As the Ford F-Series sells at an accelerated rate compared to last year, The Blue Oval is looking to set another record, this time in vehicles capable of running on Compressed Natural Gas, or CNG. By summer of 2014, the automaker will offer eight commercial vehicles with a gaseous-prep option, a number “no other full-line manufacturer can match”. By then, Ford’s CNG-capable lineup will be comprised of the following vehicles:
- Transit Connect van and wagon
- Transit van, wagon, cutaway and chassis cab
- E-Series van, wagon, cutaway and stripped chassis
- F-Series Super Duty pickup and F-350 chassis cab
- F-Series Super Duty chassis cab (F-450, F-550)
- F-650 medium-duty truck
- F53 and F59 stripped chassis
- 2014 F-150 light-duty pickup
Ford reintroduced the CNG option in some of its vehicles in 2009, and is seeing a positive response from customers. The automaker is on pace to sell more than 15,000 CNG/LPG-prepped vehicles in the U.S. in 2013, an increase of more than 25 percent from 2012.
One of the fleet customers finding value in Ford’s CNG offerings is AT&T, which has recently purchased 650 units of the F-350 chassis cab with the CNG-prep option.
“We’re almost halfway to our company-wide goal of deploying 15,000 alternative-fuel vehicles by the end of 2018,” said Jerome Webber, AT&T vice president, global fleet operations. “Vehicles such as CNG F-350s from Ford have helped us avoid purchasing 7.7 million gallons of gasoline over the past five years while reducing our fleet’s emissions.”
Depending on location and prices of gasoline, CNG can result in significant savings for the fleet manager or individual vehicle owner, as outlined here.
The Motrolix Take
The CNG space joins Ford’s success in global compact and subcompact vehicles, underlining its ability to establish and maintain a lead in growth segments. Because leadership matters.
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