they should put the tank under the frame like the ugly def tank

How many of these will be bought without government subsidies? Me thinks not many!

You better save a lot of gas at $4 per gallon to catch up to your competitor who bought the truck in unleaded-only trim for almost 10k less.

The whole concept is just a chem-class experiment gone wild. I could actually get excited about seeing someone building a direct hybrid alternative.

If any of you were to actually Google this, you would find out that CNG is 40% cheaper than reg gas! and has a higher octane rating! Not to mention that IF you have NG piped into your home, and were to install a NG compressor and you would be able to fill your own vehicle at home! an save even more! Then you have the added advantage of it being a much cleaner fuel to burn, and the oil changes in your vehicle could be cut in half or even thirds! There is a local fuel oil co. in my area that has some gas powered tank trucks in their home delivery fleet, that are over 15 years old! and while they do not get the mileage their diesel equivalents get, they have as much power and more acceleration than the diesels get, and run much cleaner! to the point of their plugs almost never needing to be changed and the oil lasting 4 times as long! and with their own NG compressor to fill their fleet, they save over 50% on fuel cost compared to the diesel! I might even have to think about this if I were to buy a newer truck! as the HD with this NG option makes more sense to me than a diesel! The Chevy 4x4 2500 CC with this NG option would have a combined 600-700 mile range, and would cost about 25% LESS than gas only never mind diesel, and with my Travel Trailer only weighing about 7.5K fully loaded, and my bikes in the back about 1K, it would be a lot easier than on my 1/2t Chevy! Yep I will have to give this some thought!

@sandman4wd
If you google this you will find the US the level of subsidisation is high by the tax payer.

This is not good for any country. When the time comes and it can pay for itself, then use this form of energy.

I'm not against alternatives, but they have to be viable.

Why should a person who can afford a large vehicle be subsidised?

From Bloomberg.
"In other words, market forces are working. It’s not yet clear what will be the most efficient means to get natural gas to power vehicles -- many options are on the table -- but the private sector is the best place to experiment. Billions of dollars in government subsidies will only further distort the energy sector, threaten to create another industry reliant on Washington’s largesse and drive up prices by artificially boosting demand. Such support could also crowd out promising renewable energy sources."

The link.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-29/natural-gas-vehicles-will-run-best-without-subsidies.html

I am from Central Pennsylvania where gas drilling, fracking is BIG and with all this natural gas they are producing it makes sense for my area. Many of these guys are from Texas and Oklahoma and they tell me all the local women here are fat and stuck up. I told them the women have to put on fat to keep warm for the cold winters and us local men like them better that way cause there's less of a chance they would cheat on us.

where do you go to get biofuel? Do you have to drive around to fast food places to fill up?

I guess it makes sense that sales are down on GM's bi fuel engine option too. Time for more cash on the hood.

@Tom#3
I agree with you totally. Is your wife really that obese? What a great and considered comment.

@Pat
Yes, I do know a guy who went to take aways here in Australia and collected the fats and oils.

He actually processed it to make bio-fuel.

The only problem is by the intones in your comment you are probably to lazy to apply yourself into achieving this.

Your time is probably better spent working at a job and to buy diesel at a service station.

If I were you I would make try and create a hobby out of making bio-fuel. This way you can justify the costs.

Why such a ugly truck ???

bigalfrom a socialist country down under: you said it yourself, why a person who can afford a large vehicle should be subsidized? If you were to look at it this way, most of us who can afford this vehicle, which by the way is a work vehicle, and not a RR or Bugati or Mercedes Benz, BMW or any other such nonsense, and is built in America, and said person if they can afford the vehicle, MUST be working very hard and making good enough money to buy said truck, and in doing so is OVERTAXED TO BEGIN WITH!!!! Why should I not be able to get some of it back? we are NOT talking about welfare lay abouts here! but HARD working tax PAYERS!!! it really is too bad you live in a country that for the same money as this nice HD truck, all you can buy for the same money is a knock off Ford Ranger! Mazda what BT-5o something or another! BOO HOO we do not want to hear it, or I should say I do not want to hear it, I pay about 30% of MY income! and then pay another 15% in property taxes, and then about 10% in excise taxes on al my vehicles, and if I am able to get some subsidized fuel? so what!!! Now if for some reason our government was in their infinite wisdom was to subsidize the same vehicle to some welfare stay at home bum the also has a EBT card with sec 8 housing and a garage? then you might be saying something! but this truck in bought mostly by hard working folks, who PAY TAXES! the very same taxes you talk about!!!!Not to mention all the other good reason to use NG as fuel! 99% of which comes from right here in America!!

Big Al from Oz Real nice real nice! Being a real D#$k to that Pat guy. Another foot down you go in the hole you're digging to no where land.

@sandman 4 X4,
LPG is more readily used here for Car/Utes, that is dying out though as most 4 X4 's are diesel. CNG used for short distance Buses, LPG for anything that goes considerable distances.
http://www.carsguide.com.au/news-and-reviews/car-reviews-road-tests/holden_omega_dual-fuel_ute_review
Buses using CNG
http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu105/Busabout/ACTIONTuggeranong-BUS343-CustomCoac.jpg

@sandman

are you talking about piping pressurized natural gas from your home's tap to a compressor so that you can carry it on your truck and burn it in place of unleaded?

Please stay WAY clear of me and my house while you're doing that, ok. Yikes.

papajim: they have systems for that, but they are very expensive for that reason, but where I live? there is no natural gas anyway, but when on the mainland traveling, it would be nice to have, and cheaper than the diesel, and a lot cleaner!

2015 is rapidly approaching and GM has yet to learn how to put wheel well liners in their trucks. There are 2 possibilities either they don't don't care or they believe saving the extra $5 is worth it on a $50k truck. I think GM customers should be insulted by this actually. You are giving a company $50k of your hard earned money and they can't have the decency to make a truck that doesn't look dirt cheap. Forgive me if I sound confrontational, I just don't know how or why consumers would put up with such nonsense.
For other manufactures who don't do wheel well liners, it's not as noticeable, everyone else has rounded wheel wheels, so it's only visible to the trained eye.

@HEMI MONSTER I'd rather not have well liners as they trap salt and mud and rot you're bed out. I think they do offer them if you really wanted them though. That's one thing I have noticed with 1990 Ford trucks with them, the beds all rot out around the wells. I rather have a nice open area I can easily wash out, then you can easily see if you got rust starting then you can repaint/rhino line and your bed last longer. That's my 2 cents on it.

@johnny doe
You're probably right in that respect that wheel liners will trap in salt. Maybe something like the stuff they use for spray on bed liner could be a good alternative for people worried about that. I know at least one guy who's done that on his Chevy. For me, that would never be a consideration(namely because I am a Ram guy), but also because I live in the LA area in California so we never have salt on the road here ever.

I know that GM does offer them, it's an add-on though. If GM has a good number of customers who really don't want them maybe they should offer those choice to have or remove them at no extra cost. Rust shouldn't really be an issue to most, because of the corrosion warranty. Even if I lived in a different area, I wouldn't be too concerned about it given that warranties they are offering nowadays.

Lastly, as I referred to earlier, the lack of the liners in those gigantic wheel wells just give the truck an overall "cheap" appearance, especially if the truck is white or a light color. That's my opinion anyways. If you ever go over to GMI, you will see a lot of people complain about the lack of wheel well liners.

@sandman4wd
Because you don't pay tax to 'get it back'. Then why pay tax?

If everyone who pays tax has your attitude the US would be filled with people who have a tendency for wanting entitlement and the US would be in debt. Oops it has a $hitload of debt.

Is America full of people who feel entitled to other peoples' taxes?

Imagine that. People who thinks they are owed. For nothing.

Business doesn't need to be subsidised. If a business is subsidised someone has to pay.

Why not stop subsidisation and have less tax.

It's these people who think they are special and are entitled to receive who are sending not just America broke, but many other countries.

If you want something, earn it and don't expect someone to subsidise you.

Learn to be competitive, or go hungry, because no one owes you $hit.

If the subsidies weren't with these vehicles and a ready location is available for refuels, then CNG might not be as good as one would think.

Inner city buses and truck work might suit this better than long haul. Sort of like an EV.

Having a truck setup as dual fuel wastes what little bed space a pickup has.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/09/lng-transportation-trucking-idUSL1N0MT10M20140409

bigalunderneathoz: I thought I made my point perfectly clear, but for some reason you cant understand that I work hard for my money, and feel over taxed, and you can not understand that, but coming from a socialist country with "free health care like you do" with your vehicles so over priced NOT for the manufactures, but for the country to tax you! Please do not respond to any of my posts anymore, if you can not understand where I am coming from! We live in different Countries, with different social ideas, so lets leave it at that and we will not get personal ok? One more time, I do NOT WANT ANY HANDOUTS< but if can find some way to get some of my tax money back, who are you to decide that is wrong?

@ HEMI MONSTER

The base models are the only ones not coming standard with wheel well liners from the factory in the new body style.

@sandman4wd
Just because you work hard doesn't give you any right to collect other peoples tax money for yourself.

In our culture we call this sense of entitlement socialist or even selfish.

Work hard and stop crying, pay your share of tax, so it can go towards protecting Detroit, farmers, energy, etc.

Socialist?? Do you even know what socialism is? Or were you taught on Fox and Friends?

bigal: I am not asking for, or trying to get "other peoples money" but like we do here in America when we file every year for a return on over payment, I am only talking about getting some of MY TAXES back, when I and IF I buy a new Chevy with the NG package, just like all the others out there in America that do that! like those who get back $7,500 when they buy a hybrid car. Like I have said more than once, and you can not get it through your thick head, I am not asking for, nor do I want any handout, but if the government want to give me money back on a program for a NG vehicle I will take it, just like you would IF your government were to give you money back on knox off Ford Rangers Mazda BT50 make believe trucks with a diesel engine in them that you are so fond of. Why can not you get it? are you that, well, I hate to use the word but if the shoe fits stupi ? Go ahead and still try if you are, ok?

GM should go straight to hybrid electric trucks much like Via motors,leave the CNG for house heating

Via motors hybrid electric truck
http://youtu.be/z1kR3-AImJk

http://youtu.be/p5STy6HRZEQ

@sandman4wd
Australia is moving away from the 'world owes me' mentality. This process has been ongoing for over 30 years.

If we had 'free' handouts in Australia, there would be people like you jumping at the 'free' money. There was a move to subsidise EVs and hybrids here. But it has had little effect other than some greenies, taxis and many government bodies buying them.

Australia is a user pays society. We are moving rapidly away from the subsidised culture.

It seems to be working.

I suppose if you are brought up in a world of handouts, like a kid who never leaves home, you will always expect.

I think you are a 'glass half empty' type. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

Nothing is gratis, someone has to pay, or you will eventually go broke.

Look at this truck, if of no real use, unless you tow a load. This then takes away from the vehicle touted as a truck.

So, what is the point of this vehicle? It's the government propping up an industry that might not be as viable as one would think. Why else would you have this vehicle?

If you are going to use it as a daily driver, you'd be better of driving a small CUV. At least a CUV is agile.

"Look at this truck, if of no real use, unless you tow a load. This then takes away from the vehicle touted as a truck."

This truck still has more bed space with the CNG tank, then the trucks in your country Mrs.Big Al from Oz. You should of got CUV sine you never haul nothing but air anyway.

bigalunderoz: I have now and forever lost all respect for you, you are nothing but an ignorant fool who either can not read, or chooses not to just to aggravate folks, and you have done that a lot here. I have WORKED my entire life from the day I turned 16 with a SS# to this very day, and have always worked, NEVER collected anything ever! and have paid over half a million dollars in taxes over my 43 years of working! and I find it very offensive for some one like yourself to even question me! This is the last time I will tell you before I complain to the editors here. That I want nothing for nothing! If you keep on with this thick headed affront to me you should not be aloud to post here anymore! as it is stated in the rules! NOT TO OFFEND ANYONE!!! AND TO BE CIVIL!! you and your rants offend me! You yourself have posted this like this some time ago, and you addressed it to may of us here! I would like the same respect you have asked others! If you want to post about trucks, do so, but do not post anything about me! ever again! in any way! you know nothing about me, or my working past, so keep your opinion to yourself! as IT IS NOT CORRECT in the least! and I find it offensive! "I suppose you we brought up in a world of handouts like a kid who never leaves home you will always expect". I expect NOTHING! and have worked hard all my life for what I own!

@Big Al, @Sandman4x4

You guys aren't that far apart on policy, but there are some differences on personality and style.

Let's propose: Subsidies are a way for government to reward one group of consumers and producers at the expense of another.

Government has, under the US Constitution, a limited power to tax and regulate, however, during the last 90 years that has become a mess, and fairly ripples with unintended consequences.

The genie is hard to put back in the bottle.

GM's bi-fuel 2015 2500HD 6.0L puts out 60hp less when running CNG--and the 17 gallon tank has only about 13-14 gallons of useable CNG while mpg is about 25% less than unleaded. Keep those numbers in mind when thinking of going alt fuel….