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The 25 NGV Falcon wagons which will be built for sale this year represent a significant environmental investment by Ford Australia. They follow successful field trials with taxi and gas companies in Australia and New Zealand since 1993.

According to Ford Australia's Advanced Product Development Manager, Carolyn Keenan, natural gas is cheaper, burns more cleanly and is a more plentiful resource in Australia than petrol, LPG or diesel.

"Natural gas production requires no refineries and studies indicate that natural gas engine emissions potentially have a lower impact on ozone formation than those derived from other fuels" she said.

Ms Keenan said the trials - involving 10 taxi prototypes - showed that fuel costs compared favourably with LPG - around four cents per kilometre for the natural gas Falcons compared with around six cents per kilometre for LPG-fuelled vehicles.

"The natural gas Falcon differs from other NGV car projects in that we're building it for some volume sale and it is engineered to run only on natural gas which, unlike a dual- fuel conversion, is not compromised by the demands of a second fuel type" she said.

The natural gas Falcon's 4-litre 6-cylinder engine is optimised to take advantage of the higher energy content of natural gas and develops maximum power of 149 kW at 4700 rpm and maximum torque of 339 Nm at 2800rpm - around 95 percent of its petrol equivalent.

Engine modifications include a much higher compression ratio of 13.5: 1 (standard is 9.3) via special special pistons and a shaved cylinder head with altered combustion chambers. Injectors for gas replace those for petrol and a uniquely profiled camshaft and reprogrammed EEC-V electronic engine control module complete the under hood changes. Valve seats required no changes.

Twin gas tanks under the rear floor replace the petrol tank while a third gas tank is tucked behind the rear seat. With up to 210 litres total volume (between 42 and 52 cubic metres depending on fill rate/pressure), the NGV Falcon's urban range extends to around 500 kilometres. A typical taxi single shift needs about 400 km.

Heavy duty suspension handles the extra weight of the tanks.

Ford's 3-year/l00,OOOkm warranty applies to all Ford components in the vehicle while Parnell LP Gas Systems, who supply and fit the natural gas conversion, also support their installation with a 3-year warranty.

Ms Keenan said Ford's move to NGV car production culminated four years of joint research by Ford, Melbourne University, and Allgas Energy Ltd, under the auspices of the Energy Research and Development Corporation (ERDC).

According to Craig Marschall, Chief Executive Officer of the Australasian Natural Gas Vehicles Council, natural gas is the appropriate bridging fuel for the next 50 years or so.

"Australia has about 80 years supply of natural gas and around the world it is much more evenly available than oil-based fuel as a resource," he said.

Currently there are about 90 NGV filling stations in Australia, mostly private fleet installations.

It is possible to refuel a natural gas car from household mains gas supplies via a special pump and compressor, although with power costs to run these units it is cheaper to refuel at dedicated depots.

The Ford Australia initiative is in line with Ford Motor Company's global push on alternative fuel vehicles. Over 90 percent of all alternative fuel vehicles sold in 1996 in USA were Fords as are more than half of all alternative fuel vehicles ever produced