News

December 20, 2001

ENRG and Sunline Transit Lead Consortium to Increase Natural Gas Vehicle Services in Coachella Valley and Improve Air Quality

Seal Beach, California (December 20, 2001) — ENRG, North America’s leader in clean transportation, and Sunline Services Group, a unit of Sunline Transit, have developed a partnership and assembled a consortium of organizations seeking to increase the usage of natural gas (CNG) vehicles in the Coachella Valley and improve air quality in the inland region.

To increase the number of natural gas (CNG) vehicles serving the area, the consortium has developed a financial package to significantly “buy down” the cost of leasing. Grant funds total $12,000 per vehicle or approximately one-half of the cost of the Ford Crown Victoria sedans and E-350 passenger wagons used in the program. A total of 50 taxis and shuttle vans will be added to valley fleets in 2002.

“The relationship between Sunline Transit and ENRG is believed to be the first public/private partnership in the transit sector in the country for these purposes,” said Richard Cromwell, General Manager and CEO of Sunline Transit. “It is expected that these vehicles alone will displace over 300,000 gallons of gasoline per year in the Coachella Valley, enhancing air quality in the region.”

ENRG and Sunline Transit are working in conjunction with Ford Motor Co., Southern California Gas Company, the Department of Energy (DOE), the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), the California Energy Commission and First Community Bank of Palm Springs. The vehicles are being financed through Sunline Services Group and First Community Bank and then leased to taxicab, limousine and transportation companies.

ENRG is the largest provider of vehicular natural gas (CNG and LNG) and related services in North America. It has a broad customer base that includes refuse, transit, shuttle, taxi, police, intrastate and interstate trucking, airport and municipal fleet markets with over 18,000 private and public fleet vehicles fueling at 80 locations in California, Arizona, Vancouver and Toronto. Customers range from Los Angeles International Airport and Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to SuperShuttle, Sunline Transit, Foothill Transit and Waste Management. The company also has an agreement with Ford Motor Company to help market alternative fuel vehicles. ENRG was formed in June 2001 through the combination of certain assets and interests of Pickens Fuel Corp. (a private company owned by Boone Pickens), BCG eFuels, Inc. (owned by BC Gas Inc., TSE: BCG) and Westport Innovations Inc. of Vancouver, British Columbia (TSE: WPT). Company information is available at www.enrgfuel.com