Some commercial fleets switch because natural gas is typically half the price of diesel says senior manager

Hundreds of mainly-commercial vehicles fuel up at natural gas stations in BC: Fortis BC

SURREY (NEWS 1130) – Rising prices at the pump are giving BC’s natural gas producers a chance to win over more drivers looking to cut costs.

With the cost of unleaded fuel recently topping $1.60 per litre, the use of natural gas as a cleaner and ‘locally available’ choice is going up.

Arvind Ramakrishnan, a senior manager with Fortis BC, says hundreds of mainly-commercial vehicles are currently fueling up at natural gas stations across the province.

“Given that more than 50 to 70 per cent of these costs are fueling costs, we believe there is significant advantages for considering gas.”

He adds some commercial fleets have switched because natural gas is typically half the price of diesel.

“About 800 vehicles are committed on compressed and liquefied natural gas in the last, probably, seven to eight years thanks to provincial government and specifically, the gas reduction regulations.”

While it’s mainly used to heat homes or businesses, Ramakrishnan says there are currently 19 fueling stations across the province and more are being added as needed.

“These stations are by and large in most of the strategic corridors where most of these trucks currently travel.”

Heading into the summer, he says natural gas is also better for overall air quality because, at 37 per cent, the transportation industry is responsible for the largest share of BC’s greenhouse gas emissions.

TransLink recently added new natural gas buses to it’s fleet in Surrey.