2009 Honda Civic GX

Honda says the Civic GX is the only vehicle certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to meet both Federal Tier 2 Bin 2 and Inherently Low Emission Vehicle (ILEV) zero evaporative emission certification standards.

2010 Honda Civic GX: Fill up

Unlike some other alternative fuels, much of the infrastructure (pipelines and such) for natural gas vehicle-fueling stations already exists. Cylinders to store the compressed natural gas are the main thing fueling stations would need to add. At one of the 1,500 or so public natural gas refueling stations in the U.S., it takes little longer to fully refill the GX’s cylinders than it does to fuel a conventional gasoline car’s tank. The government lists natural gas refueling stations at www.afdc.energy.gov.


Since natural gas is delivered by pipeline to more than half of American houses, it’s not difficult to refuel a natural-gas-powered vehicle at your house. Civic GX owners can refuel from their home natural gas system with the addition of Phill, a home-refueling appliance produced by FuelMaker Corporation. This system takes overnight to fully refill the Civic GX’s tank.

2009 Honda Civic GX: Notebook

This is the ninth straight year a Honda vehicle has received the top ranking by the ACEEE. For more on the ACEEE awards go to www.greenercars.org.


The Civic GX is the only natural-gas-fueled passenger vehicle available to retail customers in the United States. It’s assembled in East Liberty, Ohio. The Honda Civic GX is also a rolling tax deduction. Buying a Civic GX may earn you a $4,000 tax credit and installing a home refueling unit may be worth another $1,000 federal tax credit. In several states the Civic GX can legally use the high-occupant vehicle lane, while some cities offer free metered parking.

About the Author
Mac Demere is an automotive journalist and high-performance driving instructor who has competed in the NASCAR Southwest Tour and Rolex 24 at Daytona.