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Volvo Shares Alternative Fuel Vehicle With Bay Area's Commuters

5 March 1999

Volvo Cars of North America Shares Alternative Fuel Vehicle With Bay Area's Commuters

    OAKLAND, Calif., March 4 -- Volvo Cars of North America has
teamed up with a San Francisco Bay Area's commuter assistance program to
deliver the message that alternative-fuel vehicles mesh well with commuter
trip reduction programs.
    Volvo has loaned a bi-fuel gasoline/compressed natural gas V70 wagon to
RIDES for Bay Area's Commuters, a private, non-profit organization that
specializes in developing employee trip reduction programs for Bay Area's
employers.  RIDES will use the vehicle at business sites throughout the Bay
Area's to showcase its commuter assistance efforts.
    RIDES, one of the largest transportation demand management programs in
North America, is under contract with the Bay Area's Metropolitan
Transportation Commission.  Its mission is to work with large and small
companies on emissions mitigation, ride sharing, use of alternative fuels,
fleet management, telecommuting, and other programs dealing with mitigation of
mobile source pollution and traffic congestion.
    Volvo's bi-fuel S70 sedan and V70 wagon, which run on either
clean-burning compressed natural gas or unleaded gasoline, have been
undergoing fleet testing in the U.S. since early last year.  Although not
currently available as alternative fuel vehicles in the U.S. market, these
vehicles are currently on sale to fleets in Europe, the United Kingdom, Japan,
and Australia.