home > General Motors > news   General Motors, NEVC and East End partners New E85 Pump to Open at Westhampton Beach Valero Station   28 Sep 2006 , New York : General Motors, in partnership with the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition (NEVC) and East End Marketing, today announced that the first New York E85 fueling location available to the public will soon open at the Westhampton Beach Valero station on Long Island. “Thanks to the national consumer education campaign of General Motors; the leadership of Gov. Pataki and the many state agencies that have helped promote the use of biofuels; and the support of our local alternative fuel advocacy organization, the Greater Long Island Clean Cities Coalition; our dream of bringing E85 ethanol to the Long Island community is becoming a reality,” said Rhea Courtney Bozic, northeast regional coordinator, NEVC. “We are thrilled to join General Motors and East End Marketing in this announcement to make E85 ethanol publicly available to New York drivers for the first time ever.” Installation of the new pump is currently under way, and it is expected to open to the public by the end of the year. “ We are thrilled to provide consumers in Westhampton Beach alternative fuel choices such as E85 ethanol that will enhance the environment and provide greater independence from foreign fuels,” added Robert Chase, director of operations, East End Marketing. “We look forward to working with the NEVC and General Motors to introduce New York motorists to the many benefits of E85 ethanol.” As part of the partnership, GM will promote the availability of the fuel through consumer and dealer outreach. The effort is similar to announcements GM has already made with other state government, oil industry, ethanol producers and retail partners across the country. “GM already has more than two million vehicles on the road today that are capable of using E85 ethanol fuel,” said Elizabeth Lowery, GM vice president, environment and energy. “Our latest efforts in New York are the result of our ongoing commitment to partnering with government, fuel providers and retailers to make E85 ethanol more widely available across the country, while we continue to educate consumers about the fueling options they have as flex fuel owners.” The announcement of New York’s first E85 ethanol pump follows Chevrolet’s announcement last month that it provided the MTV Video Music Awards with a fleet of 60 E85-compatible SUVs to transport talent to the Aug. 31 awards telecast at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The Chevrolet celebrity fleet ran on E85 ethanol, which GM purchased from Sprague Energy. Sprague Energy delivered E85 ethanol to the New York City Department of Sanitation, which provided temporary refueling for the Chevrolet celebrity fleet at its six E85 fueling sites in New York City. These refueling sites are fleet stations and are not open to the public. The MTV Video Music Awards promotion and the Westhampton Beach station opening are part of a larger, ongoing campaign by GM to drive consumer awareness of the benefits of E85 ethanol. GM is partnering with government, fuel providers and fuel retailers across the nation to help grow the E85 ethanol fueling station infrastructure. Since May of 2005, GM has announced partnerships in 10 states ( South Dakota, California, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania) to locate up to 170 new E85 ethanol fueling locations by the end of 2006. To date, there are more than 950 E85 ethanol fueling stations in the U.S. E85 flexible-fuel vehicles can run on any combination of gasoline and/or E85, a fuel blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. E85 ethanol can contribute to energy independence because it diversifies the source of transportation fuels beyond petroleum, and it provides positive environmental benefits in the form of reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Because research has shown that many owners of flex-fuel vehicles do not know that their vehicles are capable of using E85 ethanol, GM has initiated a sweeping consumer education and advertising campaign aimed at promoting the benefits of E85 ethanol and GM’s flexible fuel vehicle leadership, and encouraging consumers to actively promote E85 ethanol in their communities. “Live Green Go Yellow” ads continue throughout the year with print, web (livegreengoyellow.com) and broadcast media components. GM is also committed to educating consumers about the fueling options they have as flex-fuel owners. Chevrolet and GMC E85 FlexFuel cars and trucks will soon come equipped with a yellow fuel cap, indicating the consumer has a choice of either gasoline or E85 fuel. GM is a leader in flexible-fuel vehicle production and sales. GM currently offers nine E85 flexible fuel vehicles, including the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon XL, Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Avalanche, Chevrolet Impala and the Chevrolet Monte Carlo. At the same time, worldwide production of ethanol is increasing every year. About General Motors General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 75 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 327,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2005, 9.17 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com. About East End Marketing East End Marketing supplies petroleum and distillate products to various gasoline outlets around Long Island. Founded in 1976, the three original founding members are still very actively involved in all the decision-making processes. Between them they bring more than 100 years of experience to the table. Currently based in Westhampton Beach, N.Y., East End Marketing has a supply chain that services more than 30 outlets reaching into Nassau and Suffolk counties. Operating many of the outlets on the retail level, the company also supplies wholesale fuels. About NEVC The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition is a nonprofit membership organization that serves as the nation’s primary advocacy group promoting the use of 85-percent ethanol as a form of alternative transportation fuel. The NEVC is composed of a wide range of organizations, including state and local interest groups, state and local elected officials, ethanol producers, vehicle manufacturers, agricultural interests, ethanol suppliers and others. As the nation works toward achieving energy independence, sustainability and the advancement of environmental stewardship, the members of the NEVC believe the role of renewable fuels such as E85 must have an ever-expanding role. About Sprague Energy Founded in 1870 as a supplier of coal and oil, Sprague has evolved into the Eastern Seaboard's leading resource for industrial, commercial, space heating and transportation fuels, as well as material handling services. Sprague distributes more than 2.5 billion gallons of petroleum products, 91 billion BTUs of natural gas, and handles 3 million tons of bulk materials in a safe and environmentally sound manner. Sprague, based in Portsmouth, N.H., is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Axel Johnson Inc., a member of the Axel Johnson group of Stockholm, Sweden. For more information please visit www.spragueenergy.com.   home > General Motors > news     Legal Policy | Copyright © 2005-2006 The Information Company Private Limited. All rights reserved.