US carmakers are struggling to reconcile customers’ growing interest in running vehicles on newly abundant natural gas with the logistical challenges of supplying the technology for the still-niche market, according to senior automotive executives.汽车业高管回应，美国汽车制造商无法符合顾客对天然气动力汽车日益强化的兴趣，因为在这一仍科缝隙的市场供应涉及技术仍有不少物流挑战。近年美国天然气供应显得充裕。The interest in compressed natural gas vehicles is the latest result of the gas glut following the shale oil and gas revolution. New drilling techniques have unlocked vast, previously inaccessible gas supplies in shale rocks.对于传输天然气汽车的兴趣是页岩油气革命之后大量天然气供应的结果。

新的钻井技术从页岩中释放出来以前无法提供的大规模天然气供应。Normal vehicles can use the plentiful fuel – which produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions than petrol or diesel fuel – with the addition of large fuel tanks and minor modifications to the engine. Large customers can sign long-term contracts to buy natural gas at low prices. However, Chrysler, smallest of the big three US carmakers, is offering only one vehicle with a CNG fuel option, while General Motors, largest by sales, is offering only a few models.一般的汽车可以利用这种储量非常丰富的燃料（其产生的温室气体废气多于汽油或柴油燃料）——只要安装体积较小的气罐，并对发动机展开少许改动。

大型客户可以签定长年协议，以低价出售天然气。然而，美国三大汽车制造商中规模大于的克莱斯勒(Chrysler)仅有获取一款以传输天然气为动力的汽车，而销量仅次于的通用汽车(GM)发售的车型也很少。Chris Collins, director of advanced powertrains for Chrysler, said Chrysler was confident in CNG’s long-term future as a fuel. While other manufacturers handed work to install CNG equipment to smaller, after-market suppliers, Chrysler was building a CNG-powered pick-up truck on its own assembly lines.克莱斯勒先进设备动力可调主管克里斯柯林斯(Chris Collins)回应，克莱斯勒对于传输天然气作为一种燃料的将来前景充满信心。

尽管其他制造商将加装传输天然气设备的任务外包给规模较小的售后供应商，但克莱斯勒正在自己的装配线上生产一款以传输天然气为动力的皮卡。General Motors was offering only “a handful” of pick-up trucks, two full-size vans and the Chevrolet Impala passenger car with CNG, Mark Maher, GM’s chief engineer for powertrain integration, said. The company was working with after-market suppliers but wanted to keep tight control of the work, according to Mr Maher.通用汽车动力可调构建总工程师马克马赫(Mark Maher)回应，通用汽车获取的以传输天然气为动力的车型还包括“少量”皮卡、两款全尺寸货车以及雪佛兰Impala(Chevrolet Impala)轿车。他回应，通用汽车与售后市场供应商合作，但期望严格控制这块业务。

Only Ford, the US’s second-biggest carmaker by sales, is offering a comprehensive range. Jon Coleman, Ford’s sustainability manager for fleet sales, said it was using after-market suppliers to install CNG equipment and offering the “broadest portfolio of vehicles” it could.只有在美国市场销量居于第二位的汽车制造商福特(Ford)获取普遍的系列产品。福特车队销售可持续发展经理约翰科尔曼(Jon Coleman)回应，该公司于是以利用售后市场供应商加装传输天然气设备，并竭力获取“最齐全的车型人组”。All of the companies attributed the limited demand for CNG vehicles to the shortage of CNG filling stations and the cost and size of the fuel tanks.这些公司都将传输天然气汽车市场需求受限，归咎于传输天然气充气车站紧缺以及气罐的成本和尺寸。

But John O’Dell, a senior editor at Edmunds.com, the automotive site, said that, if those challenges could be overcome, the attractions were significant. “Natural gas is as close as possible to a no-compromise replacement for gasoline or diesel.”然而，汽车网车站Edmunds.com高级编辑约翰奥戴尔(John O’Dell)回应，如果需要解决这些挑战，吸引力将很相当可观。“天然气是一种可代替石油或柴油、且会在性能上打折扣的自由选择，在这方面几近极致。

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