses organic waste to produce biogas, which is then converted into CNG – one of two fuels that can power the 2015 Chevrolet bi-fuel Impala. “Our Columbus facility can produce 1.3 million gasoline gallon equivalents of natural gas each year,” said Mel Kurtz, president of quasar. That production is enough to fill the CNG tanks of 163,000 Bi-fuel Impalas at least once.
Since biogas can be made from most organic materials, quasar insources raw materials, otherwise
Chevy Impala Bi-Fuel Vehicle fueled by quasar
considered waste, from a variety of industries. For instance, quasar’s plant processes up to 25,000 wet tons of biosolids from the City of Columbus Department of Public Utilities for wastewater. Anheuser-Busch brewery also provides an organic by-product to quasar for conversion to methane gas.
The Impala’s CNG tank mounted in the trunk has the equivalent capacity of 7.8 gallons of gasoline, which is expected to offer approximately 150 city miles of range on compressed natural gas based on GM testing. With gasoline and compressed natural gas combined, expected range is 500 city miles based on GM testing.
The bi-fuel Impala is factory-built so its CNG fuel system is validated by GM and covered by GM’s three-year/36,000-mile (whichever comes first) new vehicle limited bumper-to-bumper warranty and five-year/100,000-mile (whichever comes first) limited powertrain warranty. Besides, it is the only bifuel-capable sedan on the market to offer a factory warranty. When the bi-fuel Impala goes on sale later this year, it will have a starting price of $38,210.
Source: General Motors
