World CNG, a company specializing in alternative fuel packaging and applications, now has over 150 World CNG natural gas taxicabs currently in operation in Chicago, and is on track to deploy a grand total of 225 by the end of the second quarter of this year. Although compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered vehicles still comprise less than 5% of the 7000+ Chicago-area taxicabs, a growing awareness of the economic and environmental benefits of converting to CNG has driven demand.
World CNG President and CEO, Garret Alpers, credits the City of Chicago’s Green Taxi Incremental Cost Allowance program which drew to a close at the end of 2011, with facilitating that awareness and propelling growth.
“With its Green Taxi Program helping to offset the cost of converting to CNG, the City of Chicago and the Chicago Area Clean Cities Coalition set out to stimulate growth of natural gas vehicles and that’s exactly what happened,” said Alpers.
Building on the popularity of the Ford Escape CNG within Chicago’s taxicab sector, World CNG also anticipates a sharp increase in demand for its newly-available 2011-2012 Dodge Grand Caravan CNG. Available in both dedicated and bi-fuel CNG platforms, the World CNG Dodge Grand Caravan is suitable for taxicab operators, light cargo delivery services and ADA, wheelchair, and medical transport operators.
(This article compiled using information from a WorldCNG press release)
