Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA), Ford Motor Company (F): America’s Fuel of the Future Is Here

On the other hand, one company has already built the highway of the future. Clean Energy Fuels Corp (NASDAQ:CLNE) expects to have 150 natural gas refueling stations open by the end of the year as part of its plan to build America’s Natural Gas Highway. These stations would refuel a truck in the same amount of time as conventional gasoline. So when compared with Tesla, which currently has only about two dozen Supercharger stations open, natural gas is faster and more readily available.

In addition, natural gas has two critical advantages over electric. First, it’s cheap. Even spending the $10,000 to get the next-generation Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) F-150 equipped for natural gas, consumers who drive 1,000 miles per month would enjoy a five-year return on that investment of 98% at current prices, thanks to a $2.17-gallon-of -gasoline equivalent savings enjoyed by switching to natural gas.

The other clear advantage to natural gas is that it’s powerful. The battery power necessary to power a Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) F-150, let alone an 18-wheeler, would be astronomically expensive and take up important towing space. On the other hand, towing and hauling ratings aren’t reduced when a truck is powered by natural gas.

The article America’s Fuel of the Future Is Here originally appeared on Fool.com is written by Matthew DiLallo.

Matt DiLallo has long January 2014 $10 calls and short January 2014 $10 puts on Ford. The Motley Fool recommends Clean Energy Fuels, Ford, General Motors, and Tesla Motors and owns shares of Ford and Tesla Motors.

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