TORONTO, Ontario—Although widely known as the Blue Oval, there’s actually more than a hint of green to today’s Ford Motor Company. In fact, it would be fair to say that the company has become one of the leading manufacturers of eco-friendly vehicular transportation. Just look at some of its recent achievements…
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (The EPA), from 2004 to 2009, the Ford Motor Company improved the fuel economy of its vehicles more than any other major automaker.
The company’s EcoBoost smaller-displacement, turbocharged gasoline engines allow for fuel savings of between 10 & 20 percent, whilst at the same time providing improved performance. Its Fusion Hybrid boasts best-in-class fuel economy of 4.6 L/100 km city, 5.4 L/100 km highway, making it the most fuel-efficient mid-size sedan in North America.
In fact, if truth be told, I could probably fill this entire page with news of the fuel economy improvements that the company has made in recent years. However, as the boundaries of technology are forever being pushed forward, what’s major news today becomes old news tomorrow, so what will the future bring?
Well, Ford has a plan in place; in fact, not just one, but three of them! With intelligent foresight, Ford is working on the near, the mid and the long-term future of the automobile. They realize that perhaps not all are ready to switch over to hybrid technology. Likewise, the company’s soon-to-debut plug-in electric vehicles may not be suitable for everyone, or all markets for that matter, which is why the company is choosing a multi-faceted approach to environmentally-friendly forms of transportation.
Many feel that the future lies in electrically-powered vehicles such as the upcoming plug-in Ford Focus, or the Transit Connect Electric, which I recently had the opportunity to experience. With a range of around 80 miles (128 km), it’s certainly not going to work for everyone. However, for a local downtown business such as a Florist/Electrician/Mail Person, it could prove a viable alternative to its current vehicle.
For the rest of us, until battery technology improves (which is certain to happen), we might want to think about a hybrid vehicle, or perhaps a more fuel-efficient gas/diesel unit. All these options will be available from Ford over the coming years.
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| Photo: Ford |
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (The EPA), from 2004 to 2009, the Ford Motor Company improved the fuel economy of its vehicles more than any other major automaker.
The company’s EcoBoost smaller-displacement, turbocharged gasoline engines allow for fuel savings of between 10 & 20 percent, whilst at the same time providing improved performance. Its Fusion Hybrid boasts best-in-class fuel economy of 4.6 L/100 km city, 5.4 L/100 km highway, making it the most fuel-efficient mid-size sedan in North America.
In fact, if truth be told, I could probably fill this entire page with news of the fuel economy improvements that the company has made in recent years. However, as the boundaries of technology are forever being pushed forward, what’s major news today becomes old news tomorrow, so what will the future bring?
Well, Ford has a plan in place; in fact, not just one, but three of them! With intelligent foresight, Ford is working on the near, the mid and the long-term future of the automobile. They realize that perhaps not all are ready to switch over to hybrid technology. Likewise, the company’s soon-to-debut plug-in electric vehicles may not be suitable for everyone, or all markets for that matter, which is why the company is choosing a multi-faceted approach to environmentally-friendly forms of transportation.
Many feel that the future lies in electrically-powered vehicles such as the upcoming plug-in Ford Focus, or the Transit Connect Electric, which I recently had the opportunity to experience. With a range of around 80 miles (128 km), it’s certainly not going to work for everyone. However, for a local downtown business such as a Florist/Electrician/Mail Person, it could prove a viable alternative to its current vehicle.
For the rest of us, until battery technology improves (which is certain to happen), we might want to think about a hybrid vehicle, or perhaps a more fuel-efficient gas/diesel unit. All these options will be available from Ford over the coming years.
 |
| Photo: Ford |