The U.S. Department of Energy announced on Monday an offer of a nearly 50-million-U.S. dollar conditional loan commitment to the Florida-based American car maker Vehicle Production Group LLC (VPG) to fund its purpose- built vehicle project. The conditional loan commitment would support the development of the six- passenger MV-1, a factory-built wheelchair accessible vehicle that would run on compressed natural gas. 'This project represents an investment in innovation that will create new jobs, promote the use of alternative fuels, and help our nation maintain its competitive edge in the automotive industry,' said U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. As a dedicated compressed natural gas vehicle, the MV-1 would use no gasoline and produce lower emissions than gasoline-fueled vehicles. VPG estimated that at full capacity, the project will produce approximately 22,650 vehicles per year. Between production, part suppliers, sales and marketing, the project was expected to create more than 900 jobs. 'It is part of a broad effort to reclaim America's leadership in auto manufacturing, ensuring that our workers are producing the best, most innovative, most efficient vehicles in the world,' Chu added. 