BAF Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary and 20,000th CNG Vehicle Conversion at Its New Production Facility in Dallas
BAF, a wholly owned subsidiary of Clean Energy Fuels Corp., staged Open House ceremonies Thursday at its new Dallas production facility to mark the company's 20th Anniversary and the completion of its 20,000th compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle conversion.
Located at 2176 French Settlement Road in Dallas, the new 91,000-square-foot BAF headquarters site houses the company's R&D, vehicle conversion and service operations.
On hand for the Open House event, Douglas R. Clark, president of the Omaha, Neb. Metropolitan Utilities District, officially took possession of BAF's 20,000th CNG conversion, a dedicated Ford F-250 pickup truck for use in the District's service fleet.
BAF President John Bacon told event guests, "This is a landmark day in the history of BAF. We're celebrating 20 years in the business. We have opened the doors of our new facility, and we are commemorating these events with the delivery of our 20,000th natural gas vehicle conversion. Our industry has grown from just an idea 20 years ago to today, when hundreds of natural gas-powered vehicle fleets are deployed across the nation every day."
Bacon added, "Just this year, BAF expects to convert more than 5,000 vehicles to CNG power, and we are very excited about our prospects for continuing growth in the next 20 years."
Special guests at the anniversary celebration included Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and Clean Energy Co-Founders T. Boone Pickens and Andrew Littlefair, who serves as Clean Energy's CEO.
BAF is the first CNG converter recognized as a Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier (QVM) for gaseous fuel. Further, the company uses Ford-accredited QCM (Quality Calibrations Modifier) calibrations and all vehicles converted by BAF are registered through Ford QFC (Quality Fleet Care) for all warranty and service work through Ford dealerships. Finally, BAF takes the extra step of crash testing its light-duty vehicle products to achieve federal compliance. It has a network of 65 dealers across the country certified to install BAF's CNG conversions.
Currently priced up to $1.50 or more per gallon lower than diesel or gasoline (depending upon local markets), the use of natural gas fuels reduces greenhouse gas emissions up to 30% in light-duty vehicles. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that 98% of the natural gas consumed in the U.S. is sourced in the U.S. and Canada, making natural gas a secure North American energy choice.
