GM Ramps Up Deliveries of Bi-Fuel Impalas

General Motors Co. says it has delivered about 200 bi-fuel versions of its midsize Chevrolet Impala after delaying the program for more than a year. Most of the initial sales have been to fleet and commercial customers.

Company officials tell The Detroit News the vehicle, which can run on compressed natural gas or gasoline, was delayed to ensure quality. GM announced the program two years ago and originally planned to begin shipments in mid-2014 with targeted first-year sales of 1,000 units. It already has begun production of the 2016 model.

The vehicle is powered by a 3.6-liter V-6 engine, which automatically switches to gasoline after the CNG tank is depleted. Drivers also can choose between the two fuels by pressing a dashboard button. The vehicle can travel 119 miles on CNG and another 368 miles on gasoline for a total range of 487 miles, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates.

The trunk-mounted CNG tank holds the equivalent of nearly 8 gallons of gasoline.

GM builds the base Impalas at its Oshawa Assembly Plant in Ontario and sends them to a customizer to install the CNG system. The vehicles are then shipped to GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant for final preparation.