MHQ – Meeting a Rising Demand for Natural Gas-Powered Emergency Vehicles

As an emergency vehicle supplier to police, fire and transportation departments in Northeastern United States for the past 34 years, MHQ has a good sense of what its customers want. Recently, more of its customers are telling the company they want to drive natural gas vehicles (NGVs).

Tom Emig, MHQ Fleet Account Manager, said he noticed a change in demand about two years ago, as more fleet managers were becoming aware of the price discrepancy between natural gas and diesel, and wanting to take advantage of it.

Since then, MHQ has sold an increasing number of Ford Westport WiNG™ Power System pickup trucks, plows and vans to its largest customer, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Transportation. They have purchased about 30 dedicated compressed natural gas (CNG) Ford F250s in the last two years.

“We are the biggest contractor selling vehicles to the state, so we responded to their demand,” Tom says. “Several other cities are also purchasing them as they take advantage of state and federal level-incentives.”