Fleet managers looking for more choice of compact cars powered by natural gas should be able to purchase a dedicated CNG Chevrolet Cruze in the fall.

Crazy Diamond Performance, from Shelby Township, Mich., is working toward EPA certification for a dedicated conversion of the General Motors-produced compact sedan. The CNG Cruze would compete against only Honda Civic CNG, which is now the only production model in the class. General Motors is launching its bi-fuel Impala sedan later this year.

“It’s a really good vehicle to begin with, but we wanted to make something that was affordable,” said Kevin Fern, Crazy Diamond's president. “It will be the lowest-cost NGV that’s out there. We also wanted to make a good, solid all-around vehicle for cities, counties, and states.”

The Crazy Diamond Performance Cruze will be a dedicated CNG model. Another model, the alt-fuel Cruze available through IMPCO, is a bi-fuel vehicle. Since it will only use natural gas, Fern said the dedicated CNG version of the Cruze will offer lower emissions overall.

The gasoline-powered Cruze sells for $17,520, and Fern said his company’s CNG version would start at $25,995

Fern said he wanted to offer a CNG-powered vehicle for those government and commercial fleets that need or prefer to purchase domestic cars.

The Cruze will be able to carry 8.5 gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE) of CNG, and have a range of 225 to 250 miles. It will come with a 100,000-mile powertrain warranty through a third party.