Love's Opens First Rapid-Fueling CNG Facility

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores opened what is believed to be the country's first rapid-fueling compressed natural gas (CNG) rapid-fueling facility near Interstate 40 here.

The facility marks Love's first foray into fueling trucks, which require rapid-fueling technology to keep drivers on schedule, according to NewsOK.com.

"It's a thing of beauty," Love's CEO Tom Love told the news website during a grand opening celebration on Monday.

As CSNews Online has reported, Love's already openedseveral CNG fueling stations for consumer CNG fueling.

The convenience store retailer will also use the CNG truck fueling for some of its trucking fleet, providing a cost savings. Tom Love added that natural gas is developing into an strong alternative to traditional petroleum.

"It seems like a no-brainer because natural gas is so much less expensive than diesel or gasoline," he told the news outlet.

Oklahoma is perhaps the state most taking the lead when it comes to CNG. The state offers tax incentives both for consumers who purchase CNG vehicles and c-store/gas station retailers who build infrastructure for CNG. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has been behind many of those legislative efforts.

Gov. Fallin was on-hand at Love's new CNG facility to offer praise for Love's. "This is really a great day for Oklahoma to once again become a trendsetter," she said during the event, the news source reported.

Fallin has worked alongside Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper to enlist 13 other governors to commit to buying natural gas -vehicles for their state fleets.

Tom Love told NewsOK.com that he realizes some trucking companies will convert to liquefied natural gas (LNG) when converting from diesel. But he asserted that there is room for both LNG and CNG in regards to fleet fueling options.

"It's going to take a little time for it to get traction, but it's going to be a game changer," he told the news outlet.