GM and National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition Partner To Advance the Use of E85

Campaign Aimed at Increasing Use of Alternative Fuel

LAS VEGAS – General Motors Corp. and the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition (NEVC) announced today a new public awareness campaign aimed at increasing the use of E85. E85 is a mixture of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline and can be used in flexible fuel vehicles (FFV) designed to use either E85 or gasoline. GM has produced more than 1 million of the 3 million flexible fuel vehicles on the road today capable of using E85.

The campaign is part of a two-year partnership between the nonprofit (NEVC) and GM. Last year the two joined forces to raise awareness of the benefits of E85 at events in Wisconsin , Illinois , Minnesota and Missouri . The campaign included an “I Fuel Good” direct mail campaign that provided owners of GM flexible fuel vehicles with debit cards to be used toward the purchase of E85.

“We saw substantial use of the cards for E85 fuel in the markets we targeted, more than 20 percent in some areas,” said Phil Lampert, executive director of the NEVC. “We hope to have a similar impact as we broaden our campaign to more cities and even more FFV owners.”

The ethanol promotion effort, announced today at a preview reception for the Commodity Classic, will take place during the next 10 months. It will include a variety of elements, including an effort to educate GM FFV owners and dealership employees on the benefits of E85 and numerous awareness events in targeted cities.

“E85 is just beginning to become available in many areas, and we want owners of E85-capable GM vehicles to know the benefits of using this alternative fuel,” said Gary Herwick, director of alternative fuels for General Motors. “Working together with the NEVC, we can make a difference by educating and encouraging industry and consumers to do their part by continuing to develop the E85 infrastructure, and by using E85 in their GM flexible fuel vehicles whenever possible.”

“The number of ethanol fueling stations is limited but growing. That, along with this program, will help increase the use of E85, which will benefit the environment and help enhance the nation's energy security,” added Lampert.

Ethanol is alcohol that is currently made from domestically produced corn; it delivers performance similar to regular gasoline. Throughout the past five years, the demand for E85 has increased ten-fold to about 10 million gallons a year.

In the future, production of ethanol could come from bio-mass such as corn and wheat stalks, forestry waste and municipal waste. Ethanol is a clean, domestically produced alternative fuel that does not deplete petroleum energy supplies because it is made from renewable resources.

Many 2005 model year GM vehicles equipped with the Vortec 5300 engine will be available with E85-capabilities, including the Chevrolet Avalanche, Suburban and GMC Yukon XL, Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full size pickups and the Chevrolet Tahoe police pursuit vehicle.

“These vehicles are just an example of an entire range of technologies we have developed to eventually remove the automobile from the environmental debate,” said Elizabeth Lowery, GM's vice president for environment and energy. “In the long term, our goal is to replace the internal combustion engine entirely with a hydrogen powered fuel cell, but until such time that the technology is commercially viable, we are working to improve fuel efficiency on a variety of fronts.”

The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition is the nation's primary advocate dedicated to the use of 85 percent ethanol as a form of alternative transportation fuel. It is a coalition of corn growers, ethanol producers and auto manufacturers based in Jefferson City , Missouri . For more information, visit www.e85fuel.com .

General Motors Corp. , the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, employs about 325,000 people globally. Founded in 1908, GM has been the global automotive sales leader since 1931. GM today has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in 192 countries. In 2003, GM sold nearly 8.6 million cars and trucks, about 15 percent of the global vehicle market. GM's global headquarters is at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit . More information on GM and its products can be found on the company's consumer website at www.gm.com .