LISLE, Ill., Feb. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Navistar, Inc. today
announced its launch of a comprehensive natural gas strategy,
including integrated natural gas product offerings and a strategic
partnership with Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE) that
will provide customers with a sustainable, commercially viable
solution for adding natural gas powered trucks to their
fleets.
"Natural gas has clearly emerged as the most realistic
alternative fuel option for the trucking industry," said
Dan Ustian, Navistar chairman,
president and CEO. "Together, Navistar and Clean Energy have
come up with a breakthrough program that offers customers a quicker
payback on their investment plus added fuel costs savings from day
one of operation. When combined with Navistar's industry-leading
dealer network and Clean Energy's unmatched fuel distribution
system, customers can be confident that bringing natural gas
vehicles into their fleets makes good business sense."
"We believe the deployment of new, innovative, heavy-duty
natural gas engines by world-class original equipment truck
manufacturers like Navistar is accelerating the transition to
natural gas fuel as a game-changer for heavy-duty trucking," said
Andrew J. Littlefair, Clean Energy
President and CEO. "We welcome the opportunity to work with
Navistar to bring the benefits of clean, cost-effective,
domestically abundant natural gas fuel to the company's trucking
customer base."
By leveraging the company's existing integrated vehicle and
powertrain platforms, Navistar will offer the broadest range of
Class 6 through Class 8 CNG-/LNG-powered vehicles in the category.
Clean Energy will provide a comprehensive CNG/LNG fueling solution
to meet customer demands and aid in bringing new customers into the
natural gas market.
Navistar and Clean Energy will work closely with the company's
commercial truck dealers and fleet customers on the deployment of
natural gas powered trucks and a natural gas distribution support
system. Together, the companies will demonstrate how a natural gas
integrated vehicle offering with the right distribution and fueling
solution can be integrated into a fleet's operations to reduce
costs and drive efficiencies. The strategic partnership will help
accelerate the adoption of natural gas technologies by making it
easier for customers to invest in the new technology, including
incentives aimed at neutralizing the cost difference for the diesel
fuel equivalent for those who purchase at least 1,000 diesel gallon
equivalents of natural gas fuel each month.
Clean Energy Distribution Support
Clean Energy, the leading provider of natural gas fuel for
transportation in North America,
recently unveiled a route plan for the first phase of 150 new
liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling stations for America's Natural
Gas Highway (ANGH). The company has identified 98 locations and
anticipates having 70 stations open by the end of 2012 in 33
states.
Many of the fueling stations will be co-located at Pilot-Flying
J Travel Centers already serving goods movement trucking through an
exclusive agreement with Pilot to build, own and operate natural
gas fueling facilities at agreed-upon travel centers. Pilot-Flying
J is the nation's largest truck-stop operator with more than 550
retail properties in 47 states.
"The deployment of new, innovative, heavy-duty natural gas
engines by world-class original equipment truck manufacturers like
Navistar is accelerating the transition to natural gas fuel as a
game-changer for heavy-duty trucking. We welcome the opportunity to
work with Navistar to bring the benefits of clean, cost-effective,
domestically-abundant natural gas fuel to its trucking customers,"
said James Harger, Chief Marketing
Officer, Clean
Energy.
Navistar's Product Offerings
Navistar will leverage its existing commercial truck and engine
platforms to offer the broadest portfolio of integrated products
for the natural gas market. The company will continue to offer
International DuraStar® and WorkStar® vocational trucks with its
natural gas powered MaxxForce® DT, developed in conjunction with
Emissions Solutions Incorporated (ESI) of McKinney.
To meet the growing demands of the regional haul and class 7/8
vocational market Navistar will offer the Cummins-Westport ISL-G,
in the International® TranStar and WorkStar. Additionally, Navistar
will enter into a phase II developmental agreement with Clean Air
Power Ltd. on the International ProStar, WorkStar and PayStar
vocational trucks, powered by a diesel pilot injection LNG
MaxxForce 13-liter engine.
"One of the major obstacles in customer transition to natural
gas has been the lack of a gas powered range of engines designed to
meet the multiple requirements without compromise," said Jim Hebe,
Navistar senior vice president, North America Sales Operations.
"Navistar—with its extended range of truck engines—is uniquely able
to leverage engine platforms into the industry's broadest range of
natural gas trucks. When the MaxxForce 13L is introduced in
mid-2013, customers will have a capable range of natural engines
and trucks, from 7.6 liter to 13 liter with horsepower ranging from
200 to 450."
Summary Facts: What makes Navistar, Clean Energy Alliance
Unique?
- Product Portfolio
- Navistar offers the broadest truck and engine offering Class 6
thru Class 8
- Availability/Distribution
- Commitment to support on-highway fueling requirements through
Pilot/Flying J
- Capabilities to provide customer specific fueling stations
- Partnering with Navistar dealers and Idealease to meet on-site
fueling needs
- Affordability of Technology
- Navistar is committed to provide CNG/LNG offerings that provide
payback within range of customer expectations
- Through our partnership, Clean Energy and Navistar are offering
an incentive program (Fuel and Truck) that will mitigate or
equalize the cost of vehicle with diesel equivalent
- Economic Model makes CNG/LNG a viable fuel without incentives
- Clean Energy will guarantee fuel prices at a significant
reduction from diesel for the term of 5 years
- Government subsidies and incentives not required to make the
economic model work
- Support
- Navistar offers the broadest coverage in North America, nearly 800 outlets
- Providing facility training and building requirements
- Providing sales and service training for dealership technicians
and sales staff
About Navistar
Navistar International Corporation (NYSE: NAV) is a holding
company whose subsidiaries and affiliates produce International®
brand commercial and military trucks, MaxxForce® brand diesel
engines, IC Bus™ brand school and commercial buses, Monaco® RV
brands of recreational vehicles, and Workhorse® brand chassis for
motor homes and step vans. The company also provides truck and
diesel engine service parts. Another affiliate offers financing
services. Additional information is available at
www.Navistar.com/newsroom.
About Clean Energy
Clean Energy (Nasdaq: CLNE) is the largest provider of natural
gas fuel for transportation in North
America and a global leader in the expanding natural gas
vehicle market. It has operations in CNG and LNG vehicle fueling,
construction and operation of CNG and LNG fueling stations,
biomethane production, vehicle conversion and compressor
technology. Today, Clean Energy fuels more than 25,000 vehicles at
273 strategic locations across the United
States and Canada with a
broad customer base in the refuse, transit, trucking, shuttle,
taxi, airport and municipal fleet markets. Clean Energy del
Peru, a joint venture, fuels
vehicles and provides CNG to commercial customers in Peru. We own (70%) and operate a landfill gas
facility in Dallas, Texas, that
produces renewable natural gas, or biomethane, for delivery in the
nation's gas pipeline network, and we plan to build a second
facility in Michigan. We own and
operate LNG production plants in Willis,
Texas and Boron, Calif.
with combined capacity of 260,000 LNG gallons per day and that are
designed to expand to 340,000 LNG gallons per day as demand
increases. NorthStar, a wholly
owned subsidiary, is the recognized leader in LNG/LCNG (liquefied
to compressed natural gas) fueling system technologies and station
construction and operations. BAF Technologies, Inc., a wholly owned
subsidiary, is a leading provider of natural gas vehicle systems
and conversions for taxis, vans, pick-up trucks and shuttle buses.
IMW Industries, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary based in
Canada, is a leading supplier of
compressed natural gas equipment for vehicle fueling and industrial
applications with more than 1,200 installations in 24 countries.
For more information, visit www.cleanenergyfuels.com
SOURCE Navistar International Corp.