9/2/06 (PR Newswire) CHICAGO -- General Motors announced Wednesday the addition of 26 additional E85 refueling pumps to stations in greater Chicago through collaborative partnerships with Shell Oil Products US and VeraSun Energy Corp. The collaboration is part of a broader, national GM campaign to boost the use and awareness of ethanol-based E85 fuel in the U.S.

To promote E85 fuel and vehicles during the Chicago Auto Show, several major Chicago buildings will be illuminated in yellow lights in reference to the corn that is used to make most of the ethanol in the U.S. E85 supply; and city "street teams" will randomly reach out to Chicagoans Feb. 10-12 and 17-19 with giveaways that promote GM's new "Live Green Go Yellow" E85 marketing and advertising campaign. GM also will promote E85 with a major presence in the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and with 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart.

The E85 partnership and marketing campaign are designed to encourage greater E85 use and showcase GM's E85 FlexFuel vehicle leadership to U.S. consumers. E85 FlexFuel vehicles can run on any combination of gasoline and/or E85, a fuel blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. E85 can contribute to energy independence because it diversifies the source of transportation fuels beyond petroleum, and it provides positive environmental benefits in the form of reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

"GM is pursuing gasoline-savings solutions on many fronts on the way to our ultimate vision of hydrogen fuel cell-powered transportation," said Elizabeth Lowery, GM vice president of environment and energy. "E85 ethanol burns cleaner than gasoline and is a renewable, domestic fuel that can enhance the nation's economy and energy security."

With 1.5 million flexible-fuel vehicles already on the road, GM is a leader in flexible-fuel vehicle production and sales. GM has nine models that are E85-capable, and plans to add more than 400,000 E85-capable vehicles to the fleet in 2006. At the same time, worldwide production of ethanol is increasing every year, and is expected to triple by 2020.

South Dakota-based VeraSun Energy, the nation's second-largest producer of ethanol, announced the availability of VE85 at 20 Gas City stations in the Chicago metro area. VE85 is VeraSun's branded E85. As part of the initiative, GM will promote the availability of the fuel with consumer and dealer outreach. The collaboration is similar to one VeraSun and GM entered into last May in the Sioux Falls, S.D. area.

"These initiatives are important to the nation on various levels and are clearly in line with the president's path toward energy independence," said Bill Honnef, VeraSun vice president of sales and marketing. "We commend General Motors for not only producing flexible-fuel vehicles, but for taking a leadership role in educating consumers to the benefits of FFV ownership and E85 use. Together we are committed to expanding both awareness and availability of E85."

Shell, the No. 1 gasoline brand in the U.S., will participate in a test pilot with GM to gauge consumer interest in alternative fuels by monitoring behavior at the pump. Shell will supply E85 refueling pumps at approximately six stations in Chicago, and GM will market the availability of those stations to its customers and dealers. Shell is likely the world's leading marketer of fuels containing bio-components and the company has the largest portfolio of fuels. In fact, Shell Hydrogen partnered with GM in 2003 to open a hydrogen demonstration refueling station in Washington, D.C.

"We are investing in technologies and partnerships that will make Shell the leading provider of next-generation fuel solutions; and this pilot program with General Motors gives us a unique opportunity to test consumer openness to alternative fuels in a real-world situation," said Dan Little, Fuels Manager, Shell Oil Products US. "Today, Shell has the broadest fuel technology portfolio, and pilots like this demonstrate our capability and commitment to meeting the transportation needs of our customers and society now and in the future."

In early January, GM announced a joint demonstration project with the state of California, Chevron Technology Ventures and Pacific Ethanol. In addition, as part of its broader objective to promote E85 awareness and use, GM has partnered with ethanol champions such as the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition and the Governors' Ethanol Coalition. With the GEC collaboration, GM has loaned E85 flex-fuel vehicles to 28 states and organizations so that they may use them to educate the public and promote the benefits of using ethanol.

GM also will leverage its OnStar technology in the E85 promotion effort: Customers with an active OnStar subscription needing help locating an E85 station can contact an OnStar advisor, who will provide the nearest station's address, city and phone number to Safe & Sound package subscribers and full route support to Directions & Connections subscribers. There are currently 420 E85 stations in OnStar's database, with plans to update the database six times a year.

"Partnerships such as the one announced today are important because, ultimately, it requires ethanol providers and vehicle manufacturers working together to maximize availability and consumer use of E85," said Phillip Lampert, executive director of the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition. "I applaud GM's commitment to E85 and its significant presence in the flexible- fuel marketplace."

Research has shown that many owners of flex-fuel vehicles do not know that their vehicles are capable of using E85. Last month, GM announced a sweeping consumer education and advertising campaign in Washington, D.C. aimed at promoting the benefits of E85 and GM's flexible-fuel vehicle leadership, and encouraging consumers to actively promote E85 in their communities. "Live Green Go Yellow" ads broke during the Super Bowl XL broadcast and continue throughout the year with print, web (livegreengoyellow.com) and broadcast media components.

Some owners of GM FlexFuel vehicles will receive yellow fuel caps to remind them that their vehicles are E85-capable; later this year, all new GM FlexFuel vehicles will be equipped with yellow fuel caps at the factory.

GM's commitment to ethanol-blended fuels is not confined to North America. Globally, GM has a large fleet of vehicles that run on bioethanol in Brazil, where it is the most available fuel. In December 2005, 78 percent of vehicles sold by GM do Brasil were equipped with Flexpower, which provides capability to run on 100-percent ethanol. In Europe, the E85-powered Saab 9-5 BioPower accounts for 80 percent of all 9-5 sales in Sweden. The vehicle was recently named to Popular Science magazine's "Best of What's New" list.

'March to Zero'

E85 is just one of many gasoline-saving strategies GM is pursuing in its ultimate "March to Zero" vision of a global hydrogen economy. They begin with improvements to the internal combustion engine with technologies such as variable valve timing, six-speed transmissions, improved aerodynamics and Active Fuel Management(TM), GM's fuel-saving cylinder-deactivation technology.

The Saturn Vue Green Line and Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon Two-mode Hybrids are among 12 hybrids GM will launch, providing customers with several levels of fuel economy savings at different price points on vehicles ranging from cars to full-size SUVs. The Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid SUV will go on sale this summer, deliver a 20-percent improvement in fuel economy and feature a base price of under $23,000. Next year, GM will introduce the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon Two-mode Hybrids, which deliver an estimated 25-percent improvement in fuel economy when GM's two-mode hybrid system is mated with Active Fuel Management.

GM already builds and sells the industry's first and only hybrid pickups, the Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid and the GMC Sierra Hybrid, which deliver the highest city fuel economy in their segment. The trucks became available nationally as of the 2006 model year. GM's patented two-mode technology also is at work in 380 hybrid diesel transit buses across the U.S., with deliveries of 216 additional buses scheduled for 2006.

About GM:

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 75 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 327,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2005, 9.17 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.

About Shell:

Shell is a world leader in distributing biofuel components, selling over 2.5 billion litres in 2005. Shell is investing in technologies and partnerships to make it the leading provider of the next generation of fuel solutions intended to provide enhanced environmental and vehicle performance. Shell is an equity investor in Iogen and has entered into a partnership with CHOREN Industries GmbH to provide advanced bio-components for gasoline and diesel engines, respectively.

Royal Dutch Shell plc is incorporated in England and Wales, has its headquarters in The Hague and is listed on the London, Amsterdam, and New York stock exchanges. Shell companies have operations in more than 145 countries with businesses including oil and gas exploration and production; production and marketing of Liquefied Natural Gas and Gas to Liquids; manufacturing, marketing and shipping of oil products and chemicals and renewable energy projects including wind and solar power. For further information, visit www.shell.com.

About VeraSun Energy Corp.:

VeraSun Energy Corporation is a renewable energy company headquartered in Brookings, S.D. The company operates a 120-million-gallon-per-year ethanol plant in Aurora, S.D., and a 110-million-gallon-per-year ethanol plant in Fort Dodge, Ia. VeraSun is the nation's second-largest ethanol producer.

The company markets VeraSun E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, directly to fuel retailers under the brand VE85. For more information, please visit www.verasun.com or www.ve85.com.

About NEVC:

The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition is a nonprofit membership organization that serves as the nation's primary advocacy group promoting the use of 85 percent ethanol as a form of alternative transportation fuel.

The NEVC is composed of a wide range of organizations, including state and local interest groups, state and local elected officials, ethanol producers, vehicle manufacturers, agricultural interests, ethanol suppliers and others. As the nation works toward achieving energy independence, sustainability and the advancement of environmental stewardship, the members of the NEVC believe the role of renewable fuels, such as E85, must have an ever-expanding role. For more information, visit www.e85fuel.com.

SOURCE: General Motors Corporation