The State of Oklahoma and the City of Dallas have placed orders for a total of 312 Ford F-150 pickup trucks that can run on compressed natural gas (CNG).
The 2014 F-150 is available with a gaseous-fuel prep option for the 3.7-liter V6 that can run on CNG or propane autogas. Oklahoma and its agencies have ordered 256 vehicles, while Dallas has ordered 65 for its fleet.
The bi-fuel F-150 model purchased by Oklahoma features two storage tanks – the regular factory gasoline reservoir and a supplementary CNG tank. Combined, this gives the light-duty truck a range of up to 750 miles, depending on the size of the tanks, Ford explains.
Since 2010, Ford CNG-prepped truck sales have increased more than 250%, says Jon Coleman, Ford's fleet sales manager. The auto manufacturer plans to offer eight commercial vehicles with a gaseous-prep option by this summer.
Ford notes that Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin is leading a coalition of 22 states seeking to use more CNG vehicles in their fleets – which she says will ultimately save millions of dollars for taxpayers.
Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas have also expressed interest in Ford CNG-capable vehicles, according to Coleman.
