Albuquerque's Barry Bitzer likes the fact that his newly acquired Honda GX needs no gasoline and spits out almost zero emissions from the tailpipe.

The one problem with the natural-gas-fueled vehicle: There are only three public places in the state to refuel it. "The one thing I cannot yet do with my CNG Honda GX is drive interstate to the west, south or east," Bitzer said. "There are no fueling stations for it within my 250- to 300-mile range."

Bitzer bought the sporty four-door car a week ago at Perfection Honda in Rio Rancho, the only dealer licensed to sell the CNG Civics in New Mexico.

He figures he can get close to 300 miles on the tank that holds an 8-gallon equivalent of compressed natural gas. The fuel is cheaper than regular unleaded gasoline by 40 cents a gallon, too. The car has a sticker on the side proudly announcing it is an NGV — a natural-gas vehicle.

Official Honda estimates are that an NGV gets 24 miles to the gallon in the city and 36 on the highway. Bitzer said he drives like an old granny, so he expects to get the maximum fuel-efficiency.

Bitzer is one of fewer than a half-dozen individuals who have purchased one of the compressed-natural-gas cars in the state. State government and other agencies have been purchasing the NGVs for their fleets for at least five years, according to Tim McGee, Internet sales manager at Perfection Honda.

McGee said Perfection Honda has sold a couple of dozen NGVs in the last five years, most of them to government fleets. He said mechanics had to be specially trained to fix and warranty their work on the vehicles.

The car is little different than a regular Civic. "From my perspective, it's just a regular car, motor- and drive-train-wise," Bitzer said. "The tank is where the trunk should be, so I made them throw in a luggage rack. It drives just like a regular economy car, and I got decent dealer financing."

He thinks the car has other advantages over hybrids, like not needing a high-tech battery that carries its own environmental footprint.

Bitzer also likes that the natural gas used in his vehicle is homegrown. New Mexico is among the top producers of natural gas in the country. And revenue from natural-gas production goes to support the state's general fund.

"Unlike hybrids, which still run on fuel shipped all the way from the Persian Gulf, CNG is totally 'local,' " Bitzer said. "This means a lower footprint for shipping."

The biggest downside is the lack of public fueling stations. New Mexico has a total of seven stations, but five are private, government-use only. Bitzer said Oklahoma has a ton of compressed-natural-gas stations — but that doesn't help him much.

Plans are in the works to increase the use of compressed-natural-gas vehicles. Congress is considering legislation proposed by oilman T. Boone Pickens to convert all commercial trucks to natural gas. And, according to the Bloomberg news website, Honda announced plans at the Los Angeles Auto Show to expand sales of the Civic GX to all 50 states.

McGee said he thinks the infrastructure is coming, especially as more of the cars are sold. At one point, Honda's corporate offices even contracted with a company to make conversion kits for homes, to allow people to refuel their vehicles from the natural gas used at their house, he said. He's not sure if those kits are still available.

The company continues trying to perfect a car that is clean, runs well and is inexpensive, McGee said. In California, the company is testing the hydrogen-fueled Honda Clarity.

Contact Staci Matlock at 986-3055 or smatlock@sfnewmexican.com.