Taurus & Ranger Drivers in the Chicago Area Can Avoid High Gas Prices
15 June 2000
CHICAGO - Thousands of drivers in the Chicago area may be able to save big
bucks at the gas pump, and they may not even know it. That's because all 2000
model year Ford Taurus sedans and 1998-2000 model year Ranger pickups with
3.0-liter, V-6 engines are flexible fuel vehicles.
The flexible fuel option allows the vehicles to run on ethanol (E85),
unleaded gasoline, or any combination of the two fuels in the same tank.
At the Marathon stations on Larkin Ave in Elgin, West Colfax in Palatine
and Northwest Highway in Mt. Prospect, pump prices for E85 ranges from 22 to
35 cents less than gasoline. At Lakeview Gas City station in Chicago and
SuperAmerica station in Des Plaines, ethanol is 24 and 74 cents cheaper than
gas respectively. Currently, there are nine stations in the Chicago area that
offer ethanol.
In the 1998 model year, Ford began giving customers the flexible fuel
option on all 3.0-liter, V-6 powered Ranger pickups. To date, Ford has sold
more than 200,000 Ranger flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) nationwide. For the
2000 model year, Ford added the 3.0-liter Taurus to its high-volume FFV
lineup.
The Taurus FFV is equipped with either the Vulcan or Duratec engine and
meets California's low emission vehicle (LEV) standard. The Taurus FFV is
produced at Ford's Chicago Assemble Plant.
The cost of making cars or trucks FFVs is estimated to be as much as $300
per vehicle, which Ford does not pass on the consumers. Upgraded components
in FFVs include the fuel pump, fuel rails, fuel injectors, fuel lines and
filler pipe. In addition, the package includes a unique electronic engine
control module to calibrate engine response to different fuel mixtures of
gasoline and ethanol.
To find out if their vehicle is a flexible fuel vehicle, drivers can look
for the Ford "Leaf and Road" badge that identifies the vehicle as an
alternative fuel vehicle and check their owner's manuals. The fuel door also
has a label that identifies the vehicle as being ethanol or E-85 capable.
E-85 is a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent reformulated
gasoline. It can be made from virtually any organic material, although nearly
all of the 1.7 billion gallons produced each year currently come from corn.
Several projects are already underway to process ethanol from rice straw,
sugar cane, wood waste and even landfill waste.
The use of E-85 reduces carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles by as much
as 20 percent compared to gasoline and may help reduce emission of greenhouse
gases.
"Ethanol is a domestically produced, renewable fuel," said Phil Lampert,
director of the ethanol vehicle coalition. "Full scale production of ethanol
could increase farm income by $4.5 billion annually, create nearly 200,000 new
jobs and improve the U.S. balance of trade by $2 billion annually."
Ford Motor Company has taken an active role in promoting the sale and use
of ethanol. Last year, Ford spent one million dollars developing retail
alternative fuel filling stations, including 10 new ethanol stations in
Chicago and 40 new stations in the Minnealopis/St. Paul area. This year, Ford
is looking at expanding that program to other cities including Louisville,
Ky., Milwaukee and Denver.
To date, Ford has distributed more than $100,000 in free E-85 coupons to
qualified retail customers purchasing flexible fuel vehicles. Ford is also a
charter member of the ethanol vehicle coalition, which is committed to
promoting ethanol.
In addition to the Ford Ranger and Taurus, the 1998-2000 model year
Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth minvan with the 3.3-liter V6 engine, 1999-2000
model year Chevrolet S-10 and GMC Sonoma pickup with the 2.2 liter,
4-cylinder engine are also flexible fuel vehicles.
