NGV to Make First Solo Alternative Fuel Cross Country Trek
18 May 1998
Natural Gas Vehicle Will Make The First Solo Cross Country Trek On An Alternative Fuel Cleanest Across America
SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 18 -- A Sacramento executive is
readying himself to make the "world's cleanest" drive across America to a
national clean fuels conference in Washington, D.C.
Out to break records and set new standards of market readiness for the
alternative fuels frontier, his vehicle of choice for this 7-day, 3,500 mile
trek is the cleanest internal combustion vehicle ever mass produced, and his
only fueling stops will be at stations offering compressed natural gas to the
motoring public.
"This drive is unique among alternative fuel vehicle `trial' events in
that I will not be relying on support staff or support vehicles of any kind,
or any special fueling equipment. That's a first," said driver Bill
Fairbairn, communications director with the California Natural Gas Vehicle
Coalition in Sacramento.
Fairbairn had a choice of nearly a dozen current natural gas vehicle (NGV)
models to make his cross-country run. He selected the new 1998 Honda Civic GX
NGV because it offers the right combination of size, performance, fuel range
and economy. The dedicated Civic GX was recently certified by the U.S. EPA as
the "cleanest vehicle ever tested". Total emissions are only one-tenth of the
strict California "ultra-low emission vehicle" standard. So clean in fact,
its emissions are equivalent to the power-plant emissions attributed to
electric vehicle recharging.
Fairbairn will depart from the California State Capitol in Sacramento on
May 24 and end his drive during the opening parade at the U.S. Department of
Energy's National Clean Cities Conference, May 31 in Washington, D.C. The
planned route enables him to meet with many Clean Cities coalition officials,
Honda Civic GX dealers, sponsors and other clean air advocates along the way.
American Honda Motor Co., based in Torrance California, will loan Fairbairn a
Civic GX for the trip.
Upon arrival in the nation's capitol, Bill will present mileage
sponsorship proceeds to national representatives of the American Lung
Association. A long time volunteer and fund-raiser for the Lung Association's
Sacramento area chapter, Fairbairn hopes to personally raise at least $15,000
in pledges from sponsors of the drive.
"Driving natural gas vehicles is one important solution to solving our
nation's air pollution problems," said John Garrison, managing director of the
American Lung Association. "The week of May 24 is the American Lung
Association's Clean Air Week, when people can receive free information about
cleaner transportation alternatives as well as air pollution and health by
calling 1 (800) LUNG-USA".
Fairbairn's route traverses fifteen states and intersects the path of Kris
Trexler, a Hollywood film editor who departed amid fanfare May 12 from Los
Angeles to Detroit in a General Motors EV-1 electric vehicle. "I admire his
commitment, to the physical and logistic challenge he's taken on," says
Fairbairn, who is the former electric vehicle fleet manager at McClellan Air
Force Base. Fairbairn noted that Trexler is carrying portable recharging
equipment on board his electric vehicle and has a range of 60 to 80 miles
between charging stops.
Fairbairn expects to travel up to 250 miles between fueling stops.
"Natural gas fueling is far from being as convenient as gasoline, but with an
infrastructure of 1,500 stations nationwide, it is practical to travel within
and between most major cities on natural gas." Fueling time is the same as a
gasoline vehicle, and infrastructure continues to grow. "That's the point my
trip demonstrates. Plus, I'm driving the cleanest production vehicle in the
world."
Fairbairn will transmit daily progress reports and digital images of his
sojourn to the Clean Cities Coalition website hosted by the U.S. Department of
Energy at: http://www.ccities.doe.gov.
For more details about "Clean Across America", contact Bill Fairbairn or
Greg Vlasek at the California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition in Sacramento,
(916) 448-5036 or e-mail to: califngv@cwo.com. For information on the
American Lung Association's Clean Air Week or clean air programs contact
Cindy Wright at (212) 731-8790.
