Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper are leading a bipartisan group of 22 governors who are intent on using domestic natural gas to power state vehicle fleets. The two have journeyed to Detroit to pitch the buying power of state governments with the Big Three automakers, and now the states are beginning to award contracts.
Chrysler just announced that 13 different Ram Truck dealers had received contracts to supply 19 state governments with the new Ram 2500 Heavy Duty CNG (compressed natural gas) pickup truck.
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. The individual states now must finalize agreements with the dealers and issue purchase orders.
The Ram 2500 Heavy Duty CNG pickup 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.
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