Honda next year will begin mass-marketing natural-gas-powered Civics that will come with a device to fill the car's tank in the owner's garage. It's the first time an automaker will sell a natural-gas vehicle broadly to the public, according to USA Today. Up to now, the national newspaper said, sales have been mostly limited to specialized fleets such as airport vans and university campus vehicles. Honda has sold 500 to 1,000 natural-gas Civic GX models a year since 1998 to customers such as the New York Department of Transportation, which owns 400. They are popular for commercial fleets that travel short distances and have their own designated filling stations. "What's kept natural-gas vehicles from driveways is an easy, reliable way to refill, and we've got that now," says Stephen Ellis, head of Honda alternative vehicle sales. Honda will sell an appliance, called a "Phill," with each Civic GX to fill the car's tank from the homeowner's gas line. Phill will cost $2,000, but tax credits may knock the end-cost down to $1,000, according to USA Today. Civic GX will cost $20,000, about the same as a hybrid gas/electric Civic, according to the national newspaper, which said Honda views the market as mostly second and commuter cars. Ellis expects Civic GX sales, which will start in California, to follow the pattern of hybrid Civics. Honda sold 13,000 hybrids last year, and that many through July this year. "We know we can eventually sell tens of thousands a year, but it wouldn't be possible without a home refueling option," Ellis said.