In conjunction with that announcement, Ford Motor Company announced BP Amoco's cleaner fuels would be used as the factory fill for premium-gasoline-fueled Ford Motor Company vehicles that roll off assembly lines in markets where the low sulfur fuel is made available. Ford Motor Company will expand its factory fill commitment into more of its assembly plants as BP Amoco continues to roll out the fuels across all grades in other markets and expects to have the majority of its assembly plants converted to the reformulated fuels within the next two years.

The partnering of BP Amoco with Ford Motor Company to introduce cleaner fuels to the Detroit market emphasizes the commitment of both companies to offer consumers cleaner products that benefit the environment well ahead of regulatory timetables.

"As evidenced by our recent actions that have resulted in more than two million Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) trucks currently on the road, Ford Motor Company is committed to bringing products to market in volume that ensure significant, positive environmental impact," said Helen Petrauskas, vice president, Environmental Safety and Engineering, Ford Motor Company. "We are pleased that BP Amoco shares Ford Motor Company's values on environmental leadership and is introducing lower sulfur premium gasoline to the market four years ahead of the EPA mandated schedule." Detroit becomes one of the first markets in the nation to receive the new lower sulfur fuels. The premium cleaner fuels are available at the pump as Crystal Clear Amoco Ultimate and BP Super 93, and deliver the same quality performance as the previous formulas. BP Amoco is not passing any additional cost on to the customer for its new generation of clean fuel, even though there are added production costs.

BP Amoco will spend more than $100 million during the next two years modifying its refining and associated operations to make its cleaner fuels available in cities that are most troubled by smog and pollution, including 40 key cities worldwide by the end of 2000. Among the other cities currently participating in the cleaner fuels initiative are London, Paris, Warsaw, Atlanta and Chicago. Detroit was chosen because additional pollution control measures such as cleaner fuels will help the area meet its air quality goals.

Ford Motor Company announced in 1998 that all sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and Windstar minivans sold in the U.S. and Canada, starting with the 1999 model year, would meet the federal government's stringent criteria for qualifying as LEV. This industry first was followed by the major announcement in 1999 that all F-Series pickup trucks would be LEV, starting in the 2000 model year. The combined effect from Ford Motor Company's early-adoption actions so far is equivalent to eliminating the smog-forming emissions from 350,000 full-size pickups on the road today. On an ongoing basis, the company's current actions will result in 4,250 tons less of smog-forming pollutants being released annually into the atmosphere.

During the last month, Ford Motor Company has been recognized twice for its environmental actions. The Ford F-150 pickup truck was selected as a top environmental choice in its class by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), in its annual listing of the most environmentally friendly vehicles. This past Friday, CALSTART, an advanced transportation technologies organization based in California, presented Ford Motor Company with its annual Blue Sky AwardTM for the company's commitment to advanced, clean vehicle technology.

With an average sulfur level of 30 ppm, as opposed to Detroit's average for all premium grades of gasolines of more than 100 ppm, Crystal Clear Amoco Ultimate and BP Super 93 meet U.S. EPA proposed national gasoline sulfur reductions for the year 2004.

BP Amoco intends to play a leading role in providing oil, gas, solar power and petrochemicals in ways that are more compatible with a natural environment. The company has committed to reducing its global greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent from a 1990 baseline over the period to year 2010. The "Clean Fuels" program is another example of the company's intention to provide new cleaner fuels for customers worldwide.

(March 6, 2000)