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Ford and MichCon Team Up for Natural Gas Project

12 August 1997

Ford and MichCon Team Up for Natural Gas Project

    DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 12 -- MichCon and Ford Motor Company
are substantially increasing their commitment to expand the market
for clean-burning natural gas vehicles.  The two companies will invest more
than $500,000 to add 150 natural gas vehicles (NGVs) to Ford's Southeast
Michigan fleet.
    MichCon will install a natural gas fueling station and deliver the gas to
Ford's Research and Engineering Center in Dearborn to support the addition of
natural gas vehicles to Ford's company fleet.  Eighty-five percent of Ford's
natural gas fleet vehicles will be dedicated to natural gas, the remaining
fifteen percent will be bi-fuel vehicles that can run on either natural gas or
unleaded gasoline.
    "Ford has been committed to developing high-quality natural gas vehicles
for more than a decade," said Alex Trotman, Ford's chairman and chief
executive officer.  "Now we're bringing that commitment home in a more
concrete way by having our own employees drive them on the job on a regular
basis."
    "This is an important step in furthering market acceptance of natural gas
vehicles.  MichCon is continually adding fueling stations throughout Michigan
for natural gas vehicle customers," said Stephen E. Ewing, MichCon president
and chief executive officer.
    Groundbreaking on the new station is scheduled to begin in August and be
completed by November of this year.
    There are more than 1,000 natural gas fueling stations in the United
States.  Natural gas costs 40 percent less than an equivalent gallon of
gasoline or diesel fuel and the gas mileage of NGVs is comparable to unleaded
gasoline.  Natural gas vehicles are also safe, environmentally-friendly and
have superior engine performance.
    Ford offers the broadest variety of natural gas vehicles in the world.  In
1998, the company's North American NGV lineup includes six vehicles -- a
dedicated Crown Victoria sedan, F-250 pickup and Econoline van, and a bi-fuel
Contour sedan, F-series truck and Econoline van.  In addition, the Crown
Victoria is sold as a police package around the country and is newly available
in a taxi package with extended range.
    MichCon is one of the nation's largest natural gas distributors, with 1.2
million Michigan families and businesses relying on MichCon for their energy
needs.  MichCon is a wholly owned subsidiary of MCN Energy Group Inc.
.  Visit MichCon's Online Pipeline at http://www.michcon.com.

SOURCE  MichCon