Ford Helps Power Louisville With Alternative Fuels
20 May 1999
Ford Helps Power Louisville With Alternative Fuels LOUISVILLE, Ky., May 20 -- Ford Motor Company and
the Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition are partnering to place additional public
alternative fuel stations in the Louisville area. For Ford, this is one part
of a million dollar plus contribution to alternative fuel station development
nationwide.
Ford has committed significant resources to develop ethanol (E85) and
natural gas (CNG) refueling stations in the Louisville area. The three new
E85 and one new CNG stations will be located in Louisville, Frankfort,
University of Kentucky Lexington campus, and Fort Knox. They will support a
growing fleet of vehicles which run on these alternative fuels. For example,
Fort Knox recently took delivery of 145 Ford alternative fuel vehicles.
"Developing infrastructure in Louisville is a natural for Ford," says John
Wallace, director of Ford's Environmental Vehicles. "The Kentucky Truck Plant
and Louisville Assembly Plant are two key producers of Ford trucks." The
plants produce the gasoline versions of vehicles that are also available in
alternative fuel versions. The Kentucky Truck Plant produces the F-250, which
is available in a variety of alternative fuel options, including natural gas
and propane. The Louisville Assembly Plant produces the Ford Explorer. The
Explorer chassis is the base for 10,000 new Flexible Fuel Postal vehicles
which run on E85 and/or gasoline.
"For a quarter of a century, Ford Motor Company has provided Kentuckians
with jobs and economic opportunities," says Dr. Stephen L. Henry, Lt.
Governor, Commonwealth of Kentucky. "Today, Ford continues to be a valued
corporate citizen by investing in Kentucky's clean fuels program -- providing
cleaner vehicles and funding fueling infrastructure -- creating a cleaner
healthier environment for future Kentuckians."
Alternative fuels often produce less smog-forming emissions and greenhouse
gases than unleaded gasoline and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil
supplies. Natural gas produces up to 20 percent less greenhouse gas emissions
than gasoline and is available in abundant supply. Vehicles that run on
natural gas only produce up to 75 percent less smog-forming emissions than
allowed by law. E85 produces up to 30 percent less greenhouse gas emissions
than gasoline when made from corn and is a renewable energy source.
The Louisville infrastructure program is only one part of a large effort
by Ford to make alternative fuels easier to access and use. As the major
sponsor of the 5th National Clean Cities Conference and Exposition to be held
in Louisville May 23-26, Ford is showing its commitment to programs which
support environmental awareness.
"The Department of Energy's Clean Cities program is critical to promoting
the use of alternative fuel vehicles, and the location of this year's
conference in a state where so many Ford employees live, breathe and work
makes us proud to be part of the effort," says Marty Zimmerman, Ford vice
president of Government Affairs. "We want to do whatever we can to make the
Clean Cities program successful and to get the message about alternative fuels
out across the country." Zimmerman will deliver a keynote speech as part of
the Clean Cities Conference at the Seelbach Hilton on Monday, May 24 at
11 a.m.
Several of Ford's Alternative Fuel Vehicles will be on display at
Churchill Downs on Sunday, May 23, and available in the Ford booth at the
Gardens of Louisville for a "ride and drive" on Tuesday, May 25. Ford's full
line of AFVs offers a wide variety of vehicles ranging from a Ranger FFV
(flexible fuel) to a propane (LPG) powered F-Series to a demonstration fleet
of dedicated natural gas Expeditions and dedicated propane Excursions.
