With fuel efficient hybrid cars on the road and plans in place for battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, you might say the Blue Oval has turned ‘green’. But Ford Motor Company’s sustainability efforts aren’t limited to high mileage vehicles – the automaker also is reducing the amount of energy it uses to make its vehicles.

Ford Motor Company’s actions to conserve energy used at its U.S. operations have earned it the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s coveted 2009 ENERGY STAR Award for the fourth consecutive year. The Award for Sustained Excellence recognizes Ford’s continued leadership and commitment to protecting the environment through energy efficiency.

Powerful Improvements
In 2008, Ford improved energy efficiency in the U.S. by 5 percent resulting in savings of approximately $16 million. Actual savings due to plant shutdowns were higher, but Ford measures energy efficiency as energy consumed per vehicle. Since 2000, Ford’s U.S. facilities have improved energy efficiency by nearly 35 percent. That’s equivalent to the annual energy consumed by more than 150,000 homes.

A number of actions taken by Ford since 2000 have contributed to its overall energy efficiency improvement, including:

• Updated heating systems at many manufacturing facilities by replacing out-moded steam powerhouses with digitally controlled direct-fired natural gas air handlers;
• Updated facility lighting systems by replacing inefficient high intensity discharge fixtures with up-to-date fluorescent lights and control systems;
• Upgraded paint process systems including booth air handling and improved emission controls;
• Continued development of Ford’s “Paint Shop of the Future” processes, including Fumes-to-Fuel that turns paint fumes into electricity, the 3-Wet painting process that significantly reduces the footprint and energy use of paint booths, and zirconium oxide pretreatment that uses less energy to inhibit surface corrosion;
• Installed advanced computer controls on all North American plant air compressors for paint shop applications and pneumatic tools;
• Aggressively curtailing energy use during extended production shutdown periods;
• Using flexible tooling to assemble multiple vehicles on the same production line, which requires less manufacturing floor space and optimizes plant utilization;
• Leveraging the Energy Star program through employee energy awareness communications and events, development of energy modeling and analysis tools, and replication of industry best practices.

QUOTES

“Ford Motor Company is committed to the responsible use of resources. Energy efficiency is critical to running a strong and successful business delivering both financial and environmental benefits.” – said George Andraos, director, Energy and Manufacturing Site Management

“EPA is delighted to recognize Ford Motor Company with the 2009 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence award. Ford’s leadership on energy efficiency has yielded impressive results for their bottom line and our global environment, showing us all what can be accomplished through sustained commitment and action.” – said Kathleen Hogan, director, Climate Protection Partnerships Division at the U.S. EPA

2010 FUSION HYBRID EARNS ‘TOP SAFETY PICK,’ GIVES FORD HYBRIDS BEST FUEL ECONOMY AND SAFETY COMBO

Car buyers seeking fuel efficient hybrids with top safety ratings in a variety of vehicle segments can look forward to a one-stop shopping trip. Only at a Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealership will they find not one but two top-safety-rated hybrids from which to choose.

Ford is the only automotive brand to offer two hybrids that have segment-leading fuel efficiency, “Top Safety Pick” awards and exclusive safety technologies.

The all-new 2010 Fusion and Fusion Hybrid – the most fuel efficient midsize cars in North America – has received a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Fusion Hybrid offers 41 mpg city – beating rival Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg – and its stable mate the Escape Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient SUV on the market and also garnered a “Top Safety Pick.” Fusion and Escape’s Mercury hybrid counterparts, the Milan and Mariner, also received the top rating.

Side impact protection

Fusion and Milan get some of their core strength from the use of lightweight high-strength steel in the body structure. The structure of the Fusion helps it withstand intrusion in a side impact. The tailor-welded B-pillars between the front and rear doorframes are stronger at the top of the vehicle –from below the beltline upward – than at the bottom. This helps to channel energy below the level of the occupants. At the torso level and above, the structure helps to prevent intrusion into the passenger compartment.

Segment-exclusive features

Among the segment-exclusive safety and driver aid technologies on the new Fusion and Milan are Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with Cross Traffic Alert (CTA).

BLIS with CTA uses two multiple-beam radars in the rear quarter panels (one per side) for two different – but important – purposes. BLIS checks the defined blind spot zone, which is about 10 feet from the back of the bumper to the outside mirrors. When a vehicle is detected, an amber light in the outside mirror of whichever side the vehicle is on lights up. The driver is still responsible for any lane changes, but the BLIS is there to help.

Cross Traffic Alert notifies the driver of impending traffic when backing out of a parking spot and warns the driver when a vehicle is detected within three car widths of either side of the car. As with BLIS, the driver is warned with a light in the outside mirror on the side of the traffic. A warning beep is also sounded.

911 Assist

For safety and security, the 2010 Fusion and Milan also include 911 Assist, an exclusive new feature integrated into the award-winning Ford SYNCTM hands-free system. 911 Assist is designed to aid occupants in placing a call directly to a local 911 emergency operator if an accident that activates an air bag or the emergency fuel cutoff occurs. Unlike competitive systems that are routed through an intermediate call center, 911 Assist places the call directly to the 911 operator to speed response time. Ford Escape also features SYNC with 911 Assist.

Safety and Security

Fusion and Milan’s standard safety features also include six standard air bags, Ford’s Personal Safety System®, AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control system, BeltMinder® safety belt chime and warning lamp, Tire Pressure Monitoring System, and LATCH – the Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren system.

QUOTES

“Customers no longer have to choose between fuel economy and safety – now they can have both with the Fusion and Escape hybrids.” – Susan Cischke, group vice president, Ford Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering
“The new Fusion and Milan continue to build on Ford’s leading safety heritage and prove yet again that a high level of safety can come in a midsize package.” – Steve Kozak, chief engineer, Ford Safety Systems.

“We know people want to stay connected in their vehicles, so we’re delivering that connectivity for them responsibly and safely. Our research backs up what most of us instinctively know – that it’s better while driving to place a call using a voice interface than dialing manually, so you can keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.” – Susan Cischke, group vice president, Ford Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering

Production of Ford Electric Commercial Vehicle Slated for Kansas City

Ford Motor Company partner Smith Electric Vehicles U.S. Corporation (SEV U.S. Corp.) has announced the all-electric zero emission 2010 Ford Transit Connect will be assembled at SEV’s plant in Kansas City, Mo., beginning next year. The chassis will be built by Ford, with the electric drivetrains and lithium-ion battery packs installed by S.E.V. U.S. Corp.

The Transit Connect battery electric vehicle (BEV), based on Ford’s all-new globally developed small vehicle platform, will provide a sustainable mobility solution for the growing number of commercial vehicle fleet operators who have expressed interest in electric vehicles.

Getting charged up

Transit Connect BEV is the initial offering in Ford’s aggressive electric vehicle plan. In addition, Ford also will introduce in North America:

• A new battery electric small car in 2011
• Next-generation hybrid vehicles in 2012
• Plug-in hybrid versions in 2012

Electrifying experience

The decision made by SEV U.S. Corp. to locate the Transit Connect BEV plant at the former American Airlines overhaul base at Kansas City International Airport is expected to create 120 jobs by 2010, and represents an initial investment of $10 million in the metro area.

SEV U.S. Corp. is privately held and owned by U.S. investors and UK-based The Tanfield Group Plc. Tanfield also oversees Smith’s UK-based operation, which has been the leading manufacturer of zero-emission battery-electric commercial vehicles in Europe since the 1920s, having converted tens of thousands of vehicles to battery electric power, including BEV versions of the Ford Transit medium commercial vehicle.

Transit Connect-ivity

Transit Connect’s unique combination of driving dynamics, cargo capacity, accessibility and low costs of entry and operation make it a logical platform for battery electric power. Transit Connect has been designed, engineered and manufactured by Ford of Europe on a dedicated global commercial vehicle platform to beat tough, light commercial vehicle durability standards.

Many commercial users travel predictable, short-range routes, with frequent stop and go driving in urban and suburban environments. For companies aiming for sustainable mobility solutions, Transit Connect BEV will help them deliver in an environmentally friendly way.

Quote

“We are pleased to be collaborating with SEV U.S. Corp on the first of the battery electric vehicles we will bring to market over the next several years. With the delivery of the battery electric Transit Connect, together we will be delivering a product that will satisfy the needs of fleet customers interested in moving toward electric mobility solutions.”
- Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Ford Global Product Development