September 26, 2007, Rutherford, CA - Long Meadow Ranch, Napa Valley's innovative winery and organic food producer, announced today the acquisition of an all-electric delivery truck produced by Modec Limited, a U. K. -based start-up company located in Coventry, England.

The vehicle, which can carry up to 2 tons of payload, relies entirely on a rechargeable electric battery for its power and, as a result, produces zero emissions. Long Meadow Ranch is receiving the first vehicle of its kind in the United States. Because Long Meadow Ranch also produces all of its electricity from its own solar project, the vehicle will not only be "zero emission", but it will also leave a "zero carbon footprint," as none of the energy will be produced from the combustion of fossil or any other kinds of fuel.

"In addition to general ranch use, we plan to use the truck to take our product to the St. Helena Farmers' Market and to make wine, beef, and vegetable deliveries to our local restaurant and retailer customers," said co-owner Laddie Hall.

The Modec van can travel up to 100 miles at 50 miles-per-hour with a full 2-ton payload on a single charge. The batteries can be recharged in two to six hours depending on the extent of their use. "At Long Meadow Ranch, we will only need to recharge the truck one or two times a week to keep it fully operational," added Laddie Hall. "And, at today's fuel prices, we believe that the van makes economic sense when compared to a conventional gasoline- or diesel-powered truck."

The Modec electric vehicle is inherently less complex and more efficient than more highly-publicized hybrid vehicles because it does not have both an electric and a gasoline motor. Its sole electric motor consists of just three parts and the vehicle also does not produce any emissions at all.

Long Meadow Ranch has agreed to test the vehicle on behalf of Modec and will receive a next generation version early in the new year, which will be put into full service. The current version relies on a sodium nickel chloride battery which provides 85 kilowatt hours of energy which, in turn, translates into a 100- mile range. With the continued development of battery technology, future versions are expected to have substantially increased range and potential speed.

Modec Limited is a private company founded in 2004 by Lord Jamie Borwick, the forward-thinking ex-Chairman of Manganese Bronze Holdings PLC, a publicly-traded holding company in the U. K. While at Manganese Bronze, Borwick worked with an exceptional team of engineers to redesign and revitalize the iconic London Taxi, which is now an efficient, modern, and safe vehicle in widespread use in London and elsewhere. Designed from the ground up - as opposed to converting an existing truck design - by the same experienced engineering team, the Modec van is currently in full production in Coventry, England - the U. K's version of Detroit -at the first entirely new automotive production facility opened there since the 1940s.

The design team focused on inherently low maintenance features such as ‘bounce-back’ lower body panels that can absorb minor impacts and a motor that has just three moving parts (compared to over 300 parts in a typical diesel engine). The truck is also expected to have an extraordinary 20,000 mile service interval.

Designed for fleet delivery truck operations of all types, the Modec van is already being used by the prominent U. K. grocery firm, Tesco, to deliver groceries to customers in London. Ergonomically configured, the vehicle allows a driver to stand when entering and exiting through the side step entry - as opposed to a door - making frequent stops for delivery much easier on the driver.

"Based on our analysis, we believe that this vehicle makes sound economic sense and illustrates - one more time - our belief at Long Meadow Ranch that doing the right thing from an environmental perspective does not result in making compromises in terms of either cost or quality. With this van we will be able to serve our customers better, provide a safe comfortable experience for our drivers, and, at the same time, operate at lower total cost over the life of the vehicle," said co-owner Ted Hall.

"We had the opportunity to test drive a vehicle last fall in England and we saw immediately that its use did not require accepting a compromise in terms of functionality. I went back for the grand opening of the assembly line in March where Lord Borwick and I agreed that LMR was a perfect place to conduct an initial U.S. trial. Ultimately, the Modec van will be produced in the United States and I hope to help make the company a success here," concluded Ted Hall.

The Modec van will be on display at LMR Rutherford Gardens (1976 S. St. Helena Highway, Rutherford, CA) during regular business hours on Wednesdays from Noon to 6 PM and 9 AM to 4 PM on Saturdays.

For more information about Modec Limited, see: www.modec.co.uk

For more information about Long Meadow Ranch, see: www.longmeadowranch.com

* * *

Contact: Monty J. Sander
vox 707.253.8503
fax 707.253.8501
emax monty@longmeadowranch.com