USA: BAF Gets CARB Certification for CNG Ford Vans and Pickups

BAF, a wholly owned subsidiary of Clean Energy Fuels, announced the company has received CARB (California Air Resources Board) Executive Orders (EO) for its CNG-powered 2012 Ford F-Series 250/350 pickups and E-Series 250/350 vans.

The CARB EOs allow the vehicles to be sold and operated in California, the state with the most stringent emissions control rules, effective immediately, as well as in sixteen other states that follow CARB rules. In effect, the CNG-fueled Ford F-Series 250/350 pickups and E-Series 250/350 vans will now be available in all 50 states.

F-Series 250/350 pickups are a popular choice for fleet operators, particularly on the Eastern seaboard. Many of these states have opted to apply CARB standards to natural gas vehicles. BAF is the first CNG converter in the country to achieve CARB certification for its F-Series pickups.

The CNG-powered BAF E-250/350 vans — already in wide use by service providers like AT&T and Super Shuttle — have been CARB-certified since 2007. The new CARB EO extends the certification to include the 2012 model year.

“Our new CARB certifications provide an important opportunity for BAF as we continue to supply CNG vehicles to fleets of all types. We believe no other company in the market has made the investments in quality that we have,” said John Bacon, BAF president.

“We continue to ensure that every aspect of our company is positioned to serve our existing customers as well as the growing market demand for vehicles powered by clean, domestic, cost-efficient CNG fuel,” he added.

In addition to the F-Series 250/350 pickups and E-250/350 vans, BAF has CARB EOs for the 2012 F-450/550/650 utility body, the F-53/59 commercial chassis, the E-450 shuttle, and the Ford Transit Connect. Also for 2012, BAF has EPA certifications for all of these vehicles as well as the bifuel CNG E-250/350 vans and F-250/350 pickups.

“With our broad CARB and EPA-approved line-up of seven product families, BAF has emerged as the leading provider of quality-tested, CNG-powered fleet vehicles in the industry,” Bacon said.

BAF is the first CNG converter recognized as a Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier (QVM) for gaseous fuel. Further, the company uses Ford-accredited QCM (Quality Calibrations Modifier) calibrations and all vehicles converted by BAF are registered through Ford QFC (Quality Fleet Care) for all warranty and service work through Ford dealerships. Finally, BAF takes the extra step of crash testing its light-duty vehicle products to achieve FMVSS 303 compliance.

BAF has recently leased a new 91,000-square-foot facility in Dallas to house its expanding headquarters, R&D and service facility there. It has a network of 65 Ford dealers across the country certified to service the company’s CNG conversions.

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LNG World News Staff, April 2, 2012; Image: Clean Energy