This week, Governor Matt Mead announced three winners of bids to sell natural gas powered cars to the state of Wyoming. This is part of a 22-state effort to create national demand for vehicles that would be powered by the fuel that is plentiful in Wyoming.
The Wyoming dealerships selected to sell the vehicles to the state are Fremont Motor Company, Fremont Chevrolet-GMC and Spradley Barr.
Karl Florence is the fleet manager for Fremont Motors, and is a member of the The Wyoming Natural Gas Vehicle Infrastructure Coalition.
Florence says it would benefit Wyoming’s economy to increase demand for natural gas, but Fremont Motors also stands to expand its business if Wyoming guarantees to buy vehicles that are powered by compressed natural gas or CNG.
“It will help generate sales in our parts department and our service departments as well as our sales departments,” Florence says. “And we can network, even sell individuals their CNG vehicles.
He’s already hearing about private companies looking to switch to bi-fuel vehicles for financial reasons.
Florence says, “You know, in some parts is $1.25 GGE, which is ‘gas-gallon-equivalent’, versus, what is it, $3.80 at the gas pump for unleaded gasoline?”
Wyoming currently has four natural gasfilling stations. Florence says if plans for more natural gas stations come through, he thinks the Wyoming currently has four natural gas filling stations. Florence says if plans for more natural gas stations come through, he thinks the demand for CNG or bi-fuel vehicles will increase rapidly.
