|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October
8, 2002
California Leaders Set Goals to Deploy
More Natural Gas Vehicles
– 600,000 New Vehicles in 10 Years –
– Reducing Emissions, Promoting Clean-Air Transportation –
– Here Today: The Technology and Infrastructure to Achieve
Targets –
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 8, 2002)
— California air quality, transportation
and energy officials, in alliance with private-sector representatives
in the newly formed California Natural Gas Vehicle Partnership,
today announced specific goals for the deployment of more natural
gas powered vehicles (NGVs) across the state. Reflecting their commitment
to reduce tailpipe emissions and promote clean-air transportation,
the California NGV Partnership set three- to 10-year targets for
increasing the number of NGVs in use from 19,000 to 619,000.
“The status quo is unacceptable to those of us cleaning up
the air,” said Norma J. Glover, chairman of the California
Natural Gas Vehicle Partnership and chairman of the South Coast
Air Quality Management District, the public authority with responsibility
for Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.
“With anticipated increases in population and vehicles on the
road, not to mention energy security issues, California must deploy
more low-emission vehicles powered by natural gas. Natural gas vehicles
are clean and available today. That’s what these goals are
about — taking practical steps now to assure clean air and
a high quality of life for Californians.”
Specifically, Glover announced these Partnership targets for California
for the next 10 years:
Light-Duty Vehicle Deployment:
(Passenger cars, pickup trucks, and small service vehicles and vans):
33,000 new NGVs in use within three years
90,000 new NGVs in use within five years
500,000 new NGVs in use within 10 years (10-year cumulative total
is 516,000 light-duty NGVs including the 16,000 vehicles on the
road today)
Heavy-Duty Vehicle Deployment:
(Large vans, transit shuttles and buses, refuse haulers, school
buses, large service trucks):
10,000 new NGVs in use within three years
25,000 new NGVs in use within five years
100,000 new NGVs in use within 10 years (10-year cumulative total
is 103,000 heavy-duty NGVs including the 3,000 vehicles on the road
today)
“If we meet these new targets, about three percent of the total
number of vehicles on the road in California in 2012 will be powered
by natural gas. That’s an aggressive but attainable goal,” Glover
added. The 19,000 NGVs on the road in California currently account
for considerably less than one percent of the 20 million
vehicles in use now.
A member of the Newport Beach, Calif., City Council, Glover announced
these goals at a Washington, D.C. press briefing today in conjunction
with the World Natural Gas Vehicle 2002 conference.
Commenting on the California announcement, Dennis A. Smith, alternative
fuels technology manager with the U.S. Department of Energy, said: “With this approach, California continues to lead the way in
taking steps to reduce vehicle emissions and promote clean air.
California’s plan is likely to be a model for other states
and regional jurisdictions.”
Significant Emissions Benefits and Petroleum Displacement
Achieving California’s new natural gas vehicle deployment goals
will yield significant statewide emissions benefits and reduce the
need for additional petroleum. More specifically, when these goals
are fully implemented in the tenth year, statewide emissions will
be reduced by nearly 6,000 tons of NOx (nitrogen oxide) per year
relative to what they would be if “traditional” gasoline
or diesel powered vehicles were deployed instead. (Detailed estimates
of the emissions benefits of the goals announced today are available
on request.)
Another perspective: For every one diesel-powered heavy-duty vehicle
removed from the road and replaced by a natural gas vehicle, the
emissions reduction is equivalent to removing approximately 325
gasoline powered cars from the road.
Also, these goals when fully implemented will eliminate the need
for 795 million gallons of gasoline and 817 million gallons of diesel
fuel annually.
Today’s Technology and
Infrastructure Support the Goals
The technology and the infrastructure exist today to mass-produce,
maintain and service appealing passenger cars, trucks and fleet
vehicles powered by natural gas.
Natural gas engines are offered by leading manufacturers; more
and more natural gas vehicles on the road today are factory built
by
the likes of American Honda Motor Company, Chrysler, Ford, General
Motors, John Deere and Cummins Westport. Two hundred “filling” stations
serve current demands for fuel, with many more being designed and
constructed to meet future demand.
Says David R. Demers, president and CEO of Westport Innovations
Inc., which through its Cummins Westport joint venture with Cummins
Inc., manufactures and markets natural gas engines: “The technology
and infrastructure needed to meet California’s new deployment
goals exist now. Attractive vehicles that are reasonably priced
and easily serviceable, combined with readily available fuel, are
on the market today. As demand rises, and new commercial technology
is quickly brought to market, options for consumers and other users
will only increase.”
A “Bridge” to Hydrogen
The California Natural Gas Vehicle Partnership believes that vehicle
emissions and related issues need be addressed on both a short-
and long-term basis. Eventually, zero-emission fuel cell (hydrogen)
powered vehicles will be developed and deployed on a large scale;
the Partnership encourages such a result in a timely, cost-effective
manner.
Ford Motor Company currently manufactures natural gas vehicles
and is involved in efforts to develop fuel cell vehicles. David
D. Henry,
a manager in Ford’s Alternative Fuel Vehicles organization,
calls NGVs an important “bridge” to hydrogen-powered vehicles.
“The bridge may extend over the next 20 years,” Henry
says. “Natural gas vehicles have an important role to play
in helping assure clean air today and into the future.”
About the California Natural Gas Vehicle Partnership
The California Natural Gas Vehicle Partnership is a public-private
partnership whose members include government air quality, transportation
and energy agencies, together with vehicle and engine manufacturers,
natural gas suppliers, vehicle fleet operators and environmental
organizations. For more information, visit www.cngvp.org
###
Back to Press
Releases
|
|
 |
