Ram Truck Dealers to Supply 19 States with Ram 2500 Heavy Duty CNG-Powered Pickup Trucks

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Oct. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Chrysler Group LLC announced today that 13 Ram Truck dealers landed contracts with 19 states to supply their fleets with the new Ram 2500 Heavy Duty CNG pickup truck.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121005/DE88070 )

The successful Ram Truck dealers were disclosed today by Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper who are leading a bipartisan group of 22 states seeking to use compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles in their state automobile fleets.

The 13 Ram Truck dealers submitted formal bids in July in response to this multistate solicitation. The specific number of Ram 2500 Heavy Duty CNG pickup trucks being purchased in each state was not announced today. The individual states now must finalize agreements with the dealers and issue purchase orders.

"Chrysler Group and its Ram Truck dealers are elated to be among the successful bidders for the three-quarter-ton CNG pickup truck," said Peter Grady, Vice President, Network Development and Fleet – Chrysler Group LLC. "As the only manufacturer in North America to offer a factory-built compressed natural gas-powered pickup truck, we believe that we offer the best CNG-powered, four-wheel-drive product on the market."

The governors have stated that the multistate solicitation was designed to encourage auto manufacturers in the U.S. to develop more functional and affordable compressed natural gas vehicles and to encourage investment in public refueling infrastructure.

Earlier this year, both governors traveled to Detroit to meet with Chrysler Group and other automakers about the project. In July, the states issued a request for proposal soliciting bids for compressed natural gas sedans, pickups, and vans to be used in state fleets.

Governors Fallin and Hickenlooper announce the preliminary results of that effort today during the Governor's Energy Conference in Oklahoma City, Okla. The request for proposal was coordinated by the National Association of State Procurement Officials, which leverages the purchasing power of states by aggregating purchases on a variety of products.

The Ram 2500 Heavy Duty CNG pickup is designed for fleet and commercial customers and offers cost and emissions benefits, using an abundant, domestically-sourced fuel while reducing America's dependence on foreign oil.

The Ram HD CNG is powered by the 5.7-liter HEMI® V-8 and features both compressed gas storage tanks and a choice of 8- or 35-gallon gasoline fuel tanks. Redesigned cylinder heads with specifically designed CNG compatible valves and valve-seat materials allow the engine to burn both fuels. It also gets a second, CNG-specific fuel rail and set of injectors. New spark plugs improve combustion and durability, and a new powertrain control module allows the HEMI to seamlessly operate on either of the two fuel sources.

The Ram 2500 CNG system was fully engineered and tested by Chrysler Group and assembled at the company's Heavy Duty truck plant in Saltillo, Mexico.

Here are the Ram Truck dealers and the states they will do business with:

Oklahoma: John Vance Motors
Connecticut: Executive Dodge
Georgia: Carl Gregory Chrysler
Hawaii: Carl Gregory Chrysler
Kentucky: Sam Swope Auto Group
Louisiana: Southland Dodge Chrysler Jeep
Maine: Sam Swope Auto Group
Minnesota: Sam Swope Auto Group
Missouri: West Brothers Chrysler
Montana: Sam Swope Auto Group
Nevada: Carson Dodge
New Mexico: Carl Gregory Chrysler Jeep
Ohio: Key Chrysler
South Carolina: Butler Chrysler
Texas: Meador Chrysler
Utah: Carl Gregory Chrysler
Vermont: Foster Motors
West Virginia: Sam Swope Auto Group; and Greenbrier Motors
Wyoming: Fremont Motor Company

SOURCE Chrysler Group LLC