Evidence of meeting #38 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 41st Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was vehicle.
A recording is available from Parliament.
President, Canadian Natural Gas Vehicle Alliance
Sorry, that was for conversion.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
Why would it be cheaper for a conversion than to install it from the outset?
President, Canadian Natural Gas Vehicle Alliance
Probably, for one, because on these pickup trucks they're adding a lot of fuel capacity. It has more to do with the design of the pickup truck. The $7,500 to $12,000 is a range, and it depends on your engine size and how much fuel capacity you put on the vehicle.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
It's a big range, but I appreciate your point.
So there's that cost, whether it's a conversion or right out of the plant. The second is the cost of a home fuelling station, and I go to you, Mr. Sanford. Those are very nice pictures. So what would it cost the consumer in London, Ontario? That's where I'm from, the tenth-largest city in Canada, so we have a good population. What I'm wondering is, if it were popular in London, Ontario, what would it cost in my city for you to install in my garage, presumably, and hook up to my natural gas?
Director of Sales, Compression Technology Corporation
The fill unit itself, when it launches, is going to be in the $5,000 range.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
You mentioned $5,000, so that was referring to the home station.
I have $7,500 to $12,000 for the vehicle and $5,000 for the home fueling station.
I just sold my house a little while ago. Can I take that with me?
Conservative
Director of Sales, Compression Technology Corporation
Currently you would have to purchase it. We are working on a financing package.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
Forgive me if I just focus on Ontario for a second. How many home fuelling stations do you have in Ontario?
Director of Sales, Compression Technology Corporation
I'd have to check with Enbridge, because a lot of it has been done through Enbridge Gas, but you're probably looking at around the 400 to 500 mark, as an assumption.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
I come from the insurance business, and we get paranoid about risk. What's the insurance implication of having a home filling station in your garage?
Director of Sales, Compression Technology Corporation
That's a good question. It's classified as an appliance, so—
Director of Sales, Compression Technology Corporation
Exactly. It requires the same CSA approval, and it's very safe.
You mentioned London. We have all the hockey arenas in the city of London operating their ice resurfacers on natural gas, so the ice resurfacers all refuel right in the ice resurfacer room at the arena with an indoor refuelling panel.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
No disrespect, but I was just at an event in Fanshawe Conservation Area, where a young man was killed driving a Zamboni some years ago. I don't know if that Zamboni was on natural gas or what the fuel was that he had in the vehicle.
Director of Sales, Compression Technology Corporation
That's an excellent point. That's what spurred the city to convert to natural gas. It was gasoline-powered.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
I appreciate your clarifying that, because I think it was a fumes issue in a closed room that caused that tragedy.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
That's why I asked.
There are no legal implications either. I talked about the insurance side. What I'm trying to get at here is, if it's a portable unit, you get rid of the issue we talked about in terms of filling stations, because every home or whatever number of homes are filling stations. I'm sure there are going to be some volume benefits as this becomes more profitable.
In London we have a very large taxi group, Aboutown Transportation, that runs on propane—all their taxis run on propane. Why natural gas versus propane? I'm not asking you to compete against the industry, because I think one of you said “right fuel, right price, right time”. That was you, Mr. Egan.
Why natural gas versus propane?
Director of Sales, Compression Technology Corporation
I believe in the taxicab market a lot of it had to do with the lower cost on the actual conversion of the vehicles themselves. Propane was a little bit lower in cost.
The range of propane was probably a bit of an advantage for the vehicles. Propane is a little bit more costly than natural gas, but there's a little more range and availability of propane stations throughout the city of London.
