Japan Tobacco To Switch Out Fleet for CNG and Hybrids

23 January 2005

Yomiuri Shimbun. Japan Tobacco (JT) will replace all the vehicles in its fleet with CNG-powered or hybrid vehicles in an effort to curb CO₂ emissions.

JT will switch its fleet of 3,787 vehicles to more environmentally friendly vehicles when their leases come up for renewal.

As of March 31, 2004, about 18 percent, or 678, of JT’s vehicles were low-emission vehicles.  The entire JT group plans in principle to switch all 5,500 vehicles it has to cleaner vehicles, the tobacco producer said.

JT will deploy CNG vehicles in urban areas where there are natural gas stations, and hybrids will be introduced in rural areas where such stations are scarce.