In its continued effort to reduce air pollution, the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) recently purchased 60 Honda Civic GX dedicated natural-gas vehicles, increasing its total Civic GX fleet to 110 sedans.
"We chose the Civic GX because our operators are happy with its performance, and because we see natural gas as the cleanest, most cost-effective alternative fuel available," said Joe Darling, director of the equipment management division of the New York State Department of Transportation. The NYSDOT will use the Civic GX, the cleanest vehicle ever tested by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with an internal combustion engine, for various tasks, such as construction inspection and administrative activities.
To maximize the use of it's newly expanded fleet, the Department of Transportation also purchased 30 new 3,600 psi FuelMaker refueling systems to be used throughout the state. Previously, the NYSDOT used commercially owned compressed natural-gas (CNG) refueling stations that restricted vehicle range due to lower pressure. Adding these new refueling stations will create "clean corridors" through New York state, linking most major cities for DOT drivers.
"The Civic GX offers purchasers the advantage of being the world's cleanest running internal combustion vehicle while also providing a host of convenience features that make it a pleasure to drive," said Stephen Ellis, natural-gas vehicle sales manager for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "It strikes a perfect balance of emissions, economy, performance, comfort and value." The Civic GX meets California's new, Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) standard the most stringent emissions standard in existence. In fact, it is much cleaner, producing nearly 60 percent less hydrocarbons than the new SULEV standard allows.