Toyota Camry – CNG Plus Hybrid Power Equals Wow!

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Of all the hundreds of vehicles on display at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, one of the most intriguing to me was the Toyota Camry Hybrid concept powered by compressed natural gas. Toyota, which had a press conference for its luxury brand Lexus during the press days I attended (but not for Toyota or Scion) managed to showcase the Camry hybrid, a car unlike any other at the show. But, the Camry concept could one day become a very popular model if certain energy initiatives are met. Read on to learn about the natural gas-powered Camry and how this car could revolutionize the way we drive.

Toyota is a leader in hybrid technology, producing the gasoline-powered Prius and other models, including the Camry. But a natural gas-electric hybrid Camry is a new idea, one that hasn’t been considered for production until now.

According to Toyota, compressed natural gas produces fewer emissions of particulate matter, nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and organic gases without methane and less CO2 per unit of energy compared to gasoline. It can also operate at a higher compression ratio and disperses quickly in the atmosphere in the event of a leak.

Best of all, natural gas is a richly supplied resource in the US, costing up to 40% less than gasoline. So why aren’t natural gas cars produced?

That’s easy: the infrastructure for natural gas is not currently in place, with fewer than 1,000 service stations across the country. Less than half of those stations are not open to the public, making refueling difficult, if not impossible, in some areas of the country.

If the federal government commits to expanding our natural gas infrastructure, the chances of the Toyota CNG hybrid going into production improve. This is something the next Administration will want to address as natural gas burns cleaner and reduces our dependence on foreign sources of oil, especially oil purchased from countries that are openly hostile to our way of life.

The Camry concept shown is powered by the standard 2.4L 4-cylinder engine found in the current base model Camry. With Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive, the gasoline fuel system is replaced by a compressed natural gas system, the main difference between the two Camry hybrid models.

Producing 170 horsepower, the CNG Camry Hybrid would get nearly identical fuel economy to the gas-electric hybrid, 33 combined fuel economy. Two compressed natural gas fuel tanks are stored in the car’s spare tire well area, safely removing the tanks from view. To make up for the lack of a spare tire, Toyota fitted the Camry with Bridgestone Run Flat tires, but I could see a spare tire mount installed on the trunk lid that would be a smart and attractive touch to the Camry CNG hybrid.

Unfortunately, the CNG hybrid Camry will not go into production anytime soon, except perhaps for regional availability in markets like Southern California, which can support these types of vehicles. With gas prices so low again, a compressed natural gas car isn’t ideal right now, but it could be when gas prices start to climb again next spring. By then, the Obama Administration may have a new energy policy in place, one that embraces alternative fuel sources, including compressed natural gas.

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