GM Provides State with E85-Capable Chevrolet Tahoe for Use in Michigan
LANSING, Mich., April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- General Motors today announced
plans for the addition of approximately 20 new E85 ethanol fueling sites in
the southeast Michigan area through a collaborative partnership with Meijer
and CleanFUEL USA. The collaboration is part of a broader, national GM
campaign to boost the use and awareness of ethanol-based E85 fuel in the
United States. The announcement was made today during an event at the State
Capitol presided over by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm.
"The production of ethanol and its use present a tremendous opportunity
for Michigan's economy and the world's environment," said Granholm. "Using
ethanol for renewable energy helps our country meet our future energy needs
and we commend GM, CleanFUEL USA and Meijer for their support and promotion
of this alternative fuel."
As part of the partnership, GM will promote the availability of the
fuel through consumer and dealer outreach. The effort is similar to
announcements GM has already made with other state government, oil
industry, ethanol producers, and retail partners in Sioux Falls, SD;
California, Chicago, and Texas.
"GM already has 1.5 million vehicles on the road today that are capable
of using E85 ethanol fuel. We appreciate that CleanFUEL USA and Meijer have
joined our efforts to make this great fuel alternative available to more
people in Michigan," said Elizabeth Lowery, GM vice president of
environment and energy. "We also appreciate the support of Gov. Granholm
and the State of Michigan as we continue to promote the use of E85 and its
many benefits for the environment, the economy and consumers."
GM, Meijer and CleanFUEL USA will work together to identify retail
locations in Lansing, Grand Rapids, Warren, Pontiac, Detroit, Rochester,
and Brighton over the next few months, with one station scheduled to
immediately open in Jackson this week.
Michigan is currently among the nation's leading corn producers with
more than 257 million bushels a year and is 11th in the nation in terms of
overall ethanol production. The state is also home to one of the largest
concentrations of GM's E85 flexible-fuel vehicles in the country with
140,000 GM company vehicle drivers and members of the general public.
"CleanFUEL USA develops the technology required to use alternative
fuels in vehicle engines and to distribute alternative fuel to customers
and one of our primary missions is to make alternative fuels available as
quickly and efficiently as possible to everyone," said Russell C.
Youngdahl, Jr., CEO and director, CleanFUEL USA. "This partnership
represents a significant step forward in accomplishing that mission in
Michigan."
Meijer continues to develop partnerships to promote alternative fuels.
"We are thrilled to provide our customers choices such as E85 that will
enhance the environment and provide greater independence from foreign
fuels," said Judith Clark, communications director for Meijer. "We find
Southern Michigan to have a larger portion of flex-fuel vehicles and this
will allow convenient fueling locations for our consumers."
GM also provided an E85-capable Chevrolet Tahoe to the state for use in
Michigan as part of a campaign to promote ethanol and E85-capable vehicles.
As part of the campaign, the governor's office will showcase the vehicle in
various ways and events throughout the year.
The announcement is part of a campaign by GM and the Governors' Ethanol
Coalition (GEC), a bipartisan group of governors devoted to the promotion
and increased use of ethanol. GM provided Michigan with an E85-capable
Chevrolet Tahoe for similar use in 2005. This collaborative effort is
designed to increase awareness of ethanol and flexible-fuel vehicles, and
to promote the increased use of E85 as a renewable, alternative
transportation fuel that is able to meet the demands of today's drivers.
"Michigan's $60.1 billion agriculture industry is on its way to
creating a strong presence in the ethanol market," said Mitch Irwin,
director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture. "We're excited to work
with GM to promote the benefits of E85 vehicles across the state, and
appreciate their support of cleaner-burning fuels like ethanol, which help
reduce emissions, increase energy independence and support our agriculture
industry."
E85 FlexFuel vehicles can run on any combination of gasoline and/or
E85, a fuel blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. E85 can
contribute to energy independence because it diversifies the source of
transportation fuels beyond petroleum, and it provides positive
environmental benefits in the form of reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Research has shown that many owners of flex-fuel vehicles do not know
that their vehicles are capable of using E85. In January, GM announced a
sweeping consumer education and advertising campaign aimed at promoting the
benefits of E85 and GM's flexible-fuel vehicle leadership, and encouraging
consumers to actively promote E85 in their communities. "Live Green Go
Yellow" ads continue throughout the year with print, web
(http://livegreengoyellow.com ) and broadcast media components.
With 1.5 million flexible-fuel vehicles already on the road, GM is a
leader in flexible-fuel vehicle production and sales. For the 2006 model
year, GM offers nine E85 flexible-fuel vehicles, including the Chevrolet
Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon XL, Chevrolet Silverado,
GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Avalanche, Chevrolet Impala, and the Chevrolet Monte
Carlo. GM also plans to add more than 400,000 E85-capable vehicles to the
fleet in 2006. At the same time, worldwide production of ethanol is
increasing every year, and is expected to triple by 2020.
About GM:
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has
been the global industry sales leader for 75 years. Founded in 1908, GM
today employs about 327,000 people around the world. With global
headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33
countries. In 2005, 9.17 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally
under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo,
Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. More information
on GM can be found at http://www.gm.com .
About CleanFUEL USA:
Founded in 1993, CleanFUEL USA is based in Georgetown, Texas and is
recognized as the leading global manufacturer of certified and approved
alternative fuel dispensing equipment for both propane and E85. CleanFUEL
USA provides comprehensive alternative motor fuel programs for fleet
managers throughout the world.
About Meijer, Inc.:
Based in Walker, Mich., Meijer is a family-owned and operated company
operating supercenters throughout the Midwest. Meijer operates more than
170 stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. For more
information, visit http://www.meijer.com .
SOURCE General Motors Corporation
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Related links:
http://media.gm.com
http://www.gm.com http://livegreengoyellow.com
http://www.meijer.com
CONTACT:
Dave Barthmuss, Manager, Public Policy,
Environment & Energy Communications/North America, GM Global
Policy Communications, +1-805-373-9572, Cell: +1-805-279-6414,
dave.barthmuss@gm.com ; Christine Milligan, Mullen for General
Motors, +1-978-468-8951, Cell: +1-917-841-2098,
christine.milligan@mullen.com ; Bridget Medina, Michigan
Department of Agriculture, +1-517-373-1104, medinab1@michigan.gov
; Judith Clark, Communications Director, Meijer, +1-616-735-8687,
judith.clark@meijer.com ; James A. Jensen, Communications for
CleanFUEL USA, jaj@cleanfuelusa.com
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