LOS ANGELES — Imagine having your own private filling station at home, so you don't need to fill up at a gas station anymore. A distant dream? It's about to become reality for some Californian Honda owners, thanks to Phill.
Phill is a revolutionary new home-refueling appliance that Honda is piloting with some Californian buyers of its natural gas-powered Civic GX sedan, the cleanest internal combustion vehicle ever certified by the U.S. EPA and the only natural gas car on sale in the U.S.
Home refueling will give the car the lowest fuel cost per mile of any new vehicle. The Phill device, manufactured by FuelMaker Corporation, can be mounted to a garage wall either indoors or outdoors and allow a natural gas-powered vehicle to be refueled overnight using the existing home gas supply.
Phill is easy to use, with simple "start" and "stop" buttons. It automatically turns itself off when the tank is full. Phill will be available for lease through 17 Honda dealers in Bakersfield, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco.
Civic GX buyers qualify for a $2,000 tax deduction on the purchase of a new alternative fuel vehicle, and drivers in California and nine other states also qualify for High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane access for solo commuters.
What this means to you: Great idea, as long as we don't forget to plug into Phill the night before an important business trip. Still, the march toward alternative fuels is steadily accelerating and convenience remains the biggest hurdle for consumers. Looks like this idea could have some legs.
Phill is a revolutionary new home-refueling appliance that Honda is piloting with some Californian buyers of its natural gas-powered Civic GX sedan, the cleanest internal combustion vehicle ever certified by the U.S. EPA and the only natural gas car on sale in the U.S.
Home refueling will give the car the lowest fuel cost per mile of any new vehicle. The Phill device, manufactured by FuelMaker Corporation, can be mounted to a garage wall either indoors or outdoors and allow a natural gas-powered vehicle to be refueled overnight using the existing home gas supply.
Phill is easy to use, with simple "start" and "stop" buttons. It automatically turns itself off when the tank is full. Phill will be available for lease through 17 Honda dealers in Bakersfield, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco.
Civic GX buyers qualify for a $2,000 tax deduction on the purchase of a new alternative fuel vehicle, and drivers in California and nine other states also qualify for High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane access for solo commuters.
What this means to you: Great idea, as long as we don't forget to plug into Phill the night before an important business trip. Still, the march toward alternative fuels is steadily accelerating and convenience remains the biggest hurdle for consumers. Looks like this idea could have some legs.
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