Who’s Walking The Walk On Fuel Efficiency Improvement?
The Blue Oval is on a ‘green’ streak.
Ford Motor Company has improved in fuel economy more than any other major automaker since 2004, according to a recent report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA rated Ford’s combined car and truck fuel economy improvement at nearly 20 percent, almost double the next closest competitor.
Ford credits its recent gains in fuel economy in part to its introduction of the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrids and numerous incremental aerodynamic, mechanical, energy management and weight-saving improvements across its vehicle lineup. Going forward, it expects the 2009 introduction of the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids and its fuel-efficient EcoBoost engines to further improve its fleet-wide fuel economy.
Fuel efficiency across the lineup
Dramatic fuel efficiency improvement is evident throughout Ford’s vehicle lineup – from cars and crossovers to sport utilities and trucks. Depending on powertrain specifications, the 2010 Fusion, Fusion Hybrid, Escape Hybrid, Taurus SHO, Flex, F-Series and Transit Connect offer best-in-class or unsurpassed fuel economy. The same can be said of the 2010 Lincoln MKS and MKT and Navigator, Mercury Milan Hybrid and Mariner Hybrid.
Ford expects to see its overall fuel economy continue to rise in 2010 with the introduction of the 2011 Ford Fiesta and redesigned 2011 Ford Focus – both high-mileage small cars.
Not only is the improved fuel efficiency good for customers’ wallets, it benefits the environment as well. As a result of the boost, Ford lowered its tailpipe CO2 emissions more than any other automaker with a fleet-wide average of 434 grams per mile – 37 grams lower than its 2007 total and 25 grams lower than 2008.
Learn more about how Ford has been improving its fuel efficiency.
Quotes
“2009 has been a breakthrough year for Ford, leading with the launch of EcoBoost and the introduction of new products that will result in further improvement in 2010. Our commitment to delivering affordable, fuel-efficient vehicles for millions has never been stronger or better demonstrated.”
– Sue Cischke, Group Vice President, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering
Runners, Surfers and Triathletes, Take Note
The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and 2010 Lincoln MKT are the perfect choice for people with active lifestyles, according to the Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year awards.
The Fusion Hybrid took the title in the “green” category and MKT won in the “luxury on road” group, beating out the 2010 Toyota Prius and 2009 Audi Q5, respectively.
The Fusion Hybrid delivers a class-leading 41 mpg rating in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, topping the Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in the city and 2 mpg on the highway. It also offers innovative new technology – SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide – that coaches hybrid drivers to maximize fuel efficiency.
The 2010 Lincoln MKT, a three-row luxury crossover, delivers the optimal blend of distinctive design, interior spaciousness, fuel economy and technology. MKT offers abundant technologies aimed at making life luxurious for both the driver and three rows of passengers, including Active Park Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control and EasyFuel® Capless Fuel-Filler System.
About the Active Lifestyle Vehicle awards
The awards program, now in its sixth year, recognizes new cars and trucks that best meet the needs of active buyers. The program is sponsored by AAA and the Active Network.
Twenty manufacturers participated in the 2010 competition, entering vehicles in seven categories. A panel of 12 automotive journalists drove the initial field of entries and pared the group down to 28 finalists.
Athletes on hand included members of Team Aquaphor, Active Network Media and the San Diego Triathlon Club, participating in sports that ranged from surfing and sprint triathlons to ultra-distance running. The athletes’ votes weighed 50 percent in the final tally, with jury panel votes comprising the remaining 50 percent.
Quotes
“The MKT and Fusion Hybrid were both vying in extremely competitive categories, and that speaks to the versatility and quality of the product, that it beat out all the competitive entries. The designers dealt with ergonomic challenges in the case of both vehicles. The standard safety available also was impressive because that’s tremendously important to people with active lifestyles.”
– Nina Russin, Active Lifestyle Vehicle Jury Coordinator
“Many Fusion customers have a very active lifestyle, often including outdoor athletic activities. They want a vehicle that supports their ‘On the go’ spirit and the Fusion delivers.”
– Chantel Lenard, Group Marketing Manager, Global Small and Midsize Cars
“MKT is versatile enough for any athlete. With plenty of cargo space for gear and three rows of seating for teammates or friends, we’ve got any sport covered. It also has the functionality of an SUV and the technology of a luxury sedan to get you where you need to go in comfort and style.”
– Kate Pearce, Lincoln MKT Marketing Manager
Corrections/Clarifications – December 11, 2009 at 19:19
Finally… A Car for the Environmentally Progressive
The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid was named Most Environmentally Progressive Car of the Year by Earth, Wind & Power™ (EWP) at the Los Angeles Auto Show Tuesday.
The award is designed to recognize vehicles driven by a power source that helps to reduce global warming, are conducive to promoting a cleaner environment, and support the mission to achieve energy through alternative sources.
41 and Loving It
The all-new Ford Fusion Hybrid delivers an EPA 41 mpg rating in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, which tops the Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in the city and 2 mpg on the highway.
The Ford Fusion Hybrid has been a strong seller since its introduction earlier this year. Hybrid sales account for almost 20 percent of total Fusion retail sales, and the majority of those sales have been to customers coming from import brands – mostly Toyota and Honda.
According to early 2010 survey data obtained in the 2009 U.S. Global Quality Research System (GQRS), the Fusion Hybrid has the highest customer satisfaction ratings of any Ford vehicle ever. The survey was conducted for Ford Motor Company by RDA Group of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
In addition to the EWP award, the Ford Fusion Hybrid was recently named one of CAR and DRIVER’s “10Best” cars for 2010, and the entire Fusion lineup was honored with the prestigious MOTOR TREND 2010 Car of the Year Award®.
Quotes
“Ford’s Fusion Hybrid sedan has the styling punch of a powerhouse with authority built into the design. With unsurpassed fuel economy, this car has real ecological know-how. We call it purity on wheels.”
– Kevin Smith, Editorial Director of Edmunds.com and one of 19 national automotive editors and journalists who selected the winner of the EWP award
“Ford has worked diligently to make the Fusion Hybrid America’s most fuel-efficient midsize sedan. It is very gratifying to see our hard work recognized by some of the most prominent automotive journalists in the country through the EWP award.”
– Jonathan Richards, Fusion Marketing Manager
Corrections/Clarifications – December 11, 2009 at 19:20
What’s ‘Green’ and Red Hot?
The hits keep coming for America’s most fuel-efficient midsize sedan, the Ford Fusion. The Fusion Hybrid has been honored as one of CAR and DRIVER magazine’s “10Best” cars for 2010, just weeks after winning the prestigious MOTOR TREND Car of the Year® award.
“CAR and DRIVER is always looking for those cars that are most engaging to drive, and in our experience, the Ford Fusion Hybrid is the first hybrid vehicle that really delivers a fun driving experience,” said Eddie Alterman, editor-in-chief, CAR and DRIVER, noting that the Fusion Hybrid is only the second hybrid ever to make the magazine’s “10Best” list.
“We were very impressed with how seamlessly the hybrid powertrain functioned,” Alterman said. “We were also impressed with Ford SYNC® and how seamlessly it worked.”
But Alterman says what really sealed the deal for the Fusion Hybrid is the simple fact that it’s fun.
“The vehicle is entertaining,” he explained. “It’s really fun to drive, and we had fun trying to improve our mileage using the SmartGauge™ technology.”
A total of 58 vehicles were in the running for the CAR and DRIVER “10Best” list. All of the contenders were put through a week of rigorous testing and judged based on three criteria: how well they perform their intended mission, i.e. luxury, sport; how engaging and fun they are to drive; and how much value they deliver.
Despite the slump in overall industry sales, 2009 has been a record-breaking year for the Ford Fusion. Sales are at an all-time high, with the Fusion Hybrid accounting for almost 20 percent of total Fusion retail sales. Perhaps even more significant, more than 60 percent of Fusion Hybrid sales have been to customers coming from import brands – mostly Toyota and Honda.
Fusion Hybrid awards and accolades
Additional awards and accolades for the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid include:
- “Top Safety Pick” rating from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
- 2009 Ward’s Interior of the Year Special Achievement Award for Best Graphic Display for SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide digital instrument cluster
- Great Car for the Long-haul Salesman by Kelley Blue Book kbb.com.
- Named one of America’s Top 40 New Cars by MOTOR TREND magazine
- Rated the #1 Hybrid Family Sedan by CAR and DRIVER in a recent comparison test by CAR and DRIVER
- Named 2009 Editors Choice for Fuel Sipper by CAR and DRIVER
- Named Best Hybrid for the Money in the Midsize Car segment by cars.com
- Named one of 2009 Top 10 Green Cars by Kelley Blue Book kbb.com
- Earned The Detroit News Readers’ Choice Award for “Best Value”
Quotes
“Being ranked one of CAR and DRIVER’s ‘10Best’ cars for 2010 is high praise indeed. In addition to being fun to drive, the Fusion Hybrid offers unsurpassed fuel economy that our customers truly appreciate with an EPA estimated rating of 41 mpg in the city and the ability to travel more than 700 miles on a single tank of gas.”
– Derrick Kuzak, Group Vice President, Ford Global Product Development
Corrections/Clarifications – December 11, 2009 at 19:21
Isn’t It Time You Got Up to Speed about Mechatronics?
These days every automaker says it’s working on electric vehicles, but few own up to the fact that passing the electrification test will require a bit of homework. Ford Motor Company is teaming with the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) to retrain traditional automotive engineers, providing them with the skills and expertise to develop the next generation of advanced electric and hybrid vehicles.
As vehicle electrification plans expand, the automotive industry’s need for electric vehicle-savvy engineers also is growing, creating increased demand for electrical, mechatronics, systems and controls engineering education. Ford and UDM have collaborated to create a new graduate-level curriculum focused on key engineering skills for the development of electrified vehicles.
An aggressive training strategy for an aggressive product plan
The UDM program will supplement Ford’s internal electrical engineering training courses as the company retrains its own employees to deliver an aggressive electric vehicle product strategy. The course series, which begins in January 2010, is designed to advance the knowledge and capabilities of technological team members in the automotive and defense ground vehicle industries.
Ford engineers are already at work developing three distinct types of electrified vehicles – hybrids, plug-in hybrids and pure battery electric vehicles. The vehicles include:
- Transit Connect battery electric commercial van in 2010
- Focus battery electric passenger car in 2011
- Next-generation hybrid vehicle in 2012
- Plug-in hybrid in 2012
The magnitude of the training program will be similar to the educational programs undertaken by Ford during the late 1980s when mechanical engineers were trained on electrical engineering.
The UDM Advanced Electric Vehicle Program will begin with the first group comprised of current engineers from Ford and its suppliers. Team members will apply the program’s coursework in developing the next generation of electric and hybrid vehicles. Approximately 125 Ford engineers will participate in the program over the next several years.
The UDM courses are supplementary to Ford’s internal online training programs in battery cells and electrochemistry, power-split controls, regenerative braking, calibration and commodity planning.
UDM has created seven new courses that are directly responsive to the training needs of Ford and the entire automotive and defense ground vehicles industries.
Engineers in this program will select five of the seven newly created courses that are designed by competency teams of Ford and UDM experts to deploy the most current technology, strategies, methods and tools emerging from universities, corporations and national laboratories.
These five courses will be completed in one calendar year. Most courses will be offered at the Ford Training and Development Center in Dearborn; others requiring laboratory experiences will be provided at UDM’s McNichols campus in Detroit. The Advanced Electric Vehicle Program courses include:
- Introduction to Advanced Electric Vehicles
- Controls Modeling and Design for Electric Vehicles
- Energy Storage Systems
- Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles
- Electric Drives/Electromechanical Energy Conversion
- Innovation and System Architecture for Electric Vehicles
- System Engineering for Electric Vehicles
Quotes
“The era of electric vehicles is here and it’s critical that we meet this technology challenge by retraining our engineers with a broad range of new skills and competencies. This program, together with internal training, will support Ford’s aggressive plans to roll out electric and hybrid vehicles in the coming years.”
– Derrick Kuzak, Ford Group Vice President of Global Product Development
“We recognize a greater need for our teams to have access to programs to increase their knowledge of electrical, mechanical, chemical and software engineering. Ford has a large team of talented and dedicated engineers that are energized by the technological sea change we are seeing happen now in the industry.”
– Nancy Gioia, Ford’s Director of Global Electrification
“The competencies achieved by these courses will enable teams from automotive OEMs and suppliers to develop the electric and hybrid vehicles that will keep the global leadership of the auto industry for this critical segment of the world’s transportation future right here in southeastern Michigan.”
– Dr. Leo E. Hanifin, Dean of UDM’s College of Engineering & Science
And the Winner of the 2010 Motor Trend Car of the Year is…
No surprise here! The Ford Fusion – America’s most fuel-efficient midsize sedan – today was named MOTOR TREND’s 2010 Car of the Year®. The award comes hot on the heels of Fusion setting record-breaking sales for 2009.
The prestigious award from MOTOR TREND comes at a time when Fusion sales are already at an all-time high, further positioning the vehicle as a formidable contender in the competitive midsize sedan market.
To win the coveted Car of the Year award, Fusion outperformed the competition – including the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan – in six new categories: design achievement, engineering excellence, intended function, efficiency, safety and value.
The 2010 Fusion and Fusion Hybrid are the most fuel-efficient sedans in America. The new models offer more power; class-exclusive technologies, such as Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) and Ford SYNC®; and more total passenger and luggage capacity than the Toyota Camry.
The Fusion lineup expanded in the 2010 model year to include all-new Hybrid and Sport models and a new selection of gas-powered engines – all paired with six-speed transmissions – that deliver even more horsepower and better fuel economy.
Fusion: A hit from the start
The Ford Fusion has been generating excitement among journalists and consumers alike since the nameplate first launched in the fall of 2005. In fact, the introductory model – which marked Ford’s re-entry into the midsize sedan market – was a finalist for MOTOR TREND’s 2006 Car of the Year award.
Since then, Fusion’s popularity has continued to soar – and so have sales. Fusion set a sales record in April – the first full month of sales for the redesigned 2010 model and the new Fusion Hybrid – and overall sales are already at an all-time high for 2009.
With its quality unsurpassed by Toyota or Honda, best-in-class fuel economy, class-exclusive technologies and significant residual value improvement, the 2010 Ford Fusion is clearly delivering the key attributes that midsize sedan buyers want.
The new Fusion Hybrid model has played an important role in Fusion’s success. The vehicle delivers an EPA estimated 41 mpg rating in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, topping the Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in the city and 2 mpg on the highway. It also offers innovative new technology – SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide – that coaches hybrid drivers to maximize fuel efficiency.
Quotes
“Ford has proven its resilience in these tough times by delivering to market a car with broad appeal to a broad range of consumers. The Fusion range has matured into a competitive roster of midsize sedans, able to compete with sales juggernauts such as the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. It is no surprise the Fusion now ranks in the top 10 best-selling cars in America.”
– Angus MacKenzie, MOTOR TREND Eitor-in-chief
“The Fusion brought a vast assortment of choice that has the potential to appeal to every type of driver, from the eco-conscious to the sport-minded. The Fusion’s combination of comfort, fuel efficiency, assortment and technology made it a clear winner among our panel of judges.”
– Angus MacKenzie, MOTOR TREND Eitor-in-chief
“The MOTOR TREND Car of the Year award is another testament of our commitment to delivering a world-class car lineup. Whether it is the best-in-class fuel economy or quality unsurpassed by Toyota or Honda, the Fusion and Fusion Hybrid are clear evidence that Ford is serious about our car lineup.”
– Derrick Kuzak, Goup Vce Pesident, Ford Global Product Development, who accepted the golden calipers on behalf of the Ford team
“Even at a time when industry-wide sales are down 26 percent, Fusion sales continue to grow.” – George Pipas, Ford Sales Analyst
“Data show that high series models account for 50 percent of sales. Customers are also embracing technology offerings like voice-activated navigation, SYNC and Sony® Audio.”
– Jonathan Richards, Fusion Marketing Manager
How to Achieve a Work/Wildlife Balance
Flora and fauna are thriving at the doorstep of the automotive industry thanks to the efforts of Ford Land and Ford Motor Company employees.
Ford Land, which manages Ford Motor Company properties worldwide, has received 2009 Wildlife Habitat Certification for the Arjay Miller Michigan Arboretum at the Henry Ford II World Center campus and Research & Engineering Center campus, both in Dearborn.
The Wildlife Habitat Council’s Corporate Wildlife Habitat Certification/International Accreditation Program recognizes commendable wildlife habitat management and environmental education programs at individual sites. WHC certification adds value to programs by providing third-party credibility and an objective evaluation of projects.
Wildlife HQ
The Henry Ford II World Center campus is situated on 179 acres, of which 43 acres are available for wildlife habitat enhancement projects. The facility is located approximately ¼-mile from the main branch of the Rouge River.
The World Center maintains an arboretum of native Michigan plants called “The Arjay Miller Michigan Arboretum.” The purpose of the arboretum is to provide a living panorama of the great variety of trees and shrubs that are native to Michigan. The arboretum grew to be one of the largest in the United States devoted exclusively to trees and shrubs from a specific state.
The wildlife team established no-mow areas on the campus to increase forage and cover habitat for birds, small mammals and invertebrates. To provide forage opportunities for birds and pollinators, the wildlife team maintains sunflower and mixed prairie plantings. The sunflowers are left standing through the winter so that the seeds are available to migrating and overwintering birds. A “hedgerow” of wooded buffer is maintained along one edge of the property, which provides habitat for birds and small mammals along with foxes and coyotes.
Nurturing the natural world
Ford’s Research & Engineering Center is a 325-acre site near Detroit in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The property includes habitats such as oak-maple savanna, prairie, two ponds and vernal pools. The wildlife team actively manages 86 acres of the site for wildlife.
In 2008 and 2009, 200 employees participated in the “R&E Center Pride Day.” The objectives of this annual event include encouraging native fauna by providing additional native flora species, replacing the trees lost to invasive insects like emerald ash borer and red oak borer, and improving aesthetics of the campus. In 2008, employees planted approximately two acres with 1,200 perennial grasses and wildflowers, 250 shrugs and 200 tree saplings. An additional 100 tree saplings were planted over one acre in 2009. The wildlife team monitors the plantings for survival and maintains them by pruning dead branches, staking the trees and removing any plants that do not survive.
The team also continues to maintain its thriving one-acre prairies adjacent to the woodland. This habitat contains native prairie species such as beebalm, yellow coneflower, little bluestem, vervain, black-eyed Susan and aster. The team mows the prairie annually to simulate the fire that would maintain a natural prairie ecosystem. Team members also hand-pull invasive species as they are found and spot-spray with herbicide if necessary.
Sunflower fields that span 26 acres provide food and shelter to both migrating birds and birds that overwinter in the region. The sunflower fields are planted annually in mid-July to ensure that the sunflower seeds are available by the fall season.
Quote
“Although environmental education and ecological restoration may not be seen as core business intiatives in the automotive industry, we do them because they make a positive difference. They make a difference to the wildlife that inhabits the land and they make a difference to our employees who have the opportunity to enjoy natural beauty in or near their work environment.”
– Terry Burt, Ford Land Grounds Manager
Guess Who Has the Wind at Their Backs Now
Did you know: Today’s typical wind turbine stands as tall as a 20-story building and has three blades that span 200 feet across. The largest wind machines in the world have blades longer than a football field.
On November 16, two gigantic wind turbines, each with a height of 150 metres, spun into action producing ‘green’ electricity for the Genk plant in Belgium. Installed by local energy company, Electrabel, each unit has an output of two megawatts of power, enough to power 2,500 private homes. The wind turbines will deliver a significant part of the electrical power needed in the Genk Plant, production home of the Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy models.
The Turbinator: “Rise of the Machines”
Did you know: Most of the wind power plants in the world are located in Europe and the United States. Although the U.S. ranks first in the world in wind power capacity, some countries such as Denmark generate about 20 percent of their electricity from wind.
Genk is not the only Ford of Europe plant to use electricity generated by wind turbines. Five years ago, the Dagenham Diesel Centre in the UK became the world’s first automotive plant to meet all its electricity needs from two giant on-site turbines.
A third turbine is expected to come into service in Dagenham in 2010, allowing the plant to remain 100 per cent powered by wind-generated electricity, following the installation of a new 1.4/1.6-litre Duratorq TDCi engine production line. A new three-bladed turbine, provided by Ecotricity, will be commissioned to produce two megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than 1,000 homes.
A few miles away from Dagenham, Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre is also powered by electricity from renewable sources. Since March last year, electric power on the 270-acre site, home to a team of around 3,000 engineers, has been purchased from 100 per cent renewable sources. The majority of the electricity, supplied by GDF, is sourced from a combination of hydro, wind and waste generation, and replaces energy from traditional sources that would have produced an estimated 35,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
An “energizer” that keeps going and going
Did you know: Over half of renewable energy goes to producing electricity. The next largest use is the production of heat and steam for industrial purposes.
Similarly in Germany, Ford is sourcing renewable electricity to cover the power demands of its sites in Cologne. This includes the electricity needed for the production facilities at the Niehl Plant, the Technical Centre in Merkenich, and Ford of Europe’s head office, also in Cologne-Niehl. This electricity comes from three hydro-power plants in Norway and Sweden.
Since January 2009 in a related development, Merkenich Technical Centre has been heated by steam provided by local utility provider, RheinEnergie, as a by-product of its co-generation power plant. The steam is fed to the Technical Centre’s boiler house via a 2.6 km long pipeline. This innovation alone reduces annual CO2 emissions by 190,000 tonnes.
Electricity from another source – the sun – has for many years helped to power Ford’s Bridgend engine plant in Wales with its roof-mounted solar/photovoltaic panels.
Quotes
“It is part of our ongoing efforts to implement a broad portfolio of environmental initiatives across our European plants that are aimed at further reducing the CO2 footprint from our manufacturing operations.”
– Wolfgang Schneider, Vice President, Governmental and Environmental Affairs, Ford of Europe
“Such developments demonstrate the substantial progress we are making and our commitment to further improving our environmental performance. We are building on that progress and continuing to look at ways to further reducing the carbon footprint of our manufacturing and office locations across Europe parallel to the carbon footprint of our products.”
– Wolfgang Schneider, Vice President, Governmental and Environmental Affairs, Ford of Europe
It Soars While Others Sink
Soaring sales of the Ford Fusion have made 2009 already a record-breaking year for America’s most fuel-efficient midsize sedan.
Sales for 2009 already have reached 151,137 units, eclipsing the previous Fusion full-year sales high of 149,552 in 2007. Importantly, Fusion sales are skyrocketing at a time when industry sales are the lowest they have been since the early ’80s.
Welcome to the Top 10
In the first ten months of 2009, Fusion sales were 15 percent higher than a year ago. Also, Fusion has moved among America’s Top 10 selling vehicles and the No. 1 selling domestic car.
The 2010 Fusion and Fusion Hybrid are the most fuel-efficient sedans in America. The new models offer more power, class-exclusive technologies, such as Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) and Ford SYNC®, and more total passenger and luggage capacity than the Toyota Camry.
The diversity of the 2010 Fusion lineup is drawing a growing number of customers to the brand. Sales data show that consumers are taking notice. Fusion Hybrid, Sport and SEL models account for 50 percent of sales. Data also show that customers are embracing technology offerings such as voice-activated navigation, SYNC and Sony® Audio.”
The hybrid attraction
Sales of the new Fusion Hybrid account for almost 20 percent of total Fusion retail sales. Perhaps even more significant, more than 60 percent of Fusion Hybrid sales have been to customers coming from import brands – mostly Toyota and Honda.
The Fusion Hybrid delivers an EPA estimated 41 mpg rating in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, topping the Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in the city and 2 mpg on the highway. It also offers innovative new technology – SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide – that coaches hybrid drivers to maximize fuel efficiency.
According to early 2010 survey data obtained in the 2009 U.S. Global Quality Research System (GQRS), the 2010 Fusion Hybrid has the highest customer satisfaction ratings of any Ford vehicle ever. The survey was conducted for Ford Motor Company by RDA Group of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Quotes
“It’s extraordinary that a car could set a sales record in an environment where overall industry sales are down 26 percent from a year ago.”
– George Pipas, Ford Sales Analyst
“There is no reason for customers shopping for a midsize sedan to look beyond the Fusion, because the lineup offers something for everyone – a Hybrid model, a Sport version and a new selection of gas-powered engines paired with six-speed transmission.”
– Jonathan Richards, Ford Fusion Marketing Manager
Another Way to Fit More Fiber into Your Day
First, Ford used soy in car seats. Now, it’s using wheat in plastic. It’s all part of a complete breakfast. Now, how about dessert – a steering wheel molded in dark chocolate and a crepe air bag filled with whipped cream? Willy Wonka would be proud.
While we kid about edible car parts, it is true that Ford, working with academic researchers and one of its suppliers, is the first automaker to develop and use environmentally friendly wheat straw-reinforced plastic in a vehicle. (Ditto soy in seats.)
The first application of the natural fiber-based plastic that contains 20 percent wheat straw bio-filler is on the 2010 Ford Flex’s third-row interior storage bins. This application alone reduces petroleum usage by some 20,000 pounds per year, reduces CO2 emissions by 30,000 pounds per year, and represents a smart, sustainable usage for wheat straw, the waste byproduct of wheat.
Collaborative effort
Ford researchers were approached with the wheat straw-based plastics formulation by the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, as part of the Ontario BioCar Initiative – a multi-university effort between Waterloo, the University of Guelph, University of Toronto and University of Windsor. Ford works closely with the Ontario government-funded project, which is seeking to advance the use of more plant-based materials in the auto and agricultural industries.
The University of Waterloo already had been working with plastics supplier A. Schulman of Akron, Ohio, to perfect the lab formula for use in auto parts, ensuring the material is not only odorless, but also meets industry standards for thermal expansion and degradation, rigidity, moisture absorption and fogging. Less than 18 months after the initial presentation was made to Ford’s Biomaterials Group, the wheat straw-reinforced plastic was refined and approved for Flex, which is produced at Ford’s Oakville (Ontario) Assembly Complex.
The wheat straw-reinforced resin is the BioCar Initiative’s first production-ready application. It demonstrates better dimensional integrity than a non-reinforced plastic and weighs up to 10 percent less than a plastic reinforced with talc or glass. “Without Ford’s driving force and contribution, we would have never been able to move from academia to industry in such lightning speed,” said Leonardo Simon, associate professor of chemical engineering at the University of Waterloo. “Seeing this go into production on the Ford Flex is a major accomplishment for the University of Waterloo and the BioCar Initiative.”
An interior storage bin may seem like a small start, but it opens the door for more applications. Already under consideration by the Ford team: center console bins and trays, interior air register and door trim panel components, and armrest liners.
Abundant waste material put to good use
The case for using wheat straw to reinforce plastics in higher-volume, higher-content applications is strong across many industries. In Ontario alone, where Flex is built, more than 28,000 farmers grow wheat, along with corn and soybeans. Typically, wheat straw, the byproduct of growing and processing wheat, is discarded. Ontario, for example, has some 30 million metric tons of available wheat straw waste at any given time.
To date, Ford and its suppliers are working with four southern Ontario farmers for the wheat straw needed to mold the Flex’s two interior storage bins.
Quotes
“Ford continues to explore and open doors for greener materials that positively impact the environment and work well for customers. We seized the opportunity to add wheat straw-reinforced plastic as our next sustainable material on the production line, and the storage bin for the Flex was the ideal first application.”
– Patrick Berryman, a Ford engineering manager who develops interior trim
“Wheat is everywhere and the straw is in excess. We have found a practical automotive usage for a renewable resource that helps reduce our dependence on petroleum, uses less energy to manufacture, and reduces our carbon footprint. More importantly, it doesn’t jeopardize an essential food source. We see a great deal of potential for other applications since wheat straw has good mechanical properties, can meet our performance and durability specifications, and can further reduce our carbon footprint – all without compromise to the customer. ”
– Dr. Ellen Lee, technical expert, Ford’s Plastics Research