TOKYO — Ford Motor Company on April 8 received the prestigious Silver Award for environmental stewardship from the Pacific Basin Economic Council. The award, given during PBEC's International General Meeting in Tokyo, was for a rare-earth oxide catalyst Ford has developed, working with governmental agencies and institutes in China. The catalyst is being used to reduce emissions on new and existing vehicles in Asia.
"We are very honored to receive this prestigious award," said Dennis Schuetzle, director of Asia Pacific Research and Technology for Ford Motor Company. "Ford's development and implementation of this low-cost, efficient and durable catalyst is already playing a significant role in the reduction of vehicle emissions in the Asia Pacific region, as well as the rest of the world."
Ford Motor Company began holding automotive and environmental workshops in the Asia Pacific region in 1995 seeking ways to develop technical and policy recommendations for reducing vehicle emissions. In 1996, Ford initiated the rare-earth oxide (REO) catalyst program with China's State Administration of Machinery Industry and the Ministry of Science and Technology. China was chosen as the ideal location for these developments because it has more than 80 percent of the world's rare-earth oxide mineral resources. The REO catalyst has demonstrated substantial reductions in harmful emissions in both controlled emissions laboratory conditions and on retrofitted in-use vehicles operating in Kunming, China. More wide-ranging applications for the REO catalyst are being planned throughout Ford Motor Company's Asia Pacific region.