California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition Questions Ford's Position on Environmentally Friendly Vehicles

Ford Quietly Ends Natural Gas Vehicle Production in the U.S. While Touting Its Goals to Meet EPA Standards

SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 22 -- The California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition (CNGVC) continues to question Ford Motor Company's decision to end production of natural gas vehicles (NGVs) while today the company touted its plans to meet emissions standards.

In a press release issued by Ford, the company today announced that more than half of its 2005 model year "light" vehicles will meet the Environmental Protection Agency's new Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions standard.

Ford's announcement left Mike Eaves, president of the CNGVC, again asking how the company could claim to be so committed to environmental guidelines and protection while deciding to abandon a proven alternative -- NGVs -- many of which already meet the more strict emissions standards such as the Super Ultra Low-Emission Vehicle (SULEV) standard set by the State of California or the Tier-2 Bin 2 standard set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

"According to its release, none of Ford's 2005 model cars meet the Tier-2 Bin 2 standard or the equivalent SULEV standard. However, most of the NGV models Ford has discontinued -- such as the F-150 CNG Pickup and the Econoline Van -- already meet the SULEV standard," noted Eaves.

"It is quite disingenuous of Ford to try to reclaim the mantle of environmental leadership when its new 2005 models do not meet the most stringent emissions guidelines," said Eaves. "With more and more Americans suffering from respiratory ailments caused by automotive emissions, now is not the time to take a step back in our efforts to build the cleanest vehicles possible."

Once one of the largest producers of NGVs, Ford recently announced that it would stop producing the vehicles. This decision took many by surprise -- including the state and local entities to which Ford had sold products as well as many public-private partnerships.

"In the past, Ford used its production of NGVs to demonstrate its commitment to a cleaner environment," said Eaves. "Now they have walked away from that commitment, leaving many programs and people stranded, and they didn't even consult with them. They want to tout their 2005 vehicle emissions and claim that they are for the environment. If that's true, then why abandon the NGVs, the taxpayers and others who invested in it?"

Ford worked with state and local public entities and government entities to sell the NGV product, build natural gas fueling stations, and create incentive programs for NGV purchases. Through these projects, the company also received a variety of subsidies and incentives from government entities at the local, state and federal levels.

"In an interesting twist, Ford has decided to release its second generation NGV in Europe in the 2006 model year," added Eaves. "So they are denying Americans access to NGV technology while giving Europe the opportunity to build -- and benefit from -- advanced natural gas vehicles. It just doesn't make sense and we'd like them to explain why."

About Natural Gas Vehicles and The California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition

Natural gas is the cleanest burning alternative transportation fuel available today, and natural gas vehicles (NGVs) have been certified as meeting some of the nation's most demanding environmental standards.

NGVs look like any other vehicle and they operate on natural gas as opposed to traditional gasoline. They also reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, the principal "greenhouse" gas that contributes to global warming. Therefore, NGVs are an existing solution to high fuel prices, unstable energy supplies and air pollution.

There are almost 130,000 NGVs on U.S. roads today and more than 2 million are in use worldwide. There are more than 20,000 NGVs in use in California, most of them serving the public in transit, refuse, school bus, shuttle, taxi, municipal, and utility fleets. The California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition represents companies, organizations and individuals who are committed to expanding the use of this safe, affordable and environmentally friendly technology.