LA CROSSE, Wis. -- With gas prices still hovering above $2 per gallon, imagine paying as little as $1.25 a gallon to run a car.

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Such a cost savings comes not from gasoline, but instead pumping a fuel that many of people already use to heat their home or to cook a meal.

Natural gas is a fuel that is readily available, produced in North America and is virtually pollution free. According to current designs, a compressed natural gas-powered vehicle could hypothetically be filled up in home's garage every night.

A version of this vehicle is available today in Wisconsin.

A Honda Civic looks just like any other sedan seen on the road, but it isn't. The Civic has a trick up its sleeve.

"This car is fueled by American-produced natural gas," said Chris Schneider, president of Honda Motorwerks in La Crosse. "It's stored as a gas and I should say, when we talk about gas, we are usually referring to gasoline that's stored as a liquid. This is stored as a gas."

When he drives this modified Civic, Schneider is driving what many consider a solution to the nation's energy crisis. The vehicle is known as a compressed natural gas vehicle, or CNG car.

"I have driven this car 380 miles on less than $10 worth of natural gas energy, and it's a partial emission vehicle, which means that I and 49 of my best friends could all drive one and produce the hydrocarbon tailpipe emission of one typical 2000 model car," he said.

Natural gas is a form of energy that's used to heat buildings, run appliances and even help produce electricity. It's relatively clean, cheap, completely domestic and most importantly, in abundant supply and available now, WISC-TV reported.

"We pipe natural gas all across America. It's readily available in our communities. It's just a matter of getting it to a pump. And that probably frightens some consumers thinking they're not going to be able to find a place to re-fill the car. Well. we think it should not be frightening at all to think about not having to go to a gas station ever again," Schneider said.

There are only 1,600 CNG stations nationwide as compared to 200,000 gas stations. However, a home fueling device called "Phill," lets owners tap right into the gas lines that feed their homes.

"You pop open the gas door and you remove this little protection unit. You take the hose off and press it on and you press the start button and then you go have dinner," Schneider said. "When Phill is completely full, he will turn himself off automatically."

The Phill system costs close to $5,000, but there are federal tax credits. It takes three hours to fill a Honda GX.

Schneider said that the only downside of this vehicle is the compressed natural gas tank takes up more space that a convention gasoline one, which reduces trunk space. He joked that the only other major issue is that they only make the car in five or six colors.

Natural gas prices do vary and they have been increasing lately, but even with gasoline prices as low as they are this month, it's still twice as expensive as natural gas.

In Madison, there's a CNG re-fueling station at Madison Gas and Electric. MG&E will let drivers fill up during regular business hours, WISC-TV reported.

Natural gas-powered cars do have some drawbacks and some critics. Glenn Bower, a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an automotive expert, said that the reason these cars haven't taken off is because there isn't a workable infrastructure in place.

He said that Honda is the only automaker making the CNG car and Bower said that it would take years to get other manufacturers on board. He said, however, that once demand increases, the cost savings could go down.

"One of the things right now that people aren't thinking of is road tax is not put on CNG and I guarantee you that if we switch the whole infrastructure in the United States to CNG, there will be a road tax on it," Bower said.

He said that with gas prices hovering around $2, road taxes are on the order of 45 cents so almost 25 percent of the fuel.

Bower also said that drivers don't get as much energy out of a CNG car, although when someone is just driving around the city, the deficit is barely noticeable.

The 2006 Honda Civic that Schneider test drove is about $23,000. There's a waiting list for those who want a new one.

Like oil, natural gas supplies aren't infinite, but some proponents said that they see this idea as a bridge from where drivers are now to where they need to be.

Stay tuned to WISC-TV and Channel 3000 for continuing coverage.