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Ford Continues Incentives on Electric Vehicles

5 June 1998

Ford Continues Incentives on Electric Vehicles; New York Customer Takes Delivery

    NEW YORK, June 5 -- Customers throughout the New York
metropolitan area can continue to take advantage of incentives to either buy
or lease a Ford Ranger Electric Vehicle (EV).
    Ford is continuing a national purchase incentive of $5,000 toward the
price of the Ranger EV, or alternately, a national lease rate of $633 a month.
These incentives will be available through the 1998 model year.  The list
price is $32,795.
    Last week, Harbec Plastics in Ontario, New York, became the first private
customer in the state to take delivery of a Ranger EV.
    "We purchased a Ranger EV for its environmental benefits, its performance
and because its design is very forward thinking," said Bob Bechtold, president
of Harbec Plastics.  "We put the Ranger EV through a series of tests including
acceleration, ability to climb hills and maintain 55-60 mph on the freeway.
In all of the tests, the vehicle performed very well."
    The Ranger EV lease includes battery maintenance and replacement, if
necessary, at no cost to the customer throughout the 36-month lease.  The
purchase program includes a 2-year battery warranty, with the second year pro-
rated.
    To sell and service the Ranger EV, Ford has established a nationwide
network of dealers including eight participating dealerships in New York.
They are:  Basil Ford in Cheektowaga; Country Ford in Levittown; Genessee Ford
Truck Sales in Rochester; Manhattan Ford; Metro Ford in Schenectady; Syosset
Ford; Ted Schultz Ford in Nanuet; and Tower Ford in Great Neck.
    "We want our EV customers to know that they will receive the same service
and dealership knowledge they expect when they purchase any Ford vehicle,"
said Beryl Stajich, Ford fleet and AFV brand team manager.
    Ford has worked hard to set the industry standard in terms of ease of
service for the Ranger EV.  From a unique diagnostic system that allows the
39-module battery pack to be evaluated in under one minute, to the fact that
just six bolts need to be removed to service the 2,000-pound battery pack,
Ford has designed the vehicle to spend it's time on the road, not on a service
bay.
    Electric vehicles are one part of Ford's overall commitment to the
environment.  Ford also offers a full lineup of cars and trucks that run on
natural gas, propane or ethanol.  In 1997, Ford cars and trucks made up 95
percent of all alternative fuel vehicle sales in the U.S.  The Ranger EV first
went on sale in January.