Verasun, Ford Open Industry-First Ethanol Corridor in America's Heartland

New Ethanol Corridor Gives Consumers Greater Access to Alternative Fuel

-- Innovative partnership between Ford and VeraSun expands E85 availability in the Midwest with the addition of 14 VE85(TM) stations along a corridor through Illinois -- Drivers of flexible fuel vehicles are able to travel from Chicago to St. Louis on domestically produced renewable fuel -- Increasing access to E85 helps move the nation toward energy independence

ST. LOUIS, June 29 -- VeraSun Energy Corporation , the nation's second-largest ethanol producer, in partnership with Ford Motor Company , global manufacturer and distributor of automobiles, today officially opened a new Midwest Ethanol Corridor. The corridor will increase the availability of VE85(TM), VeraSun's branded E85, with the addition of 14 new retail locations along I-55 in Illinois.

In November 2005, VeraSun announced a partnership with Ford to increase VE85(TM) fueling locations and raise awareness about the benefits of E85 use. E85, a fuel blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, is a clean, renewable, domestically produced fuel for flexible fuel vehicles.

Today's announcement marks another step in fulfilling the companies' initiative to increase the number of stations offering E85. VeraSun's branded E85 fuel, VE85(TM), is now available at more than 70 retail locations across the Midwest, including nearly 40 in Illinois.

"The opening of this corridor is the culmination of work between VeraSun and Ford, both of which committed to work in partnership to expand the availability of E85. While it is important to expand the availability of E85, it is equally important to raise consumer awareness regarding FFV ownership and E85 use. We believe this corridor serves as one example of how both objectives can be achieved when the automotive and ethanol industries work together," said Don Endres, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, VeraSun Energy Corporation.

"Today's launch represents an important step toward wider accessibility of E85 for America's drivers," said Bill Ford, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ford Motor Company. "Ethanol is an energy source straight from America's farmlands. Ford, together with VeraSun, believes the corridor can help jump-start the growth of E85 as we work to address the nation's energy issues."

Ford currently offers four FFV models designed to run on E85 or gasoline -- the 2006 Ford F-150, Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car -- and will produce up to 250,000 FFVs this year.

"Consumers can realize the benefits of using E85 today. It is a domestically produced, renewable fuel made from corn grown in the Midwest. E85 is good for our economy, reduces our dependence on foreign oil, and burns cleaner than regular gasoline, which is better for our environment," said Bill Honnef, VeraSun's Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "We applaud Ford for its commitment to produce flexible fuel vehicles and for teaming with us to promote E85 awareness and availability."

VeraSun is committed to developing markets for renewable fuels and helping consumers realize a future that includes renewable energy. Consumers interested in learning more about VE85(TM), and where to find VE85(TM) stations, can visit http://www.ve85.com/ .

About VeraSun Energy Corporation

VeraSun Energy Corporation is the second-largest ethanol producer in the U.S. The company has two operating production facilities located in Aurora, South Dakota and Fort Dodge, Iowa, is constructing a third facility in Charles City, Iowa, and has two additional facilities under development in Welcome, Minnesota and Northwestern Iowa. Upon completion of the new facilities, VeraSun will have an annual production capacity of approximately 560 million gallons of ethanol per year.

VeraSun's branded E85 is now available at more than 70 retail locations across the Midwest. The company markets VeraSun E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline for Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFVs), directly to fuel retailers under the brand VE85(TM). For more information, please visit the VeraSun websites at http://www.verasun.com/ or http://www.ve85.com/ .

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 300,000 employees and 108 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit http://www.ford.com/ .