DETROIT -- Ram will offer a less-expensive heavy-duty pickup powered by compressed natural gas.
The CNG-fueled truck, originally engineered for fleet operators, is available now only in a four-door crew cab model with four-wheel drive and a long bed.
This fall, CNG will be offered in a regular cab two-door body style with two-wheel drive and a long bed.
Since it made CNG available in late 2012, Ram has sold about 1,000 of the trucks.
Dave Sowers, head of commercial marketing for Ram, said expanding the availability of CNG should boost sales to fleet buyers looking for a smaller, less expensive CNG model.
Ram officials announced the expansion of the CNG option last week at the Association for the Work Truck Industry national trade show in Indianapolis.
Despite the recent drop in gasoline prices, CNG's popularity among fleet buyers has continued to grow. The CNG equivalent of a gallon of gasoline costs roughly $1.50, compared with the national average of $2.45 for a gallon of unleaded regular, according to Gasbuddy.com.
CNG-powered vehicles also produce less pollution than gasoline-propelled cars vehicles.
