US carmakers are struggling to reconcile customers’ growing interest in running vehicles on newly abundant natural gas with the logistical challenges of supplying the technology for the still-niche market, according to senior automotive executives.
汽车业高管表示，美国汽车制造商难以满足顾客对天然气动力汽车日益增强的兴趣，因为在这一仍属缝隙的市场供应相关技术仍有不少物流挑战。近年美国天然气供应变得充足。
The interest in compressed natural gas vehicles is the latest result of the gas glut following the shale oil and gas revolution. New drilling techniques have unlocked vast, previously inaccessible gas supplies in shale rocks.
对于压缩天然气汽车的兴趣是页岩油气革命之后大量天然气供应的结果。新的钻探技术从页岩中释放出以前无法获取的大规模天然气供应。
Normal vehicles can use the plentiful fuel – which produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions than petrol or diesel fuel – with the addition of large fuel tanks and minor modifications to the engine. Large customers can sign long-term contracts to buy natural gas at low prices. However, Chrysler, smallest of the big three US carmakers, is offering only one vehicle with a CNG fuel option, while General Motors, largest by sales, is offering only a few models.
一般的汽车可以利用这种储量丰富的燃料（其产生的温室气体排放少于汽油或柴油燃料）——只要加装体积较大的气罐，并对发动机进行少许改动。大型客户可以签订长期协议，以低价购买天然气。然而，美国三大汽车制造商中规模最小的克莱斯勒(Chrysler)仅提供一款以压缩天然气为动力的汽车，而销量最大的通用汽车(GM)推出的车型也很少。
Chris Collins, director of advanced powertrains for Chrysler, said Chrysler was confident in CNG’s long-term future as a fuel. While other manufacturers handed work to install CNG equipment to smaller, after-market suppliers, Chrysler was building a CNG-powered pick-up truck on its own assembly lines.
克莱斯勒先进动力总成主管克里斯•柯林斯(Chris Collins)表示，克莱斯勒对于压缩天然气作为一种燃料的长远前景充满信心。尽管其他制造商将安装压缩天然气设备的任务外包给规模较小的售后供应商，但克莱斯勒正在自己的装配线上生产一款以压缩天然气为动力的皮卡。
General Motors was offering only “a handful” of pick-up trucks, two full-size vans and the Chevrolet Impala passenger car with CNG, Mark Maher, GM’s chief engineer for powertrain integration, said. The company was working with after-market suppliers but wanted to keep tight control of the work, according to Mr Maher.
通用汽车动力总成集成总工程师马克•马赫(Mark Maher)表示，通用汽车提供的以压缩天然气为动力的车型包括“少量”皮卡、两款全尺寸货车以及雪佛兰Impala(Chevrolet Impala)轿车。他表示，通用汽车与售后市场供应商合作，但希望严格控制这块业务。
Only Ford, the US’s second-biggest carmaker by sales, is offering a comprehensive range. Jon Coleman, Ford’s sustainability manager for fleet sales, said it was using after-market suppliers to install CNG equipment and offering the “broadest portfolio of vehicles” it could.
只有在美国市场销量居第二位的汽车制造商福特(Ford)提供广泛的系列产品。福特车队销售可持续发展经理约翰•科尔曼(Jon Coleman)表示，该公司正利用售后市场供应商安装压缩天然气设备，并尽力提供“最齐全的车型组合”。
All of the companies attributed the limited demand for CNG vehicles to the shortage of CNG filling stations and the cost and size of the fuel tanks.
这些公司都将压缩天然气汽车需求有限，归因于压缩天然气充气站短缺以及气罐的成本和尺寸。
But John O’Dell, a senior editor at Edmunds.com, the automotive site, said that, if those challenges could be overcome, the attractions were significant. “Natural gas is as close as possible to a no-compromise replacement for gasoline or diesel.”
然而，汽车网站Edmunds.com高级编辑约翰•奥戴尔(John O’Dell)表示，如果能够克服这些挑战，吸引力将很可观。“天然气是一种可取代石油或柴油、且不会在性能上打折扣的选择，在这方面近乎完美。”