PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The U.S. Steel Co. is converting its vehicles to run on natural gas, officials said Wednesday.
The steelmaker saves 61 cents for every mile driven using natural gas instead of gasoline or diesel fuel, according to U.S. Steel CEO John P. Surma.
So far U.S. Steel has converted five vehicles at its Irvin, Pa., plant, and more are planned. The conversions cost about $12,000 to $15,000, company officials said.
Chesapeake Energy Chairman and CEO Aubrey McClendon said it has even bigger goals: converting its fleet of 4,900 trucks and other vehicles to run on natural gas. The company expects that will save millions each year when the process is completed in 2013 or 2014.
Chesapeake is also investing $1 million toward building 1,000 to 1,250 natural gas stations across the country, McClendon said.
But Chesapeake officials said they expect more factory-made natural gas vehicles to be available next year. Dodge is expected to produce a pick-up truck, and Ford and General Motors are also supposed to have production of such vehicles in the pipeline.
