Ford will offer the 2014 F-150 prepped to run on compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG, or propane), making Ford the only manufacturer with an available CNG/LPG-capable 1/2-ton pickup.

The 2014 Ford F-150 with 3.7L V-6 engine will be available this fall with a factory-installed, gaseous-fuel prep package that includes hardened valves, valve seats, pistons, and rings so it can operate on either natural gas or gasoline through separate fuel systems.

When the 3.7L V-6 F-150 is equipped with a CNG/LPG engine package, it is capable of achieving more than 750 miles on one tank of gasoline, depending on the tank size selected. Ford said the F-150 averages 23 mpg on the highway.

“Businesses and fleet customers have been asking Ford to make F-150 available with CNG capability to take advantage of the fuel’s low price and clean emissions,” said Jon Coleman, Ford fleet sustainability and technology manager. “With the money saved using CNG, customers could start to see payback on their investment in as little as 24 to 36 months.” 

CNG/LPG engine prep from the factory costs approximately $315 before the customer chooses a Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier to supply fuel tanks, fuel lines and unique fuel injectors. Upfits run approximately $7,500 to $9,500 depending on fuel tank capacity.

In the next year, Ford will offer eight commercial vehicles with a gaseous-prep option:

  • Transit Connect van and wagon.
  • Transit van, wagon, cutaway and chassis cab.
  • E-Series van, wagon, cutaway and stripped chassis.
  • F-Series Super Duty pickup and F-350 chassis cab.
  • F-Series Super Duty chassis cab (F-450, F-550).
  • F-650 medium-duty truck.
  • F-53 and F-59 stripped chassis.
  • 2014 F-150 light-duty pickup.

Ford said customers are responding to the range of alt-fuel choices it offers. Ford is on pace to sell more than 15,000 CNG/LPG-prepped vehicles this year, an increase of more than 25 percent from 2012, the company stated.

AT&T is one of many Ford customers finding value in CNG. The communications company recently purchased 650 F-350 chassis cabs with the CNG-prep option.

“We’re almost halfway to our company-wide goal of deploying 15,000 alternative-fuel vehicles by the end of year 2018,” said Jerome Webber, AT&T vice president, global fleet operations. “Vehicles such as CNG F-350s from Ford have helped us avoid purchasing 7.7 million gallons of gasoline over the past five years while reducing our fleet’s emissions.”

Qualified Vehicle Modifiers

Ford said it has established a rigorous qualification program for alternative-fuel vehicle modifiers. The QVM program is intended to help modifiers achieve greater levels of customer satisfaction and product acceptance through the manufacture of high-quality vehicles.

QVMs offer a wide variety of CNG/LPG options to help customers find solutions to their diverse operating needs. Ford maintains the engine and powertrain limited warranty (five years or 60,000 miles); the modifier is responsible for the system component warranty.

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