WASHINGTON, DC, October 8, 2002 – Today, FuelMaker Corporation unveiled the first working prototype model of their natural gas vehicle Home Refueling Appliance at the World NGV 2002 show. The appliance, now referred to as “Phill”, was introduced to the public at a joint press conference held by FuelMaker and American Honda at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. Exhibit and conference attendees were the first to see Phill in operation.

“Vehicle home fueling will become a reality in late 2003,” says John Lyon, FuelMaker President & CEO, “and today marks a key milestone in the road to improved air quality.” Phill is ideal for commuter vehicles, such as the Honda Civic GX which has the cleanest internal combustion engine in the world. Honda announced, at the press conference, plans to target the Civic GX model year 2004 at the consumer market. “Home fueling will help to increase consumer acceptance of natural gas powered vehicles like the Civic GX,” says Robert Bienenfeld, Senior Manager of Product Planning at American Honda.


There are three times more consumer vehicles on the road than commercial ones. With natural gas vehicles operating cleaner than gasoline or diesel, the impact on air quality is significant. In addition to the convenience of fueling right at home, drivers will have the advantage of using HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lanes even without passengers, in some areas like Southern California.

Established in 1989, FuelMaker Corporation, based in Toronto, Canada, designs, manufactures, and installs natural gas and hydrogen commercial fueling systems for fleet vehicles, forklifts, and ice resurfacers. With the introduction of Phill to the product line, FuelMaker takes a lead role in the future development of the consumer natural gas vehicle market. There are over 8,000 FuelMaker refueling systems in service worldwide.