General Motors Provides Alternative Fuel Vehicles As Part Of Unprecedented Commitment To 2002 Olympic Winter Games
General Motors Provides Alternative Fuel Vehicles As Part Of Unprecedented Commitment To 2002 Olympic Winter Games
DETROIT - As part of General Motors' unprecedented commitment of more than 5,000 vehicles that will provide transportation solutions for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, a special unit of 200 full-size bi-fuel vans will be assigned to shuttle Olympians to and from workouts and competitions. These vehicles produce little evaporative emissions when fueled by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), highlighting GM's commitment to applying innovation and technology to address the world's energy challenges.
"We're very pleased to partner with the U.S. Olympic Team and provide these special vehicles to help support the critical infrastructure for the upcoming Games in Salt Lake City," said John Gaydash, director of marketing, GM Fleet & Commercial Operations. The vehicles that make up the special CNG unit are the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana.
Special benefits of Compressed Natural Gas include:
- Natural gas is a clean-burning fuel that reduces vehicle maintenance. It is a mixture of hydrocarbons and is produced either from gas wells or in conjunction with crude oil production. Natural gas is a domestic, readily available fuel.
- On a gallon-equivalent basis, natural gas costs an average of 15 to 40 percent less than gasoline or diesel fuel. Dedicated natural gas vehicles produce little or no evaporative emissions during refueling and use.
In addition to CNG, General Motors offers several other types of Alternative Fuel Vehicles, including vehicles that run on propane (LPG) or ethanol (E85).
GM's alternative fuel products are particularly attractive to fleet customers, because they meet government mandates and qualify for vehicle incentives and tax credits. In addition to those cost savings, monthly fuel expenditures may also show a drop because many alternative fuels cost less per equivalent gallon than conventional gasoline.
"While we believe hydrogen is the long-term fuel of choice, we won't get there overnight. GM will continue to broaden its alternative fuel product portfolio and support infrastructure enhancements that back alternative fuel vehicle sales," said Gaydash.
For more information on GM's CNG vehicles and on GM's overall Alternative Fuel Vehicle fleet, please visit www.gmaltfuel.com.
The overall GM Olympic Vehicle Fleet, supplied by GM to help support the infrastructure of the upcoming Games, will provide transportation solutions by "driving" Olympic athletes, dignitaries, officials, coaches, staff and volunteers to and from competition venues, hospitality and housing areas and other key locations throughout Salt Lake City and surrounding areas during Games time. The fleet will include 2002 model year trucks and cars representing seven GM brands - Chevrolet, Pontiac, GMC, Buick, Cadillac, Oldsmobile and Saturn - and the largest allotment of vehicles ever used in staging an Olympic Games. The Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games will take place February 8-24, 2002.
General Motors, the world's largest vehicle manufacturer and official domestic automotive partner of the U.S. Olympic Team through 2004, designs, builds and markets cars and trucks worldwide. By providing transportation solutions for the Olympic Games through its significant commitments to the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the Salt Lake Organizing Committee (SLOC), General Motors is helping bring the Olympic spirit to communities everywhere.
