Shop offers clean, cheap way to drive

AUSTIN (KXAN) - As gas prices continue to rise and pollution woes grow, a mechanic on Interstate Highway 35 may have the solution.

CleanFuel Conversions outfits vehicles of all types to run on compressed natural gas (CNG) instead of regular gasoline. CNG is cheaper than gasoline, with prices currently less than $2 a gallon.

“Saving two bucks a gallon really adds up,” CleanFuel Conversions Owner Ronnie Oldham said.

In 2008, Oldham was unable to find a natural gas powered vehicle for sale. Instead of giving up on the idea, he made one himself, converting his own vehicle in his driveway.

Oldham saw the larger opportunity to create a cheaper, cleaner way to drive for the general public, so he started CleanFuel Conversions.

“Basically we’ve got two sources of fuel geologically here in North America—natural gas and coal,” Oldham said. “Natural gas is the cleanest; coal is one of the dirtiest—pick.”

CleanFuel Conversions has converted more than 300 vehicles of all shapes and sizes to run on natural gas.

The average cost to convert a car to the cleaner alternative to gasoline is $8,000 to $12,000. That price tag did not scare away local business Clarke Kent Plumbing from converting their entire fleet.

“It’s a clean-burning fuel,” Cynthia Clarke of Clarke Kent Plumbing said. “A lot less pollution than gasoline.”

Natural gas is currently available from two stations in Austin— one at Austin-Bergstrom Airport , and the other off Ben White Boulevard near I-35.

The question for many is whether the large investment to convert their vehicles will pay off in the end.

To help with this concern, Texas Gas Service is offering a $3,000 rebate to help offset the cost of installing a natural gas system in vehicles.