EIA: Natural Gas Vehicle Fuel Prices Rose in the U.S. in 2022 and 2023

SEATTLE (Oil Monster): According to the most recent report released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), after being relatively constant for nearly ten years, natural gas automobile fuel costs in the United States increased in 2022 and 2023.

New estimates show that after recording almost flat costs from 2011 to 2021, the inflation-adjusted fuel prices for natural gas vehicles rose in 37 states between 2021 and 2023. In the meantime, actual U.S. natural gas costs for automobile gasoline were still 25% lower than their 2008 peak.

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According to the EIA study, natural gas sales to the U.S. on-road car fuel market have more than doubled in the last ten years. Between 2013 and 2023, the volume increased from 30 billion cubic feet (Bcf) to over 62 Bcf. 

California is the state that uses the most natural gas for automobile fuel. Since 1997, the state has continued to hold the top spot. 51% of the national market for natural gas automobile fuel was held by the state in 2023. Florida, with 10% of the overall consumption, came in second. North Carolina saw the biggest increase in natural gas car fuel usage, rising from 71 million cubic feet in 2013 to about 1.8 billion cubic feet in 2023.

EIA analysis suggests that natural gas powers only less than 1% of the total registered U.S. vehicles in 2023.