05/08/2000 – Ford introduces propane-powered Super Duty F-Series

DEARBORN, Mich., May
8, 2000 — Ford Motor Company introduced the propane-powered,
bi-fuel Super
Duty F-Series chassis cab for the 2000 model year. Ford has
already begun taking
orders for the vehicle and hopes to sell approximately 1,300 units
this year.

The
propane-powered chassis cab expands the Ford propane-powered
vehicle line-up
and is available in several different models and fuel tank
configurations.
The result is greater flexibility for the customer. Ford now has
a propane-powered
vehicle option for nearly every commercial truck application.

“There’s
been a lot of demand – especially from the propane industry – for
a propane-powered
truck that is flexible enough to be used for multiple
applications,” said Dave
Tarrant, Ford commercial truck and alternative fuel vehicle
manager. “We are
now able to give them that flexibility by offering the truck in
several models
with several tank configurations."

The
propane-powered chassis cab is available as an F-350 (11,200 gvw),
F-450 (15,000
gvw) or F-550 (17,500 gvw/19,000 gvw) with a regular cab or crew
cab. Vehicles
can be ordered with aleft-hand frame mount or aft-of-axle propane
fuel tank configuration or both, providing greater
flexibility to customer needs. Additionally, the Super Duty
chassis cab can
accommodate many kinds of second bodies including van, stake,
dump, service/utility,
bulk and others.

The versatile chassis
cab runs on either propane or unleaded gasoline, which gives
customers the choice
of operating on clean-burning, cost effective propane with the
convenience and
security of refueling on gasoline.

Equipped
with a 6.8L, V-10 gaseous fuel prep engine with hardened valves,
the performance
of the propane-powered chassis cab is comparable to the
gasoline-powered version
– except with lower emissions.

The
propane-powered chassis cab meets the ultra-low emission vehicle
(ULEV) standard
and will be cleaner than most vehicles, even passenger cars, on
the road today.
It can help fleet managers meet alternative fuel vehicle
requirements under
both the Clean Fuel Fleet Program and the Energy Policy Act
mandates.

Ford
is offering a $1,500 incentive on both the F-150 pick-up and the
Super Duty
chassis cab powered by propane. All Ford propane-powered vehicles
have the
same three-year/36,000 mile, bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage as
gasoline
products and are sold through all Ford dealers in the U.S.
Interested Canadian
buyers may purchase the propane-powered F-150 from their local
dealers as well.

Ford first began
offering propane-powered trucks in 1964 and was the first auto
maker to offer
its propane trucks with the same limited warranty as
gasoline-powered versions.

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2000
Bi-Fuel Propane Ford F-Series Light Duty

2000
F-Series Bi-Fuel Propane Super Duty Chassis Cab