Utah to give tax breaks for natural gas automobiles

As gasoline prices and air pollution have increased, so has the interest in cleaner burning fuels such as natural gas, prompting the state of Utah to offer tax incentives to owners of clean-fuel burning vehicles.

Mat Carlile, the Energy Program coordinator for the Utah Division of Air Quality, said from his standpoint, the tax incentives are primarily meant to help control air pollution.

"It encourages people to look for alternatives (to gasoline)," he said. "In the statute it indicates that the purpose of it is to give people an incentive to find cleaner-burning fuels and vehicles that run on clean-burning fuels."

While air pollution is not as much of a problem in southern Utah, it could soon become one, Carlile said.

"As far as air pollution standpoint, it's a way for people to contribute to minimizing the impact of the air pollution problems we have in this state," he said. "The problems we have are mostly in the north … but as it grows more and more in the south, we want to keep the air clean."

Although preventing air pollution is an important reason for people to use clean-burning fuels, it is not the only reason, Carlile said.

"Other people are looking at the cost savings with natural gas fuel," he said. "It's also helping them in the pocketbook."

Steve Gray, a Cedar City resident, said his vehicle does not qualify for tax credit, but he is in the process of converting to natural gas to save on fuel costs. Natural gas costs approximately 86 cents per gallon, versus the variable price of $3.50 for unleaded gasoline, he said.

One difference between natural gas and gasoline is the state of matter in which it enters the fuel tank, Gray said.

"(Natural gas) is not a liquid gas like gasoline," he said. "You're using a compressed gas. You know how you get propane for your barbecue and it comes in those little tanks? You have much, much larger tanks in your car somewhere, usually in the trunk or the back somewhere and you fill it up with compressed gas."

Like gasoline, natural gas is burned as a vapor in the engine, Gray said.

"Your car, when it burns gasoline, it burns it as a gas," he said. "Your carburetor or fuel injector, it sprays it out as a vapor or a mist and that's what your car burns."

Mike Whitney, the manager of a KB Express in Cedar City that sells natural gas, said more and more people are switching to natural gas fuels.

"A year ago, we had about six (natural gas customers) per day," he said. "Now I'd imagine we have about a hundred a day."

Individuals looking to begin using natural fuels can convert some vehicles to use natural gas.

"You have to buy a kit and have it put on," Whitney said. "The kits are around $4,000, I believe."

Another option is to purchase a vehicle that is already equipped to use natural gas. One such vehicle is the Honda Civic GX, which is in high demand, Carlile said.

"In Salt Lake (City) there's a 300-car waiting list for the Honda Civic GX," he said. "It's a 15-month waiting list."

Misty Matheson, Cedar Area Transportation System office manager, said there are plans in place to convert two of the public buses to natural gas. Future buses will be purchased that already use natural gas.