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GM/South Coast Community Clean Air Partnership Highlights Key Role

29 August 2000

General Motors/South Coast Community Clean Air Partnership Highlights Key Role for Advanced Diesel Technology

    WASHINGTON, Aug. 28 The Diesel Technology Forum today
issued the following statement on the announcement of a new $2.5 million
Community Clean Air Partnership between California's South Coast Air Quality
Management District (AQMD) and General Motors Corporation (GM):
    From school buses to passenger locomotives, diesel technology provides
essential services to Californians statewide.  Today's announcement by GM and
the AQMD underscores the exciting possibilities for advanced diesel technology
in California's future.
    Last week, AQMD announced establishment of a non-profit "Adopt-A-Bus"
program to raise funds to retrofit existing school buses or to assist school
districts with the purchase of alternative fueled buses.  The Diesel
Technology Forum and its member companies have been working with Dr. William
Burke, Chairman of AQMD on the program since its inception.
    "We are very proud that General Motors is making the first and very
significant contribution to the Adopt-A-Bus fund.  GM is a founding member of
the Diesel Technology Forum and this initiative is a terrific illustration of
the organization's goals in action," said Forum spokesman David Bartlett.
    The Community Clean Air Partnership is a joint effort between GM and the
AQMD.  The partnership includes a $250,000 contribution to the new Adopt-A-Bus
program, which will help school districts retrofit existing diesel buses with
advanced exhaust after-treatment technology.  It also includes commitments by
GM to develop advanced technology diesel-electric hybrid propulsion systems
from GM's Allison Transmission Division for transit buses operating in the
region.
    GM's contribution also includes $1.5 million to develop air pollution
reduction kits for existing diesel-powered passenger locomotives built by GM's
Electro-motive Division that will reduce nitrogen oxide NOx emissions by
23% next year.
    "The partnership announced today is symbolic of the mission of the Diesel
Technology Forum -- to reduce emissions from existing diesel vehicles using
advanced retrofit technology while recognizing the inherent benefits of diesel
technology.  It also demonstrates the promise of advanced diesel technology in
the future -- in this case through advanced diesel-electric hybrid transit
buses", said Bartlett.