CALSTART NATURAL GAS VEHICLE COOPERATIVE

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WHAT IS THE COOPERATIVE?
CALSTART is partnering with other NGV stakeholders to create a Natural Gas Vehicle Cooperative Purchase Program (the Cooperative) to coordinate the high volume purchase of light and medium duty vehicles by public and private fleets.  It is proposed to conduct this program mostly within California, but including Arizona and Nevada to increase potential demand, with the possibility of expanding it beyond these states if this effort is successful and if there is funding available.  The Cooperative will assist fleets in “greening” their fleets with cleaner alternative fuel vehicles at affordable prices.  It addition, the Cooperative wants to aggregate large enough numbers to incentivize dealers and manufacturers to not only participate in the Cooperative, but help them expand the market for these vehicles.

We know there is demand for alternative fuel, especially natural gas vehicles by both public and private fleets.  Although all major OEMs except Honda with its NGV Civic have left the natural gas vehicle market, the void has been filled with lower volume manufacturers who supply CARB-certified engines and vehicle upfits.  However, availability and type of product is not always well-known by fleets, nor are the low volume manufacturers’ and upfitters’ products as readily accepted by fleets.  There is also the challenge of higher cost from lower volumes and single orders.  The value of driving higher volumes, seeking commonalities to simplify production and reduce cost, and trigger competition can serve to re-energize the natural gas vehicle market, speed the number of cleaner vehicles on the road and decrease air pollution problems in these states.

WHAT ARE SOME POSSIBLE VEHICLES TO BE INCLUDED?
Some of the vehicles available through the cooperative will include:

• Honda Civic GX
• Ford F-150 pickup
• Ford E-350 van
• Ford E-450 cutaway
• Ford Crown Victoria
• GM C4500 and C5500 Shuttle Bus
• GMC S10
• GMC Sonoma
• Chevrolet Silverado Pickup
• Isuzu NPR
  

The NGV Cooperative is currently developing bid specifications for dealers and will publish purchasing guidelines for fleets later in 2008.  In the meantime, please contact us if you are interested in participating:

HOW WILL IT WORK?
It is the intent of the NGV Cooperative to organize both interested fleets and dealers to participate in the program.  Fleets would be encouraged to participate with the benefit of the potential of lower prices from a higher volume purchase; dealers and manufacturers would be encouraged to participate with the prospect of receiving higher order volume via the Cooperative.  A Request for Bid process will be conducted with interested dealers based on fleet product interest and a winning bid will be awarded to the dealer(s) with the most satisfactory bid based on agreed on evaluation criteria.  Purchase information will then be distributed via a variety of means, including the CALSTART web site, media, e-newsletters, outreach at conferences.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Membership is simple, free, and open to all fleets.  To join in the NGV Cooperative, please contact a CALSTART representative or complete the form on this web site and submit it or fax it to David Kantor at (626) 744-5610.

Please contact us if you are interested in participating: