(October 10, 2012) TORRANCE, Calif. — Fighting back against a spike in gasoline prices and building on momentum from record sales of the Civic Natural Gas Vehicle, Honda today announced that it is working with Clean Energy Fuels Corp., America's largest owner of public compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations, and participating Honda dealers to provide a special savings to customers purchasing a new 2012 Civic Natural Gas Vehicle — a debit card pre-loaded with $3,000 that can be used at Clean Energy CNG fueling stations around the country to purchase fuel.

In addition to the fuel card savings, 2012 Civic Natural Gas Vehicle customers in California may have the added benefit of single-occupant access to High Occupancy Vehicle "carpool" lanes through Jan. 1, 2015.

With a combined EPA fuel economy rating of 31 mpg and a fuel cost savings of up to 40 percent compared to a typical gasoline-powered compact car, the Civic Natural Gas Vehicle can significantly reduce the pain at the pump. The Civic Natural Gas Vehicle can also be refueled in a matter of minutes, much like a conventional gasoline-powered car, and should be able to cover over 200 miles on a single tank of fuel (depending on driving conditions and style).

The nation-wide average price of natural gas fuel for vehicles in July was $2.05 per equivalent gasoline gallon, according to the most recent Department of Energy, Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price report on fuel prices. Ninety-eight percent of natural gas consumed in North America is domestically produced.

The 2012 Civic Natural Gas Vehicle, the only OEM produced natural-gas powered passenger vehicle in the U.S, posted record sales since going on-sale in October 2011 as a new model, increasing 22 percent versus the same period a year ago, highlighting continued growing consumer interest in practical alternatives to gasoline, and natural gas in particular.

The Civic Natural Gas Vehicle is available for purchase at 199 certified Honda CNG dealers in 36 states. It is the only dedicated CNG-powered passenger car available for retail purchase from a major automaker and is manufactured exclusively by Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, LLC in Greensburg, Indiana, using domestic and globally sourced parts.

Consumers interested in learning more about their refueling locations can visit Clean Energy's web-based station locator at http://www.cleanenergyfuels.com for a listing of stations in their area.