Ford got back into the CNG business in 2010, said Jon Coleman, Ford fleet sustainability and technology manager. Customers have been requesting the F-150 CNG to complement the broader CNG family of seven fleet vehicles, including the E-series cargo vans, the Transit Connect Cab, and the F-series super duty pickups and super duty chassis cabs.
The CNG fitted F-150 can get 750 miles on one tank of CNG depending on tank size, according to Ford. Additional CNG benefits include cleaner emissions (
“You can manage energy costs and be environmentally conscious at the same time,” says Craig Dickman, CEO of Breakthrough Fuel, which services CNG fleets.
On average CNG sells for $2.11 per gallon equivalent, whereas regular gas currently averages at $3.65, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
Fuel savings for CNG vary by region. In Oklahoma, you can get it for $1 per gallon equivalent. In Chicago, it’s $2.66 and it has been that way for the last several years.
Gaseous-fuel prep will be available for the 2014 Ford F-150 with the 3.7-liter V6 engine. The MSRP is $315 for the CNG/LPG package, then it will cost anywhere from $7,500 to $9,500 more to upfit the F-150 from one of seven CNG partner companies. MSRP on 2014 F-150s has not been released yet. Ford estimates that business can see payback for each unit in 24-36 months, depending on how much you drive and how it is driven.
Even though the primary customer is for commercial fleets, Ford does not restrict buyers. “As we see the infrastructure being built out, we see retail customers expressing more and more interest moving forward,” Coleman says.
The Department of Energy reports that CNG stations are growing at 16 percent annually. There are 1,235 CNG fueling stations in the US, according to the DOE, with 596 available to the public; there are three stations in Chicago. Ford has sold 15,000 CNG/LPG-prepped vehicles this year, up 25 percent from last year.
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