1999 Ranger EV with Nickel Metal Hydride Battery

ATLANTA, Ga., November 17, 1999 - Ford Motor Company today announced it is the leading manufacturer of commercial electric vehicles in North America. The company's Ranger EV model is the most widely distributed commercial EV on the continent.

States currently utilizing 1998-99 Ranger EVs include California, New York, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Texas, Alabama, Connecticut, Michigan, Washington, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Arizona, Illinois, New Jersey, Colorado, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Delaware, Indiana, Kansas and Nevada, making it the most widely distributed commercial electric vehicle on the market.

"The Ranger EV's success in North America is a testament to the company's commitment to engineer environmentally sound, zero-emission vehicles and that fact easily makes us the national leader in electric vehicle distribution," said John Wallace, director of Environmental Vehicles at Ford.

During the past year, Ford has leased or sold 561 lead-acid and nickel metal-hydride battery-powered 1999 Ranger EVs throughout North America, including Canada and 26 of the 50 United States.

Organizations and companies that have purchased, or are leasing, 1998-99 Ranger EVs come from a variety of industries, including utilities and government agencies. Most notable are the United States Government, Georgia Power, the U.S. Department of Agriculture at Miami International Airport, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Metropolitan Edison Company of Pennsylvania, Hydro-Quebec of Canada, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA).

Adding to Ford's distribution tally this month was the first-ever sale of electric vehicles by a major automaker in Canada. The sale was completed November 2, when sixteen 1999 Ranger EVs were delivered to municipal and utility customers in Quebec as part of the `Montreal 2000' Electric Vehicle Project.

Also scheduled for delivery this month are twenty 2000 Ranger EVs to the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratories in Berkley, California.

Ranger EVs are a technically proven, cost-effective alternative to gasoline-powered cars and trucks for commercial and institutional fleets. Because of their zero emissions they can be used for indoor and outdoor applications, making them a perfect vehicle for use in large facilities such as airports, universities and utility plants. Ranger EVs help reduce emission levels for an organization' fleet in order to meet stringent government requirements.

The lead-acid (PbA) battery-powered Ranger EV - Ford's first production electric vehicle - can be driven about 50 miles before recharging and accelerates from 0-50 mph in 12.5 seconds, similar to its gasoline-powered counterpart. When powered by a nickel metal-hydride (NiMH) battery, the truck's driving range increases to 80 miles with the same acceleration performance.

Ford's announcement came as part of the North American Electric Vehicle and Infrastructure (NAEVI) Conference in Atlanta. Organized by the Electric Vehicle Association of the Americas (EVAA), the NAEVI conference was established as a forum to advance electric vehicles and support infrastructure in the United States, Canada and Latin America. Ford's John Wallace is currently a co-chair of EVAA. ....

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