PRESS RELEASE
Oklahoma to Become Fourth Retail Market for Honda's Natural Gas-Powered Civic GX Dealer network expands for retail sales of nation's only natural gas-powered vehicle sold by an OEM
TORRANCE, Calif. -
American Honda Motor Co., Inc., today announced that dealers in Oklahoma will now have the option of selling the compressed natural gas (CNG) powered Honda Civic GX to customers on a retail basis. There are 13 Honda dealers in Oklahoma, three of which are already selling the Civic GX as a fleet vehicle.
"Expanding Honda's Civic GX retail program along with the continued success of fleet sales expresses our commitment to the environment and natural gas vehicle technology," said Elmer Hardy, senior manager of Alternative Fuel Vehicle Sales & Marketing. "Honda seeks market opportunities for the Civic GX where strong natural gas refueling infrastructure exists, and we continue to see its promise as a clean, sustainable, domestically-sourced alternative fuel."
Honda is the only OEM currently selling a CNG-powered vehicle on a retail basis in the United States. Additionally, the Civic GX is the only OEM-built, CNG-powered passenger car assembled in America. The Civic GX is built on the same assembly line as the gasoline-powered Civic 4-door models at Honda's Greensburg, Indiana manufacturing facility.
In 2006, the Civic GX became available for the first time to retail customers in California. Since then, retail sales have expanded to New York, Utah and now, Oklahoma. Currently, 43 dealers in California, 19 in New York and eight in Utah have added Retail Sales Addendums to their Honda Sales Agreements that enable them to sell the Civic GX on a retail basis. When including dealerships that sell fleet vehicles, there are a total of 134 Civic GX dealers in 33 states.
Oklahoma is an ideal market to expand retail sales of the Civic GX with its low refueling costs, a generous state tax incentive toward the purchase of a new Civic GX and solid fleet sales. As the second largest natural gas producing state in the U.S., Oklahoma already has a strong existing CNG station infrastructure with robust plans to expand the network over the next several years.
The 2010 Civic GX achieves an EPA-estimated city/highway fuel economy of 24/36** miles per gasoline-gallon equivalent and is the only vehicle certified by the EPA to meet both Federal Tier 2-Bin 2 and Inherently Low Emission Vehicle (ILEV) zero evaporative emission certification standards. Additionally, the Honda Civic GX is the cleanest internal combustion vehicle ever tested by the EPA, and for the seventh straight year, the Civic GX NGV was named "Greenest Vehicle" by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
For more information or downloadable high-resolution images of Honda vehicles, please visit www.hondanews.com. Consumer information is available at www.honda.com.
* EPA Tier-2, Bin-2 and ILEV certification as of May 2009
**Based on 2010 EPA mileage estimates, reflecting new EPA fuel economy methods beginning with 2008 models. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.
"The only factory-built natural gas-fueled car currently offered in the United States is now a little bit more available. Cheap natural gas costs and state incentives have led Honda to start offering the Civic GX to retail customers in Oklahoma. Previously, the car had only been available in California, New York and Utah"
Read the full story by Sam Abuelsamid at autobloggreen
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