Ford Alternative Fuel Vehicles Lead Parade
13 April 1998
Ford Alternative Fuel Vehicles Lead the Pack at New York's Auto Show Parade
NEW YORK, April 10 -- Nine of Ford Motor Company's cleanest
alternative fuel vehicles will be featured in the special parade to kick off
the 98th annual New York International Auto Show.
Ford, which has the broadest range of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) of
any manufacturer, will dominate the parade field with vehicles that run on an
array of alternative fuels including natural gas, propane, ethanol and
electricity. Some of the stars of the parade include Ford's newest and most
exciting alternative fuel vehicles: the Mustang Super Stallion, Ford
Expedition natural gas vehicle (NGV), and electric Ranger.
"Ford is proud to be the leader in alternative fuel vehicles," said John
Wallace, director of Ford's Alternative Fuels Vehicles. "We're offering more
AFV choices, and through the 1997 model year sold more AFVs in North America
than all other auto manufacturers combined, and we're working closely with our
customers to provide the types of vehicles they need."
Other Ford AFVs in the parade include: the dedicated natural gas Crown
Victoria taxi; propane-powered F-Series pick-up truck; E-85 Taurus; and the
natural gas Contour sedan, Econoline van, and F-Series pick-up truck.
The Ford Crown Victoria taxicab, driven by owner/operator Silvio Martinez,
is the first factory-built natural gas vehicle to be used in New York's taxi
fleet. Ford announced earlier this week that the company is offering one
year's worth of free fuel, or a free on-site FuelMaker to drivers who purchase
a natural gas Crown Victoria taxicab. The incentives for these vehicles,
worth $5,000 each, are designed to encourage taxi fleet operators to choose
cleaner-burning natural gas. More than 2,600 tons of pollution would be
eliminated every year if New York City's 12,000 medallion cabs were operated
on natural gas.
"The natural gas taxicab is another example of Ford's ongoing commitment
to develop alternative fuel vehicles that are of the highest quality, meet
customer needs and make significant contributions to the environment," said
Wallace. "New York cabbies have been asking for an alternative fuel vehicle
that gives them the ability to drive a full shift without having to refuel --
this taxicab delivers on that request."
The Mustang Super Stallion is a high-performance muscle car that serves as
a test bed for new engineering processes and reinforces Ford's product
passion.
Powered by a 5.4-liter four-valve DOHC V-8 engine equipped for flexible
fuel operation with a high capacity Garrett supercharger, Super Stallion is
capable of 590 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 537 foot-pounds of torque at
4750 rpm when operated on its alternative fuel. Flexible fuel vehicles can
run on gasoline, ethanol, or a combination of the two in the same tank.
The system's optical fuel sensor tells the computer the exact composition
of the fuel allowing the EEC-V module to make necessary changes automatically.
The benefits of having flex-fuel capabilities include less greenhouse gas
emitted and improved performance, with the ability to achieve 50 more
horsepower on E85 fuel. Super Stallion achieves some pretty impressive
numbers on E85, with a 0-60 mph time of 4.3 seconds.
Last summer, Ford announced a major program to produce about 250,000
flexible fuel vehicles over four years. Later this fall, all 1999 model Ford
Rangers with 3.0 liter engines will have flexible fuel systems. The compact
truck will join the FFV version of the popular Taurus sedan.
The Ford Expedition NGV, to be built initially in a small test fleet, is
the latest newcomer to Ford's alternative fuel fleet. Ford plans to lease the
vehicles to select fleet customers to test drive for about a three-year
period. The Expedition NGV will be a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV)
with smog-forming emissions 85 percent lower than the 1999 requirement.
Ford already sells dedicated natural gas versions of its F-Series pick-up
truck and Econoline van. They were the first in the world to meet
California's SULEV standards. By meeting SULEV, the vehicles will emit
85 percent fewer smog-forming emissions than the permitted level for 1998. In
addition to the dedicated natural gas trucks, Ford will offer bi-fuel natural
gas versions of the F-Series truck and Econoline van. Bi-fuel vehicles have
two separate tanks and fuel systems and can operate on either gaseous fuel or
gasoline.
The bi-fuel Contour sedan features a 2.0 liter Zetec engine and has a
natural gas fuel capacity that is equivalent to 4.8 gallons of gasoline. The
vehicle also features a standard 14.5 gallon gasoline tank.
Ford is now selling the Ranger Electric Vehicle (EV) nationwide and has
announced nationwide incentives to put more electric Rangers on the road and
in the hands of customers. Customers will now be able to lease the Ranger EV
with air conditioning for $633/month for a 36-month closed-end lease.
Customers preferring to purchase the Ranger EV rather than lease, are eligible
for a $5,000 Ford alternative fuel vehicle incentive.
Ford has begun building 1998 Propane F-Series pick-up trucks. The new
truck is a bi-fuel vehicle that operates on either liquefied petroleum gas
(LPG), more commonly known as propane, or unleaded gasoline. In addition to
producing fewer emissions, propane costs about 15 percent less than gasoline.
The Propane F-Series has been certified as a Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) under
California's strict guidelines, Ford will offer an F-150 and F-250 version of
the vehicle, both equipped with a 5.4 liter V-8 engine. The vehicle comes as
a 4x2 or 4x4 with Regular Cab or Supercab body styles.
At Ford, the commitment to clean air extends beyond AFVs. All of Ford's
sport utility vehicles -- including the Ford Explorer, Mercury Mountaineer,
Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator -- and the Ford Windstar minivan will be
sold nationally as LEVs starting with the 1999 model year. Under Ford's
sweeping low-emissions program, the Ford Windstar, and all Ford, Lincoln and
Mercury sport utility vehicles will not only beat emissions standards for
trucks, they will be cleaner than most passenger cars on the road today.
In addition to Ford's plans to sell low-emission sport utility vehicles
nationwide, 11 of the company's gasoline-powered vehicles have engines that
are already certified as California LEVs, including the 1998 Ford Escort,
Taurus, Windstar, Ranger and Expedition, Mercury Tracer and Sable and Lincoln
Navigator.
Ford is also actively pursuing environmental initiatives in recycling,
emissions research, fuel efficiency, and advanced vehicles. Ford recently
unveiled the P2000 DIATA prototype, a revolutionary new car that can carry a
family of five about 63 miles on one gallon of fuel. The driveable
next-generation P2000 is a mid-sized vehicle, about the size of today's
Taurus, yet weighs 40 percent less -- about 2,000 pounds.
The P2000's four-cylinder DIATA engine is an advanced 1.2 liter, high
energy density power plant that is lighter, more efficient and more
environmentally responsible than conventional power plants. Later this year,
Ford will introduce an electric-hybrid version of the P2000 on the road. And
by 2000, Ford plans to have a fuel-cell version that produces no emissions
other than water vapor.
SOURCE Ford Motor Company
