GM CNG Vans, Rolling this Fall

After back in May American manufacturer GM announced its plans of becoming the only manufacturer to offer a one-source van CNG option, it said yesterday that production for the CNG powered Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana has been finalized, with the models getting ready to be shipped. Sales are expected to begin this fall.

“Our focus from the beginning has been to offer fleet customers a simple ‘check the box’ approach with our CNG Chevrolet Express and Savana vans,” Brian Small, GM Fleet and Commercial Operations general manager said in a statement. “Our robust production process is a key enabler and certainly separates us from any competitive offering.”

All the vans offered with CNG option are powered by the Vortec 6.0L V8 engine, modified to accommodate hardened exhaust valves and intake and exhaust valve seats.

The CNG option will be integrated into the vans by Productive Concepts (PCI), who will handle the installation of the CNG fuel delivery and storage system.

As GM already announced, the vans are EPA and CARB compliant. Both versions of the two vans are covered by GM's limited new vehicle warranty including the 5-year/100,000 mile transferable GM powertrain limited warranty.

“We’ve made choosing a CNG or LPG van easier for our customers,” Joyce Mattman, director of GM’s commercial products and specialty vehicles said when the release of the vans was announced. “No other manufacturer offers a commercial CNG or LPG option that provides a solution with this level of support and availability.”

Pricing for the new GM offering has not yet been announced.