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2015 Chevy Impala Bi-fuel burns CNG, starts at $37,385*

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Currently, the only natural-gas-powered passenger car offered for sale by an OEM in the US is the Honda Civic Natural Gas. Starting this fall, that long-running CNG car will be joined by a CNG-burning 2015 Chevy Impala for both fleet and retail customers. General Motors announced today that the car will start at $37,385, plus an $825 destination charge. That comes to $38,210 before taxes and options.

Those options include two trim lines, the base LS and the upper-level LT. Chevy doesn't break out the details in the press release announcing the price, but you can see the trim details for the standard gas-powered 2014 Impala here. Exact information on the 2015 models is not available just yet, but GM spokesman Chad Lyons told AutoblogGreen that the equipment that you see listed on the site for 2014 is "almost exactly the same" as what will be available for 2015.

The 2015 Impala gets around 19 city mpg on CNG, but official EPA numbers are not yet available.

That means the LS will come with 18-inch aluminum wheels, electric variable-assist power steering, projector-beam headlamps, and 10 air bags. The LT adds an eight-inch touch screen with MyLink, premium Cloth interior and dual-zone automatic climate controls. The cost for this upgrade is unspecified. For CNG purposes, we can ignore the numerical prefix used for the gas-powered LT trims, since that denominates the engine type, and all the CNG models use a 3.6-liter engine with hardened valves and valve seats that can better handle natural gas. The trunk capacity also drops from 18.8 cubic feet to 10 cu .ft. in order to fit in the CNG tank that holds the equivalent of 7.8 gallons of gas. That amount of CNG should move you 150 city miles, which is around 19 mpg, but official EPA numbers are not yet available. With the addition of the gasoline on board, the overall range is 500 city miles. The car burns CNG when available and switches to gas with "no interruption" either when the tank is empty or when the driver selects the gas tank. Find more details in the press release below.

GM says the CNG Impala will will be available nationwide this fall. CNG is a growing fuel in the US, thanks in part to fracking. The Civic Natural Gas, which starts at $26,640, is growing towards a nationwide availability. Next year, for example, the Shell Eco-marathon Americas in Detroit will allow CNG for the first time.
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Chevrolet Announces Pricing of CNG-Capable 2015 Impala

2014-05-06

LONG BEACH, Calif. – The 2015 bi-fuel Chevrolet Impala, the industry's only manufacturer-produced full-size sedan in North America that can run on both compressed natural gas (CNG) and gasoline, will have a starting price of $38,210, including an $825 destination charge, but excluding tax, title, license, dealer fees and operational equipment.

The bi-fuel Impala will be available in the fourth quarter to both fleet and retail customers in either an LS base trim or a higher-equipped LT trim.

The vehicle is available only with a 3.6L hardened engine with hardened valves and valve seats for improved wear resistance and durability with the CNG fuel system. The CNG tank mounted in the trunk has the equivalent capacity of 7.8 gallons of gasoline, which is expected to offer approximately 150 city miles of range on compressed natural gas based on GM testing. EPA estimates are not yet finalized, but with gasoline and compressed natural gas combined, expected range is 500 city miles based on GM testing.

In addition to average fuel savings of nearly $1.25 per gasoline-gallon-equivalent based on current fuel prices, natural gas is one of the cleanest-burning fuels available, so vehicles that run on CNG produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline-powered cars.

"The Impala nameplate has recently seen market share growth, and critical acclaim for its design, functionality and low cost of ownership. Now, with the addition of bi-fuel capabilities it will also help customers reduce fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions," said Ed Peper, U.S. vice president, GM Fleet & Commercial.

The Impala will primarily run on CNG and once the fuel tank is depleted, the system automatically and seamlessly switches to run on gasoline. Drivers who wish to change fuels while driving can do so by simply pushing a button on the dashboard, which uses an LED light to indicate when CNG is being used. There is no interruption in the vehicle's performance.

The CNG fuel system is validated by GM covered by GM's three-year, 36,000-mile new vehicle limited bumper-to-bumper warranty and five-year, 100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty, whichever comes first. The vehicle is expected to meet all EPA and California Air Resources Board emission certification requirements.

The bi-fuel Impala, assembled at GM's Oshawa, Ontario, plant, will be available for purchase later this year at any of the more than 3,200 Chevrolet dealerships nationwide.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.9 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

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