Ford Motor to market F-150 pickup fueled by natural gas in the United States

August 2, 2013. Ford Motor announced its most popular vehicle, the F-150 pickup, will be offered with a compressed natural gas (CNG) engine starting in the 2014 model year in the United States, giving contractors and vehicle fleet owners the potential for big savings in their annual operating costs.

   Though customers will pay about USD 10.000 more to buy the CNG version of the F-150, they could see a payback on their investment in as little as two to three years because natural gas prices are so much cheaper than gasoline or diesel fuel, according to Kevin Koswick, Ford’s director of North American fleet, leasing and remarketing operations.

   The reason is the huge growth of fracking in the United States, which has unlocked abundant supplies of inexpensive natural gas. CNG sells for an average of USD 2.11 per gallon of gasoline equivalent, and as little as USD 1 in some parts of the country. The national average for unleaded regular gasoline is USD 3.66.

   Ford will now have eight commercial vehicles with a CNG option, including its Transit Connect van and wagon, popular with taxi fleets. Ford is on track to sell 15.000 CNG prepped vehicles this year, a 25 percent increase over 2012. After the F-150 is added, that growth rate should accelerate, the company says.

   The F-150 with a 3.7-liter V6 engine will be available this fall with a USD 315 factory-installed, gaseous-fuel prep package that includes hardened valves, valve seats, pistons and rings so it can operate on either natural gas or gasoline through separate fuel systems. Customers would then choose a Ford-approved vehicle modifier to supply fuel tanks, fuel lines and unique fuel injectors. The conversion is expected to cost about USD 8.000 to USD 10.000, said Koswick.

   The CNG F-150 can get up to 750 miles on one tank of gas, depending on the tank size selected. The F-150 averages 23 miles per gallon on the highway.

(Quoted from:http://www.gnvmagazine.com）