The car is still under development, but the company has said their car will also take advantage of drive by wire, OBD-II and a Car Area Network system. Supposedly, it'll be mated to a six speed automatic, but we don't know where that'll come from as the LS7 doesn't normally come with one. Sure there's an environmental benefit, but all we read was "blah blah blah '33 Ford, yada yada yada, 600 HP LS7." It could run on bologna and we'd still be interested. [BBG]

A Camry Hybrid Fueled by CNG

As you very likely know, we’re big believers in the concept of hybrid vehicles. We build gas-electric hybrids in several styles; one of them, our Prius, is the most fuel-efficient vehicle in America.

But we also believe that there’s more than one way to solve a problem. One problem we’d like to solve involves the unpredictable nature of gas prices.

Gas prices are relatively low now, but they were incredibly high last summer, and could well revert to those high levels. But the price of compressed natural gas (CNG) remains fairly stable, and there’s a strong, reliable domestic supply of CNG. It just happens to be one of many alternative fuel applications being explored in Toyota’s broad sustainable mobility research and development strategy.

That’s why we built a special concept CNG Camry Hybrid that we’ll display at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday.

To convert a stock Camry Hybrid to a CNG vehicle, the gasoline fuel system was replaced with a CNG system that includes a pair of CNG tanks installed in the spare-tire well of the vehicle’s trunk. Because it now lacks a spare tire, the CNG Camry Hybrid rolls on runflat tires.

And roll it does. With the proposed CNG equivalent of 8 gallons of gasoline in its tanks, the estimated range of the CNG Camry Hybrid is more than 250 miles. Link that efficiency to the price of CNG and you can see why we’re interested in this – as this is written, CNG is about a dime cheaper, per gallon, than the national average price of regular-grade 87-octane gasoline.

But price and efficiency are only the tip of the iceberg of CNG benefits. Natural gas also produces lower particulate emissions and lower levels of nitrous oxide (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and non-methane organic gasses (NMOG) when compared with gasoline. And because CNG is so clean, potential wear and tear on an engine fueled by it is greatly reduced.

Those are the considerable upsides to CNG. There also are downsides. An important one is that there are fewer than 1,000 CNG refueling stations in the U.S., with fewer than half of them open to the public. Also, natural gas is less dense than gasoline. So a CNG engine will have approximately 10% less power than an equivalent gasoline engine. Also, a CNG vehicle’s fuel tank must be cylindrical, so it is more difficult to package than a gasoline tank, which can be shaped to conform to any available space.

We want to underscore the fact that the CNG Camry Hybrid is just a concept vehicle. This concept vehicle is a statement that we intend to include CNG in our diverse portfolio of future alternative-fuel R&D. Our purpose in building it as a concept is to demonstrate the efficiency and adaptability of Hybrid Synergy Drive, and to demonstrate that we continue to work with a variety of powertrain concepts to ensure that we have products that meet the current and future needs of our customers on a global basis. We think you’ll find the CNG Camry Hybrid interesting. So if you’re visiting the LA show, feel free to drop by and take a look.

[Source: Toyota via Carscoop]

Though the ersatz NGV bus was destroyed and five other cars damaged, there were no passengers at the time and the bus's driver was standing a short distance away. The only person injured was the gas station attendant, who didn't seem to take it as odd that the bus driver didn't want to stand anywhere near the vehicle while it was being fueled. [Bangkok Post via GCC, Photo: Getty Images]

Even though tractors and forklifts have been using CNG and propane for clean and OSHA approved power for a long time, the alt-fuel hasn't seen widespread consumer success in the US due to the inconvenience of refueling. Apparently the natural gas stations are far more common in Europe with Italy leading the way with 430,000 filling stations. BRA is now taking orders for the Cévennes Turbo with a starting price of €48,000. [via Green Car Congress</>

Qatar launches world's largest GTL project [Gulf Times]

Related:
Mmmm...Thirst-Quenching Motor Fuel! Shell, ExxonMobil Create Cleaner-Burning, Non-Lethal Fuel [internal]

One of the major problems facing natural gas vehicles is the storage of the gas, which requires high pressure gas in tanks (up to 3,600 lbs psi). This new system involves taking baked corn cobs (which we've all got lying around the house) and turning them into carbon cakes. These mini briquettes are able to hold significant amounts of natural gas (180 times their volume) without the need for a bulky tank and at a seventh of the pressure. This breakthrough was jointly developed by the University of Missouri-Columbia and the Midwest Research Institute, two organizations obviously dedicated to the ongoing national fascination with corn and cars.– Matt Hardigree

Vehicle Reveals Kernels Of Collaborative Efforts [Kansas City Star]

Related:
Man, Michelin: Challenge Bibendum Takes Paris, Again [Internal]

We spend a fair amount of time huffing gasoline, but we've always been a tad afraid to actually drink it, as it's got a reputation for being rather toxic. Luckily for us, Shell and ExxonMobil are starting to put a big push behind GTL, a fuel derived from natural gas that could replace diesel in major metropolitan areas. Cleaner-burning than diesel, the fuel works in contemporary diesel engines, and thus could be a boon for municipal transit vehicles, as well as heavy trucks and diesel cars in metro areas with high pollution. Plus, possibly most importantly, according to a Shell exec, "You can drink it. You won't feel great, but you won't die." In fact, a kosher version of the substance is actually used to line drink boxes. L'chaim!

Shell, ExxonMobil tout a cleaner fuel for megacities [ZDnet]

Related:
Will Scrounge for Fuel: More on Cooking-Oil Cars [Internal]

GM's Opel announced it would bring a new version of Zafira minivan powered by natural gas to the Frankfurt show this year. The Zafira 1.6 CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) expands on the previous version's success (it's the best-selling natural gas vehicle in Germany, at 20,000 units produced). An underfloor arrangement of four gas tanks surround the rear axle, providing for greater interior spaciousness than its predecessor. The gassy Zafira will launch in spring 2006, but Opel will start taking orders in mid-September, when prices are announced.

Related:
Gas-X: CNG-Powered Honda Civic Now Available to the Public; More on Honda's CNG Home Refueling Station; Swedes Rate Natural-Gas Fiat Punto the Greenest Machine [internal]