Ken Thomas / Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- The insurance industry designated dozens of new cars and trucks, led by Ford Motor Co. and its Volvo subsidiary, to its annual list of the safest vehicles Tuesday, helped by the increased use of anti-rollover technology.
Ford and Volvo had 16 vehicles in the 2009 model year on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's list of the safest new cars, followed by Honda Motor Co. with 13 vehicles.
Seventy-two cars, trucks and SUVs received the top safety pick designation for 2009, more than double the number of vehicles in the 2008 model year and three times the number in 2007.
"The sheer number of this year's winners indicates that automakers have made huge strides to improve crash protection," said Institute president Adrian Lund.
The selected vehicles are the best in protecting people in front, side and rear crash tests based on institute evaluations during the year. The vehicles are required to have electronic stability control, or ESC, to qualify for the award.
IIHS said electronic stability control is now standard equipment on virtually all new SUVs and three-quarters of passenger cars for the 2009 model year. ESC is standard on more than one-third of 2009 pickups.
Ford was led by the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan midsize cars with optional ESC; the Ford F-150 pickup, Ford Edge and Ford Flex midsize sport utility vehicles; and the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner small SUVs. The list also included the Mazda Tribute, which has the same underpinnings as the Escape and Mariner.
Ford CEO Alan Mulally argued last week in Washington that the automaker had made safety strides when he testified along with other Big Three executives seeking massive government aid.
"Every year, we're going to improve the quality, we're going to improve the fuel efficiency, we're going to improve the safety, and we're going to keep improving the productivity so we can offer the consumer the very best value," Mulally told a House committee.
Honda and its Acura unit had vehicles in nearly every category, including top-sellers such as the Honda Accord; the Honda Civic 4-door with optional ESC; and the Acura MDX and RDX midsize SUVs; and the Honda Fit with optional ESC. The Fit is the first mini-car to earn the safety award.
Volkswagen AG and its Audi brand had nine vehicles on the list, including the Volkswagen Jetta and Passat and the Audi A3, A4 and A6.
General Motors Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. both had eight vehicles on the list. GM's included the Cadillac CTS and the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook large SUVs.
Toyota's top performers were the Toyota Corolla with optional ESC, Toyota RAV4, Toyota Tacoma, Toyota Tundra and Scion xB.
Using the awards, consumers can compare vehicles without having to review results from multiple tests. Automakers pay close attention to the institute's findings and frequently note positive ratings in television commercials.
The institute has advocated for an early adoption of anti-rollover technology such as ESC ahead of a government requirement for the systems by the 2012 model year.
Electronic stability control senses when a driver may lose control and automatically applies brakes to individual wheels to keep the vehicle stable and avoid a rollover. It helps motorists avoid skidding across icy or slick roads or keep control when swerving to avoid an unexpected object in the road.
IIHS said Chrysler LLC was the only major automaker that did not receive a single award. They said Chrysler could have picked up five awards if the head restraints had been improved in the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring, the Sebring convertible and the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country.
Chrysler spokesman Cole Quinnell said he could not comment on whether the head restraints might be upgraded in the future. He said Chrysler vehicles are equipped with a variety of safety features and the institute's results "are just one of the sources of information about a vehicle's crash performance."
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
The inside story: Ford's roadmap for survival
I thought the article below was an interesting look inside one of the "Big 3" that is being beleaguered in the press. Ford has not sat idly by while the industry has changed, and has actively restructured itself since 2001. You may not remember, but in 1999 we were the industry's most admired company. Since Alan Mulally arrived 2 years ago, Ford has accelerated its plans and is bringing its global resources together under One Ford. He is leading the Company in the right direction, and continues to make tough decisions to ensure our viability. We did not get to the position we are in overnight, but the ground work has been laid, and the plans are in place to ensure Ford continues to be an industry leader into the future.
The current downturn has taken an industry that has recently sold 17M vehicles a year down to 12.6M vehicles forecast for 2009. The effects of the downturn are being felt across many other key areas in our economy, too. While the Big 3 are often lumped together, and I want to point out some of the reasons Ford is different. I would also like to point out a couple of other interesting facts, and I hope you find the article at the end of this insightful. Please pass this on to others, if you so choose.
Ford Quality
* Ford improved vehicle quality again, marking four consecutive years of progress. Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles collectively reduced things gone wrong by 7.7 percent compared to last year, pulling Ford into a statistical quality tie with Honda and Toyota atop the list of seven major automakers in the U.S. Global Quality Research System study. This is also supported by 3rd party studies from consumer reports to JD Power.
* Building on vehicle quality that is now on par with Honda and Toyota – and that consistently is being recognized by important third-parties like J.D. Power and Associates’ Initial Quality Study – driven by Ford’s disciplined and standardized processes for every product.
Fuel Efficiency
* With every new Ford vehicle, we commit to delivering the best or among the best for fuel economy with every new vehicle introduced globally.
* Innovative technologies and clever engineering solutions already are putting Ford at the head of the pack for fuel economy in vehicles including the 2009 Ford Focus, Escape and Escape Hybrid, Flex and F-150.
* The 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan (introduction in early 2009) will be the next products to offer customers a more fuel-efficient powertrain lineup. The all-new Duratec 2.5-liter four cylinder engine is expected to deliver fuel economy that’s at least 3 mpg (hwy) better than Honda Accord and 2 mpg better than Toyota Camry.
* The all-new Fusion and Milan Hybrids are expected to achieve class-leading fuel economy, beating Toyota Camry Hybrid by at least 5 mpg (city).
* By the end of 2010, nearly all of our North American engines will be upgraded or replaced.
* Within two years, nearly all of our North American lineup will offer fuel-saving six-speed automatic transmissions.
* With these new hybrids, Ford will double the size and volume of its hybrid lineup and will be the largest domestic producer of full-hybrid vehicles in North America. Ford also will have the most fuel efficient SUV and mid-size sedan on the road.
* Introducing industry-leading, fuel-saving EcoBoost engines and doubling the number and volume of hybrid vehicles.
Safety Honors
* Building on vehicle safety leadership – with the most U.S. government 5-star safety ratings of any auto company and recently moving past Honda for the industry’s most IIHS “Top Safety Picks” – plus new smart safety features, such as the industry-first MyKey technology that limits top speed and audio volume for teens and the first forward crash-avoidance system for mainstream vehicles.
* Ford achieved the leading number of “Top Safety Picks” from the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety with the 2009 Ford Flex and Lincoln MKS earning top honors.
Innovation
* Our EcoBoost technology is slated for a wide range of global vehicles and will benefit millions of customers. It uses gas turbocharged direct-engine technology to deliver up to 20 percent better fuel economy, up to 15 percent fewer CO2 emissions and superior driving performance versus larger-displacement engines.
* The first applications of EcoBoost V-6 engines come next summer in the Ford Flex and Lincoln MKS. Four-cylinder EcoBoost engines will debut in 2010 in North America and Europe.
* We’ll offer EcoBoost on more than 80 percent of our North American lineup by the end of 2012.
* Upgrading the Ford, Lincoln, Mercury lineup in North America almost completely by the end of 2010.
* Bringing six European small vehicles to North America from global B-car and C-car platforms.
* Retooling three North American truck plants to produce small, fuel efficient vehicles.
* Supporting Ford’s global products with a lean, flexible global manufacturing system
* Our sustainability strategy also includes mid- and long-term technologies that will benefit millions of customers without compromising their expectations for fuel economy, quality, safety and performance.
* For the mid-term (2013-2020), we’ll achieve gains by fully implementing solutions and proven technologies that we’re evaluating for high-volume introduction – such as significant weight reductions, high-volume hybrids, plug-in hybrids and a broader application of EcoBoost. Beyond that, we’ll look at volume introductions of emerging alternative solutions such as hydrogen, full-battery electric vehicles and bio fuels.
* Leveraging Ford’s product strengths to deliver more global vehicles in the B, C, C/D and commercial van segments. By 2010, nearly 40 percent of Ford’s product entries in these segments will be shared between Ford North America and Ford Europe, and 100 percent alignment will be achieved by 2013.
* We already have class leading technologies in place like SYNC, Ford Works Solutions, Sirius Travel Link, and blind spot mirrors to name a few.
General Info
* The "bailout" being discussed is not a free handout to the Big 3, a la the Financial Bailout, it is a loan that will be repaid.
* I have heard the Domestic Big 3 do not produce vehicles people want to buy. Domestics still account for 41.3% of all retail purchases in the US through Oct 2008 (vs. 40% for the Japanese Big 3).
* Failure of one automaker would trigger a domino effect on the supply chain and the finance subsidiaries and on other domestic automakers. Auto industry is a national asset and a critical economic component that runs straight through Main Street…Look to Germany, Japan, China and Korea to see if their governments feel this way.
* Almost 4% of U.S. gross domestic product is auto-related and represents 10% of U.S. industrial production by value. One out of every 10 U.S. jobs is auto-related, and auto workers receive $335 billion annually in compensation. Specifically, GM, Ford and Chrysler account for roughly 70 percent of U.S. auto production and are estimated to support around five million jobs across all 50 states.
* Over the last two decades, America’s domestic auto industry has invested nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars in the U.S., including $10 billion alone last year. The industry also spends $12 billion annually in R&D in U.S., which is among the top industries such as aerospace, medical equipment and computer/electronic industries.
* Supports maintenance and growth of supply base. The auto industry purchased last year $156 billion in U.S. auto parts supporting jobs in all 50 states and is the largest purchaser of U.S. steel, aluminum, iron, copper, plastics, rubber and electronic and computer chips.
* Enables auto industry to continue to meet extensive obligations…Families depend on a healthy industry that provides healthcare benefits to two million Americans and supports nearly 800,000 retirees and spouses with pension benefits.
* Enables thousands of dealers to survive and prosper…Throughout towns in every state in America, over 20,000 automobile dealers provide high paying jobs for over 1 million employees.
* Autos account for $690 billion, or about 20% of all U.S. retail sales.
* Auto sales generate more than $10 billion dollars of annual tax revenue (sales tax, registration fees, payroll taxes) which for many states and local communities is among their top sources for revenue.
* Many U.S. financial firms are staked to a healthy auto industry because many have provided credit to manufacturers, hold their bonds and have financed the purchase of their vehicles. Millions of Americans also hold auto stocks and/or bonds that are held in mutual funds, 401(k) plans and pensions.
* Did you know the Hybrid technology Toyota is using here was financed by their government who also provides free healthcare to its workers (BTW - I am not a fan of this!)
The inside story: Ford's roadmap for survival
The Detroit News 11/13/08 by Bryce G. Hoffman
DEARBORN -- For the last six weeks, Ford Motor Co.'s top executives met almost daily to craft a plan to keep the company solvent in the face of the worst financial crisis in decades. Surrounded by black-and-white photographs of Henry Ford and the Model T in the Thunderbird Room on the 11th floor of Ford's world headquarters, they waged a battle to decide Ford's future.
CEO Alan Mulally and his leadership team worked through lunch, taking quick bites of Caesar salad as the global credit crisis deepened and automobile sales collapsed. With gasoline prices falling, some argued that Ford should abandon its costly plan to retool North American truck factories to produce smaller, more fuel-efficient cars from Europe. Others pushed to curtail future investment in key products like the F-150 pickup that have seen sales drop off dramatically in recent years.
Global product development chief Derrick Kuzak -- backed by Mulally -- countered: If Ford has a future, it depends on delivering a new generation of class-leading cars and trucks that people actually want to buy. They fought off every challenge to one of the most ambitious product plans ever put together, albeit at the cost of thousands of jobs.
"We're only going to be in business if we create products that people really do want and value," Mulally told The Detroit News in an exclusive interview Tuesday. "This is the essence of creating a viable Ford."
Unlike rival General Motors Corp., which has curtailed its investment in some new vehicles to conserve cash, Ford is betting the business on new cars in a make-or-break bid to turn the company around before time runs out.
Ford's latest launches have done little to arrest its decade-long decline in U.S. market share, and it is far from certain that the cars and trucks in Ford's pipeline will be enough to turn the tide. Yet, Wall Street analysts such as Eric Selle of JPMorgan say this is the only way forward for an automaker that has wasted too many years producing lackluster products that barely covered its costs.
"The status quo is no longer acceptable," he said. "Abandoning the product plan would have been a bad move."
Ford has demonstrated that it can make money off its small cars in Europe, Selle said, adding that the concessions it won from the United Auto Workers union last year should allow Ford to do the same thing in this country.
Crunching the numbers
In Mulally's Thursday morning meetings, already the stuff of legend in Detroit, Ford's top executives review the company's progress on the turnaround plan. By the end of September, the full magnitude of the global credit collapse was becoming all too apparent to Ford and the company needed to take urgent action to shore up its liquidity.
The weekly meetings became daily sessions. Mulally summoned the leaders of Ford's Asian and European operations to Dearborn. Along with Ford Americas President Mark Fields, Kuzak and other key executives, they began looking for ways to conserve Ford's liquidity.
Each time, they would emerge from the Thunderbird Room with orders for their respective teams, which would then work long into the night crunching numbers and running models.
They worked Saturdays and Sundays, poring through the company's business plan looking for places to shave more costs. But the discussion always returned to the product plan.
Vehicle programs are a huge expense. Cutting one is an easy way to balance the books. GM is postponing new investment in its pickups to save money. Chrysler LLC canceled part of its product portfolio earlier this year. Some at Ford wanted to do the same thing.
"It was like, OK, which one do you want to cut out? Which one do you think we don't need? Remember, this is to stabilize our position in the marketplace and actually grow. We're not going to stabilize anything" if we keep cutting, Mulally said. "You have to allow that debate to happen, because we had to still come up with all of the hard actions."
Kuzak told The News that he saw little point in preserving cash at the expense of Ford's lineup.
"Outstanding products are the heart of any turnaround of our business and its future success," he said. "The whole intent from the beginning was to protect the product plan and the capital spending and engineering that goes with it and look for every other element of cash that isn't directly tied to the products."
Mulally's turnaround plan is based on consolidating Ford's worldwide operations to better leverage its global scale. Kuzak said many elements of that plan are ahead of schedule, and he challenged his department heads around the world to study their budgets to determine what could be eliminated in light of these newfound efficiencies. Other executives did the same.
Bonuses, advertising cut
They also began a careful analysis of Ford's most efficient operations, like its new joint-venture factory in Nanjing, China. Chinese partner Changan had introduced some cost-saving tooling practices there that Ford rushed to implement at other facilities around the world.
As part of this effort, executives decided to cut another 10 percent of the company's salaried payroll in North America. Benefits, including the bonuses paid to Mulally and other senior executives, are being cut. So is advertising.
Ford was already on track to cut at least $5 billion in annual operating expenses because of its earlier restructuring actions. These new cuts, announced Friday, are expected to save another $8 billion to $9 billion.
At the same time, Ford is transferring money from its lending arm, Ford Credit, to the parent company and will continue debt-equity swaps to raise additional capital. These actions, combined the possible sale of assets like its stake in Japan's Mazda Motor Corp., are expected to raise another $6 billion to $8 billion through 2010, when the full benefits of the new UAW contract kick in.
The product plan remains largely intact. In the end, Ford only delayed one new product program -- a European crossover that had not even been announced. It is also postponing plans to offer a diesel version of the F-150, as well as the freshening of a few of its poorer sellers in the United States.
Because Ford's plan assumes no help at all from the federal government, some of these actions could be reversed by a federal bailout. And Mulally said Ford's approach should help make the case for government assistance.
"Whoever is going to invest or loan us money wants to know we're taking the actions to create a viable company going forward," he said. "We are absolutely taking the appropriate actions. We've demonstrated that we're making progress."
Ford's future
Products and launch dates for Ford's new lineup.
* 2009 Ford F-150 Now on sale
* 2010 Ford fusion and Fusion hybrid on sale in early 2009
* New Ford Fiesta Early 2010. U.S. version will be similar to European model.
* Ford Explorer America 2010.
* New European Transit Connect small multipurpose van in mid-2009.
* New Lincoln seven-passenger crossover Mid-2009
* 2010 Mercury Milan On sale in early 2009.
* 2010 Lincoln MKZ sedans On sale in early 2009
* New Ford Mustang Coupe, convertible and glass-roof models in early 2009
* New Ford Taurus sedan Mid-2009
* New European Ford Focus 2010
* New Mercury small car 2010
The current downturn has taken an industry that has recently sold 17M vehicles a year down to 12.6M vehicles forecast for 2009. The effects of the downturn are being felt across many other key areas in our economy, too. While the Big 3 are often lumped together, and I want to point out some of the reasons Ford is different. I would also like to point out a couple of other interesting facts, and I hope you find the article at the end of this insightful. Please pass this on to others, if you so choose.
Ford Quality
* Ford improved vehicle quality again, marking four consecutive years of progress. Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles collectively reduced things gone wrong by 7.7 percent compared to last year, pulling Ford into a statistical quality tie with Honda and Toyota atop the list of seven major automakers in the U.S. Global Quality Research System study. This is also supported by 3rd party studies from consumer reports to JD Power.
* Building on vehicle quality that is now on par with Honda and Toyota – and that consistently is being recognized by important third-parties like J.D. Power and Associates’ Initial Quality Study – driven by Ford’s disciplined and standardized processes for every product.
Fuel Efficiency
* With every new Ford vehicle, we commit to delivering the best or among the best for fuel economy with every new vehicle introduced globally.
* Innovative technologies and clever engineering solutions already are putting Ford at the head of the pack for fuel economy in vehicles including the 2009 Ford Focus, Escape and Escape Hybrid, Flex and F-150.
* The 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan (introduction in early 2009) will be the next products to offer customers a more fuel-efficient powertrain lineup. The all-new Duratec 2.5-liter four cylinder engine is expected to deliver fuel economy that’s at least 3 mpg (hwy) better than Honda Accord and 2 mpg better than Toyota Camry.
* The all-new Fusion and Milan Hybrids are expected to achieve class-leading fuel economy, beating Toyota Camry Hybrid by at least 5 mpg (city).
* By the end of 2010, nearly all of our North American engines will be upgraded or replaced.
* Within two years, nearly all of our North American lineup will offer fuel-saving six-speed automatic transmissions.
* With these new hybrids, Ford will double the size and volume of its hybrid lineup and will be the largest domestic producer of full-hybrid vehicles in North America. Ford also will have the most fuel efficient SUV and mid-size sedan on the road.
* Introducing industry-leading, fuel-saving EcoBoost engines and doubling the number and volume of hybrid vehicles.
Safety Honors
* Building on vehicle safety leadership – with the most U.S. government 5-star safety ratings of any auto company and recently moving past Honda for the industry’s most IIHS “Top Safety Picks” – plus new smart safety features, such as the industry-first MyKey technology that limits top speed and audio volume for teens and the first forward crash-avoidance system for mainstream vehicles.
* Ford achieved the leading number of “Top Safety Picks” from the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety with the 2009 Ford Flex and Lincoln MKS earning top honors.
Innovation
* Our EcoBoost technology is slated for a wide range of global vehicles and will benefit millions of customers. It uses gas turbocharged direct-engine technology to deliver up to 20 percent better fuel economy, up to 15 percent fewer CO2 emissions and superior driving performance versus larger-displacement engines.
* The first applications of EcoBoost V-6 engines come next summer in the Ford Flex and Lincoln MKS. Four-cylinder EcoBoost engines will debut in 2010 in North America and Europe.
* We’ll offer EcoBoost on more than 80 percent of our North American lineup by the end of 2012.
* Upgrading the Ford, Lincoln, Mercury lineup in North America almost completely by the end of 2010.
* Bringing six European small vehicles to North America from global B-car and C-car platforms.
* Retooling three North American truck plants to produce small, fuel efficient vehicles.
* Supporting Ford’s global products with a lean, flexible global manufacturing system
* Our sustainability strategy also includes mid- and long-term technologies that will benefit millions of customers without compromising their expectations for fuel economy, quality, safety and performance.
* For the mid-term (2013-2020), we’ll achieve gains by fully implementing solutions and proven technologies that we’re evaluating for high-volume introduction – such as significant weight reductions, high-volume hybrids, plug-in hybrids and a broader application of EcoBoost. Beyond that, we’ll look at volume introductions of emerging alternative solutions such as hydrogen, full-battery electric vehicles and bio fuels.
* Leveraging Ford’s product strengths to deliver more global vehicles in the B, C, C/D and commercial van segments. By 2010, nearly 40 percent of Ford’s product entries in these segments will be shared between Ford North America and Ford Europe, and 100 percent alignment will be achieved by 2013.
* We already have class leading technologies in place like SYNC, Ford Works Solutions, Sirius Travel Link, and blind spot mirrors to name a few.
General Info
* The "bailout" being discussed is not a free handout to the Big 3, a la the Financial Bailout, it is a loan that will be repaid.
* I have heard the Domestic Big 3 do not produce vehicles people want to buy. Domestics still account for 41.3% of all retail purchases in the US through Oct 2008 (vs. 40% for the Japanese Big 3).
* Failure of one automaker would trigger a domino effect on the supply chain and the finance subsidiaries and on other domestic automakers. Auto industry is a national asset and a critical economic component that runs straight through Main Street…Look to Germany, Japan, China and Korea to see if their governments feel this way.
* Almost 4% of U.S. gross domestic product is auto-related and represents 10% of U.S. industrial production by value. One out of every 10 U.S. jobs is auto-related, and auto workers receive $335 billion annually in compensation. Specifically, GM, Ford and Chrysler account for roughly 70 percent of U.S. auto production and are estimated to support around five million jobs across all 50 states.
* Over the last two decades, America’s domestic auto industry has invested nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars in the U.S., including $10 billion alone last year. The industry also spends $12 billion annually in R&D in U.S., which is among the top industries such as aerospace, medical equipment and computer/electronic industries.
* Supports maintenance and growth of supply base. The auto industry purchased last year $156 billion in U.S. auto parts supporting jobs in all 50 states and is the largest purchaser of U.S. steel, aluminum, iron, copper, plastics, rubber and electronic and computer chips.
* Enables auto industry to continue to meet extensive obligations…Families depend on a healthy industry that provides healthcare benefits to two million Americans and supports nearly 800,000 retirees and spouses with pension benefits.
* Enables thousands of dealers to survive and prosper…Throughout towns in every state in America, over 20,000 automobile dealers provide high paying jobs for over 1 million employees.
* Autos account for $690 billion, or about 20% of all U.S. retail sales.
* Auto sales generate more than $10 billion dollars of annual tax revenue (sales tax, registration fees, payroll taxes) which for many states and local communities is among their top sources for revenue.
* Many U.S. financial firms are staked to a healthy auto industry because many have provided credit to manufacturers, hold their bonds and have financed the purchase of their vehicles. Millions of Americans also hold auto stocks and/or bonds that are held in mutual funds, 401(k) plans and pensions.
* Did you know the Hybrid technology Toyota is using here was financed by their government who also provides free healthcare to its workers (BTW - I am not a fan of this!)
The inside story: Ford's roadmap for survival
The Detroit News 11/13/08 by Bryce G. Hoffman
DEARBORN -- For the last six weeks, Ford Motor Co.'s top executives met almost daily to craft a plan to keep the company solvent in the face of the worst financial crisis in decades. Surrounded by black-and-white photographs of Henry Ford and the Model T in the Thunderbird Room on the 11th floor of Ford's world headquarters, they waged a battle to decide Ford's future.
CEO Alan Mulally and his leadership team worked through lunch, taking quick bites of Caesar salad as the global credit crisis deepened and automobile sales collapsed. With gasoline prices falling, some argued that Ford should abandon its costly plan to retool North American truck factories to produce smaller, more fuel-efficient cars from Europe. Others pushed to curtail future investment in key products like the F-150 pickup that have seen sales drop off dramatically in recent years.
Global product development chief Derrick Kuzak -- backed by Mulally -- countered: If Ford has a future, it depends on delivering a new generation of class-leading cars and trucks that people actually want to buy. They fought off every challenge to one of the most ambitious product plans ever put together, albeit at the cost of thousands of jobs.
"We're only going to be in business if we create products that people really do want and value," Mulally told The Detroit News in an exclusive interview Tuesday. "This is the essence of creating a viable Ford."
Unlike rival General Motors Corp., which has curtailed its investment in some new vehicles to conserve cash, Ford is betting the business on new cars in a make-or-break bid to turn the company around before time runs out.
Ford's latest launches have done little to arrest its decade-long decline in U.S. market share, and it is far from certain that the cars and trucks in Ford's pipeline will be enough to turn the tide. Yet, Wall Street analysts such as Eric Selle of JPMorgan say this is the only way forward for an automaker that has wasted too many years producing lackluster products that barely covered its costs.
"The status quo is no longer acceptable," he said. "Abandoning the product plan would have been a bad move."
Ford has demonstrated that it can make money off its small cars in Europe, Selle said, adding that the concessions it won from the United Auto Workers union last year should allow Ford to do the same thing in this country.
Crunching the numbers
In Mulally's Thursday morning meetings, already the stuff of legend in Detroit, Ford's top executives review the company's progress on the turnaround plan. By the end of September, the full magnitude of the global credit collapse was becoming all too apparent to Ford and the company needed to take urgent action to shore up its liquidity.
The weekly meetings became daily sessions. Mulally summoned the leaders of Ford's Asian and European operations to Dearborn. Along with Ford Americas President Mark Fields, Kuzak and other key executives, they began looking for ways to conserve Ford's liquidity.
Each time, they would emerge from the Thunderbird Room with orders for their respective teams, which would then work long into the night crunching numbers and running models.
They worked Saturdays and Sundays, poring through the company's business plan looking for places to shave more costs. But the discussion always returned to the product plan.
Vehicle programs are a huge expense. Cutting one is an easy way to balance the books. GM is postponing new investment in its pickups to save money. Chrysler LLC canceled part of its product portfolio earlier this year. Some at Ford wanted to do the same thing.
"It was like, OK, which one do you want to cut out? Which one do you think we don't need? Remember, this is to stabilize our position in the marketplace and actually grow. We're not going to stabilize anything" if we keep cutting, Mulally said. "You have to allow that debate to happen, because we had to still come up with all of the hard actions."
Kuzak told The News that he saw little point in preserving cash at the expense of Ford's lineup.
"Outstanding products are the heart of any turnaround of our business and its future success," he said. "The whole intent from the beginning was to protect the product plan and the capital spending and engineering that goes with it and look for every other element of cash that isn't directly tied to the products."
Mulally's turnaround plan is based on consolidating Ford's worldwide operations to better leverage its global scale. Kuzak said many elements of that plan are ahead of schedule, and he challenged his department heads around the world to study their budgets to determine what could be eliminated in light of these newfound efficiencies. Other executives did the same.
Bonuses, advertising cut
They also began a careful analysis of Ford's most efficient operations, like its new joint-venture factory in Nanjing, China. Chinese partner Changan had introduced some cost-saving tooling practices there that Ford rushed to implement at other facilities around the world.
As part of this effort, executives decided to cut another 10 percent of the company's salaried payroll in North America. Benefits, including the bonuses paid to Mulally and other senior executives, are being cut. So is advertising.
Ford was already on track to cut at least $5 billion in annual operating expenses because of its earlier restructuring actions. These new cuts, announced Friday, are expected to save another $8 billion to $9 billion.
At the same time, Ford is transferring money from its lending arm, Ford Credit, to the parent company and will continue debt-equity swaps to raise additional capital. These actions, combined the possible sale of assets like its stake in Japan's Mazda Motor Corp., are expected to raise another $6 billion to $8 billion through 2010, when the full benefits of the new UAW contract kick in.
The product plan remains largely intact. In the end, Ford only delayed one new product program -- a European crossover that had not even been announced. It is also postponing plans to offer a diesel version of the F-150, as well as the freshening of a few of its poorer sellers in the United States.
Because Ford's plan assumes no help at all from the federal government, some of these actions could be reversed by a federal bailout. And Mulally said Ford's approach should help make the case for government assistance.
"Whoever is going to invest or loan us money wants to know we're taking the actions to create a viable company going forward," he said. "We are absolutely taking the appropriate actions. We've demonstrated that we're making progress."
Ford's future
Products and launch dates for Ford's new lineup.
* 2009 Ford F-150 Now on sale
* 2010 Ford fusion and Fusion hybrid on sale in early 2009
* New Ford Fiesta Early 2010. U.S. version will be similar to European model.
* Ford Explorer America 2010.
* New European Transit Connect small multipurpose van in mid-2009.
* New Lincoln seven-passenger crossover Mid-2009
* 2010 Mercury Milan On sale in early 2009.
* 2010 Lincoln MKZ sedans On sale in early 2009
* New Ford Mustang Coupe, convertible and glass-roof models in early 2009
* New Ford Taurus sedan Mid-2009
* New European Ford Focus 2010
* New Mercury small car 2010
Ford has glimpse of a road to recovery, has edge over rivals
Last week's hearings on Capital Hill lumped Detroit's automakers together as desperate enterprises so troubled that they must submit business plans to Congress to prove they are worth saving with emergency loans.
But ever so subtly, Ford Motor Co. is separating itself from its crosstown rivals, General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC.
Still a troubled company that is hemorrhaging money -- nearly $24 billion during the past three years -- and losing market share, Ford is regarded as the healthiest of the three companies, as UAW President Ron Gettelfinger last week told Congress. The automaker also is making strides in fuel economy and the safety and quality ratings of its vehicles, and its new F-150 pickup -- a company profit leader -- is expected to do well after sales rebound from the toughest market in 25 years.
Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally told Senate and House committees he wasn't even sure that Ford, which had $19 billion in cash at the end of September, would need federal assistance.
"I think we can make it through this recession, if it doesn't get worse," Mulally said. "We believe we have sufficient liquidity to make it through this slowdown."
Mulally, who left Boeing Co. to become Ford's CEO in September 2006, said the automaker joined in the request for aid only because it might need the money if the economy worsens and because a collapse of GM or Chrysler could take down parts suppliers, which would ultimately seize up operations for Ford, too
Sales down, but quality up
Despite Ford's precarious position, as the company waits for the political and economic climate to shake out, automotive analysts and Ford dealers also told the Free Press there are signs that the company's condition could improve in the near term.
While Ford's sales are down 18.6% through October compared to the same period a year ago, the company is making gains in key areas.
For much of the year, the Ford Focus compact car, which averages 27 miles per gallon and comes with optional cutting-edge Sync telecommunications and entertainment technology, climbed the sales charts. So far this year, the vehicle built in Wayne is up 20.5%.
Now Ford's perennial breadwinner, the F-150, has been revamped and is earning rave reviews, a promising sign that could help Ford pull ahead of its sluggish crosstown rivals. The F-150 is part of Ford's best-selling F-Series lineup, which still makes up about one-fourth of the company's sales and a disproportionate amount of the company's profits.
Ford has made documented gains in safety, quality and fuel economy that it needs to have sink into the public consciousness, bolstered by publications such as Consumer Reports. Ford's Fusion midsize car was even selected for the cover of the magazine's best cars issue.
"Everybody is aware that Ford's quality has gone up," said Terry Kidd, who owns Kidd Ford Lincoln Mercury outside of Nashville, Tenn.
As Mulally sat in front of Congress, flanked by his needier counterparts at GM and Ford, he repeatedly tried to emphasize the unique position of Ford and the "clear vision" it has for the future.
As the executives were collectively grilled and flogged for their companies' past failures, Mulally repeatedly emphasized: "We're in a little different position."
Might not need loans
Financially, Mulally told Congress that Ford does not intend to tap the federal loans if it doesn't have to. Shortly after Mulally became CEO, the company mortgaged its assets, from the F-150 brand to the blue oval logo, to ensure a line of credit for its turnaround. That has put it in a better liquidity position than GM and Chrysler.
"If the economy starts to go down, we would have to access that money, too," Mulally told a House committee. "How much we would access would be dependent on how far the economy and the industry degrades."
Passing on the federal loans might prevent the company's shareholders from having their stock further diluted if the company is forced to give the government stock warrants in exchange for the loans.
Shares of Ford closed Friday at $1.43. Just four years ago, Ford shares traded in the mid-teens and paid dividends of 10 cents every quarter.
The stockholders, of course, include the Ford family.
While the family would still retain its 40% supervoting power through its Class B shares if stock warrants were issued, the family has already seen the value of its shares plummet.
What's more, Ford stopped paying dividends in September 2006 -- when Mulally was hired and the company revised its Way Forward turnaround plan for the second time.
If Ford could make it through this downturn without federal money, it could escape jumping through all the hoops that Congress is setting up as an obstacle course to receive loans.
Faint praise from lawmakers
While most members of Congress seemed content to lump Detroit in one basket and bash them together, a few lawmakers had almost-kind words for Ford.
While criticizing Detroit's boardrooms for being "famously devoid of vision," Sen. Chris Dodd, the Connecticut Democrat who chairs the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, added: "Clearly there have been exceptions. Ford was arguably ahead of the market when ... they saw a big future in the fuel-efficient and alternative energy vehicles."
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., who was particularly critical, also noted the distinction.
"My sense is that Ford has done a better job and is in a slightly stronger position," he said. "GM has made some changes, but is spiraling downward, and I know it's a private company and results aren't available, but Chrysler barely has a heartbeat.
"I wonder why we're talking to three companies. ... Seems to me that that premise to begin with is very flawed. Now obviously you all have been involved in a pact."
David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research, said all of Detroit's auto companies are in the emergency room and need help, but Ford just isn't as badly injured.
"They've tried to walk that fine line: We need it, but we don't need it that badly," Cole said.
Revamped F-150 gets raves
One of the biggest reasons to hold out hope for a strong Ford turnaround, dealers and automotive experts told the Free Press, is the launch of the 2009 F-150 pickup.
"I know Washington doesn't want to hear about pickup trucks," said Erich Merkle, a senior automotive analyst with Crowe Horwath in Grand Rapids. But, he said, "Ford is very well positioned in that pickup truck segment when it ultimately starts to rebound."
Already, dealers across the country told the Free Press that F-150 sales are off to a better start than expected.
"It's doing fantastic," said Jason Pittack, co-owner of Woodhouse Ford in Blair, Neb. His dealership is No. 1 in Ford pickup sales, with more than 2,500 sales annually.
"Farmers are having their best year in many years," he explained. "The people that need trucks, they're coming in and zapping them up."
For that reason, Pittack is one of several dealers who think Ford is going to do just fine.
"Regardless of what the press is saying, I think Ford is in a good position," he said.
Kidd said he's so confident in Ford that he's been gobbling up a lot of Ford stock, as well as that of key parts supplier Visteon.
"I feel great," Kidd said of Ford, noting that his truck sales have been strong since gas prices started dropping again. "I truly believe in it. ... I'm not looking for it to turn tomorrow, but in the long run. I think Ford is making tremendous strides."
Contact SARAH A. WEBSTER at 313-222-5394 or swebster@freepress.com.
But ever so subtly, Ford Motor Co. is separating itself from its crosstown rivals, General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC.
Still a troubled company that is hemorrhaging money -- nearly $24 billion during the past three years -- and losing market share, Ford is regarded as the healthiest of the three companies, as UAW President Ron Gettelfinger last week told Congress. The automaker also is making strides in fuel economy and the safety and quality ratings of its vehicles, and its new F-150 pickup -- a company profit leader -- is expected to do well after sales rebound from the toughest market in 25 years.
Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally told Senate and House committees he wasn't even sure that Ford, which had $19 billion in cash at the end of September, would need federal assistance.
"I think we can make it through this recession, if it doesn't get worse," Mulally said. "We believe we have sufficient liquidity to make it through this slowdown."
Mulally, who left Boeing Co. to become Ford's CEO in September 2006, said the automaker joined in the request for aid only because it might need the money if the economy worsens and because a collapse of GM or Chrysler could take down parts suppliers, which would ultimately seize up operations for Ford, too
Sales down, but quality up
Despite Ford's precarious position, as the company waits for the political and economic climate to shake out, automotive analysts and Ford dealers also told the Free Press there are signs that the company's condition could improve in the near term.
While Ford's sales are down 18.6% through October compared to the same period a year ago, the company is making gains in key areas.
For much of the year, the Ford Focus compact car, which averages 27 miles per gallon and comes with optional cutting-edge Sync telecommunications and entertainment technology, climbed the sales charts. So far this year, the vehicle built in Wayne is up 20.5%.
Now Ford's perennial breadwinner, the F-150, has been revamped and is earning rave reviews, a promising sign that could help Ford pull ahead of its sluggish crosstown rivals. The F-150 is part of Ford's best-selling F-Series lineup, which still makes up about one-fourth of the company's sales and a disproportionate amount of the company's profits.
Ford has made documented gains in safety, quality and fuel economy that it needs to have sink into the public consciousness, bolstered by publications such as Consumer Reports. Ford's Fusion midsize car was even selected for the cover of the magazine's best cars issue.
"Everybody is aware that Ford's quality has gone up," said Terry Kidd, who owns Kidd Ford Lincoln Mercury outside of Nashville, Tenn.
As Mulally sat in front of Congress, flanked by his needier counterparts at GM and Ford, he repeatedly tried to emphasize the unique position of Ford and the "clear vision" it has for the future.
As the executives were collectively grilled and flogged for their companies' past failures, Mulally repeatedly emphasized: "We're in a little different position."
Might not need loans
Financially, Mulally told Congress that Ford does not intend to tap the federal loans if it doesn't have to. Shortly after Mulally became CEO, the company mortgaged its assets, from the F-150 brand to the blue oval logo, to ensure a line of credit for its turnaround. That has put it in a better liquidity position than GM and Chrysler.
"If the economy starts to go down, we would have to access that money, too," Mulally told a House committee. "How much we would access would be dependent on how far the economy and the industry degrades."
Passing on the federal loans might prevent the company's shareholders from having their stock further diluted if the company is forced to give the government stock warrants in exchange for the loans.
Shares of Ford closed Friday at $1.43. Just four years ago, Ford shares traded in the mid-teens and paid dividends of 10 cents every quarter.
The stockholders, of course, include the Ford family.
While the family would still retain its 40% supervoting power through its Class B shares if stock warrants were issued, the family has already seen the value of its shares plummet.
What's more, Ford stopped paying dividends in September 2006 -- when Mulally was hired and the company revised its Way Forward turnaround plan for the second time.
If Ford could make it through this downturn without federal money, it could escape jumping through all the hoops that Congress is setting up as an obstacle course to receive loans.
Faint praise from lawmakers
While most members of Congress seemed content to lump Detroit in one basket and bash them together, a few lawmakers had almost-kind words for Ford.
While criticizing Detroit's boardrooms for being "famously devoid of vision," Sen. Chris Dodd, the Connecticut Democrat who chairs the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, added: "Clearly there have been exceptions. Ford was arguably ahead of the market when ... they saw a big future in the fuel-efficient and alternative energy vehicles."
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., who was particularly critical, also noted the distinction.
"My sense is that Ford has done a better job and is in a slightly stronger position," he said. "GM has made some changes, but is spiraling downward, and I know it's a private company and results aren't available, but Chrysler barely has a heartbeat.
"I wonder why we're talking to three companies. ... Seems to me that that premise to begin with is very flawed. Now obviously you all have been involved in a pact."
David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research, said all of Detroit's auto companies are in the emergency room and need help, but Ford just isn't as badly injured.
"They've tried to walk that fine line: We need it, but we don't need it that badly," Cole said.
Revamped F-150 gets raves
One of the biggest reasons to hold out hope for a strong Ford turnaround, dealers and automotive experts told the Free Press, is the launch of the 2009 F-150 pickup.
"I know Washington doesn't want to hear about pickup trucks," said Erich Merkle, a senior automotive analyst with Crowe Horwath in Grand Rapids. But, he said, "Ford is very well positioned in that pickup truck segment when it ultimately starts to rebound."
Already, dealers across the country told the Free Press that F-150 sales are off to a better start than expected.
"It's doing fantastic," said Jason Pittack, co-owner of Woodhouse Ford in Blair, Neb. His dealership is No. 1 in Ford pickup sales, with more than 2,500 sales annually.
"Farmers are having their best year in many years," he explained. "The people that need trucks, they're coming in and zapping them up."
For that reason, Pittack is one of several dealers who think Ford is going to do just fine.
"Regardless of what the press is saying, I think Ford is in a good position," he said.
Kidd said he's so confident in Ford that he's been gobbling up a lot of Ford stock, as well as that of key parts supplier Visteon.
"I feel great," Kidd said of Ford, noting that his truck sales have been strong since gas prices started dropping again. "I truly believe in it. ... I'm not looking for it to turn tomorrow, but in the long run. I think Ford is making tremendous strides."
Contact SARAH A. WEBSTER at 313-222-5394 or swebster@freepress.com.
The assets and advantages at Ford
1. CEO Alan Mulally
Since arriving from Boeing Co., Mulally has been helping to eradicate Ford's culture of political infighting. He has worked to promote teamwork and confidence within the company, and is regarded as a focused advocate of Ford's turnaround plan.
2. Quality improvements
According to Consumer Reports magazine, Ford's reliability "is now on par with good Japanese automakers," such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co.
The magazine lauds Ford for continuing "to pull away from the rest of Detroit." Now, Ford just has to get that message to consumers.
3. Telematics leadership
Consumers are still catching on to the impressive technological advances inside a Ford vehicle.
But Ford's continually improving Sync technology, which was developed with Microsoft and allows drivers to communicate with their phone and audio system using voice commands, remains unique in the market.
Ford has said it remains committed to staying ahead in this area, too, as mobile electronics continue to become a bigger part of Americans' daily lives.
4. Safety
Ford has the most 5-star government crash safety ratings of any automaker. In September, it passed Honda for the most top safety picks from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Ford recently introduced MyKey technology, which helps parents encourage teens to adopt safer driving behaviors through safety-belt usage, lower audio volumes and a limited top speed. MyKey will become a standard feature for many models in early 2009.
5. Improving fuel efficiency
In addition to the Focus, which gets a combined 27 miles per gallon, the new Ford Fusion hybrid will beat the Toyota Camry hybrid by 6 miles per gallon, Ford says.
Ford's president of the Americas, Mark Fields, has said Ford's product development team is committed to making its future vehicles "meet or beat the competition in fuel economy."
By Sarah A. Webster
Since arriving from Boeing Co., Mulally has been helping to eradicate Ford's culture of political infighting. He has worked to promote teamwork and confidence within the company, and is regarded as a focused advocate of Ford's turnaround plan.
2. Quality improvements
According to Consumer Reports magazine, Ford's reliability "is now on par with good Japanese automakers," such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co.
The magazine lauds Ford for continuing "to pull away from the rest of Detroit." Now, Ford just has to get that message to consumers.
3. Telematics leadership
Consumers are still catching on to the impressive technological advances inside a Ford vehicle.
But Ford's continually improving Sync technology, which was developed with Microsoft and allows drivers to communicate with their phone and audio system using voice commands, remains unique in the market.
Ford has said it remains committed to staying ahead in this area, too, as mobile electronics continue to become a bigger part of Americans' daily lives.
4. Safety
Ford has the most 5-star government crash safety ratings of any automaker. In September, it passed Honda for the most top safety picks from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Ford recently introduced MyKey technology, which helps parents encourage teens to adopt safer driving behaviors through safety-belt usage, lower audio volumes and a limited top speed. MyKey will become a standard feature for many models in early 2009.
5. Improving fuel efficiency
In addition to the Focus, which gets a combined 27 miles per gallon, the new Ford Fusion hybrid will beat the Toyota Camry hybrid by 6 miles per gallon, Ford says.
Ford's president of the Americas, Mark Fields, has said Ford's product development team is committed to making its future vehicles "meet or beat the competition in fuel economy."
By Sarah A. Webster
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
2009 ROUSH P-51B Mustang flies in with 510-hp
ROUSH has announced its second aviation-themed Mustang paying homage to the legendary World War II fighter planes. The 2009 P-51B Mustang joins the P-51A (seen last year) in ROUSH’s aviation inspired pony cars. The P-15B Mustang will see a limited production run of just 51 units but ROUSH is quick to say that it may build some extra units for the press and testing.
Power comes from a 4.6L supercharged V8 that pumps out 510-hp with a maximum torque of 510 lb-ft. Performance was increased with upgrades to the clutch and custom-calibration for the ECM to manage the performance of the TVS2300 ROUSHcharger. ROUSH also added 6-piston brakes and its Stage 3 suspension for extra stopping and handling power.
Appearance wise the 2009 P-51B Mustang comes in Vapor paint with Olive Drab green stripes. ROUSH designers added black-chrome wheels, a ROUSH vent pod gauge with a boost gauge, Cooper RS3 high-performance tires, a rear decklid and ROUSH’s 6-piece aerobody kit. Inside you’ll find P-51B badging on the shifter ball, floor mats and the leather seats.
Pricing for starts at $65,800. All ROUSH cars are available with a 3-year/36,000 mile warranty.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Soldier serving in Iraq wins 2010 Ford Mustang GT Coupe
Ford has announced the winner of the ”Mustang Stories” online contest and the winner of the 2010 Ford Mustang. U.S. Army Specialist Kory Chesher, a member of the 1st Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division serving in Iraq will be flown to the LA Auto Show to see the 2010 Ford Mustang unveiled in person and to pickup his new Pony. Out of the top 25 stories, voters selected Chester’s story for the grand prize of a new 2010 Ford Mustang GT Coupe and the trip for two to LA. Chesher, 22, and his group will be returning the U.S. this month.
“I opened up my e-mail and saw the first bold message said, ‘Congratulations: You are a Winner in the Mustang Stories Contest.’ I couldn’t read it fast enough. I’m just overwhelmed,” Chesher said via e-mail from Iraq.
Make sure you join on Nov. 19th as we kick off live coverage of the 2008 LA Auto Show.
Chesher’s 242-word essay, “A Life Obsession,”:
It started when I was about 6 years old. I was in the truck with my father and we were at a stoplight. Across the road at the other light was this “car.” It drew my attention away from everything else in the world. I asked my dad what it was and he simply said, “Oh, that’s a Mustang.”
I remember it like it was yesterday. I now know that it was a 1968 black Fastback. That was almost 20 years ago. Twenty years of love, addiction, obsession. Twenty years of longing and desire.
Now I’m a solider in the United States Army deployed to Iraq. I spend my spare time tearing through Mustang magazines that my family and total strangers are kindhearted enough to send to me. Every opportunity I get I’m online poring through forums and pictures; studying every little tidbit of knowledge I can get my hands on; meticulously memorizing seemingly insignificant trivia. Names, dates, specs, colors, paint codes, production numbers, costs, anything, everything.
A Mustang of my own wouldn’t quell this life I live – it would supercharge it. The only thing greater than a life loving Mustangs is a life with a Mustang. With a Mustang to call my own I could finally experience the pride and freedom that I’ve only been watching from afar. It will ignite a passion like nothing I have ever experienced. Mustangs are my one true love.
I’m ready to go driving now.
“I opened up my e-mail and saw the first bold message said, ‘Congratulations: You are a Winner in the Mustang Stories Contest.’ I couldn’t read it fast enough. I’m just overwhelmed,” Chesher said via e-mail from Iraq.
Make sure you join on Nov. 19th as we kick off live coverage of the 2008 LA Auto Show.
Chesher’s 242-word essay, “A Life Obsession,”:
It started when I was about 6 years old. I was in the truck with my father and we were at a stoplight. Across the road at the other light was this “car.” It drew my attention away from everything else in the world. I asked my dad what it was and he simply said, “Oh, that’s a Mustang.”
I remember it like it was yesterday. I now know that it was a 1968 black Fastback. That was almost 20 years ago. Twenty years of love, addiction, obsession. Twenty years of longing and desire.
Now I’m a solider in the United States Army deployed to Iraq. I spend my spare time tearing through Mustang magazines that my family and total strangers are kindhearted enough to send to me. Every opportunity I get I’m online poring through forums and pictures; studying every little tidbit of knowledge I can get my hands on; meticulously memorizing seemingly insignificant trivia. Names, dates, specs, colors, paint codes, production numbers, costs, anything, everything.
A Mustang of my own wouldn’t quell this life I live – it would supercharge it. The only thing greater than a life loving Mustangs is a life with a Mustang. With a Mustang to call my own I could finally experience the pride and freedom that I’ve only been watching from afar. It will ignite a passion like nothing I have ever experienced. Mustangs are my one true love.
I’m ready to go driving now.
400 hp, 110 mpg Ford Mustang makes SEMA debut
High gas prices and upcoming CAFE regulations are threatening the future of the V8, but one Ohio man’s Ford Mustang is giving hope to gear heads everywhere. The rather nondiscript 80s era Mustang promises outstanding performance and little fuel consumption, and turned up in a back corner of the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
Napoleon, Ohio’s Doug Pelmear claims that he has created a V8-powered 1987 Ford Mustang that develops 400 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque on E85, can accelerate from 0-60 in about three seconds – on its way to a top speed of 180 mph – and still returns an astonishing 110 mpg.
Although a 400 horsepower economy car sounds too good to be true, Toledo’s Rocket Ventures, a subsidiary of the Regional Growth Partnership, has verified Pelmear’s claim, according to OzarksFirst.com.
Pelmear has yet to reveal what’s exactly under the hood of his Mustang – as he’s still waiting on a few patents – but says his work is based off the work of his grandfather who developed fuel-saving techniques during the 1940s.
Pelmear has even entered his car into the Progressive Automotive X Prize, one of the world’s foremost green car competitions that challenges contestants to “design viable, clean and super-efficient cars that people want to buy.” If you ask us, the judges should just hand over the $10 million grand prize to Pelmear right now.
Napoleon, Ohio’s Doug Pelmear claims that he has created a V8-powered 1987 Ford Mustang that develops 400 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque on E85, can accelerate from 0-60 in about three seconds – on its way to a top speed of 180 mph – and still returns an astonishing 110 mpg.
Although a 400 horsepower economy car sounds too good to be true, Toledo’s Rocket Ventures, a subsidiary of the Regional Growth Partnership, has verified Pelmear’s claim, according to OzarksFirst.com.
Pelmear has yet to reveal what’s exactly under the hood of his Mustang – as he’s still waiting on a few patents – but says his work is based off the work of his grandfather who developed fuel-saving techniques during the 1940s.
Pelmear has even entered his car into the Progressive Automotive X Prize, one of the world’s foremost green car competitions that challenges contestants to “design viable, clean and super-efficient cars that people want to buy.” If you ask us, the judges should just hand over the $10 million grand prize to Pelmear right now.
Ford Mustang FR500CJ Cobra Jet unveiled at SEMA
We saw the 2008 Ford Mustang FR500CJ briefly last month, but today Ford took the wraps off the race-ready Mustang at the 2008 SEMA Auto Show. Known simply as the Cobra Jet, it will join the Mustang FR500S, the Mustang FR500C and the Mustang FR500GT.
The Cobra Jet is the drag racing version of the Mustang FR500S, “allowing those interested in NHRA sportsmen drag racing the opportunity to get involved with an affordable vehicle that can compete right off of the truck and run in the 10-second range.” By affordable FoMoCo means $69,000. Oh and did we mention - Ford will only be producing 50 units for the 2008 model year all of which have already been ordered by Ford dealers for delivery to customers. In other words - it’s sold out.
Power for the NHRA-legal FR500CJ will come from a 5.4L supercharged V8 producing 428-hp.
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Pictures!
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
Antics like this would destroy a standard pickup; in the SVT Raptor, it's no problem. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Off the Ground!
Thanks to unique bypass valving, the Raptor's shocks actually increase their damping force as they compress. This keeps the dampers from crashing into the bump-stops after jumps like this. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Off-roading!
An off-road mode not only allows the driver to shut off the standard electronic stability control system but also recalibrates the brake bias and throttle response. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Front
With its wider track and unique front fascia, the F-150 SVT Raptor won't be mistaken for a standard F-150. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Profile
All Raptors will come in the extended-cab body style; paint splatter graphics will be optional. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Grille
Marker lights were incorporated into the Raptor's grille because the truck's overall width requires them by law. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Engine
New 6.2-liter engine will be optional in the Raptor; Ford says to expect around 400 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Suspension
Cast-aluminum lower control arms and Fox Racing Shox are just a couple of the Raptor's unique suspension pieces. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Suspension Parts Comparison
Here are some of the Raptor's suspension pieces next to their standard F-150 parts. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Interior
Interior enhancements are limited to extra bolstering for the seats and a few upgrades to the instrument panel. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Instrument Gauges
Leather-wrapped steering wheel includes the now fashionable stripe that helps racers know when the wheels are pointed straight ahead. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Auxiliary Switches
Auxiliary switches on the center console make for easy control of extra lighting or a winch. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - In the Desert
The Raptor will be available in orange, black, blue or white. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Badge
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - 3...2...1...Blast-off!
2010 Ford F-150 Raptor. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
Antics like this would destroy a standard pickup; in the SVT Raptor, it's no problem. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Off the Ground!
Thanks to unique bypass valving, the Raptor's shocks actually increase their damping force as they compress. This keeps the dampers from crashing into the bump-stops after jumps like this. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Off-roading!
An off-road mode not only allows the driver to shut off the standard electronic stability control system but also recalibrates the brake bias and throttle response. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Front
With its wider track and unique front fascia, the F-150 SVT Raptor won't be mistaken for a standard F-150. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Profile
All Raptors will come in the extended-cab body style; paint splatter graphics will be optional. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Grille
Marker lights were incorporated into the Raptor's grille because the truck's overall width requires them by law. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Engine
New 6.2-liter engine will be optional in the Raptor; Ford says to expect around 400 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Suspension
Cast-aluminum lower control arms and Fox Racing Shox are just a couple of the Raptor's unique suspension pieces. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Suspension Parts Comparison
Here are some of the Raptor's suspension pieces next to their standard F-150 parts. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Interior
Interior enhancements are limited to extra bolstering for the seats and a few upgrades to the instrument panel. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Instrument Gauges
Leather-wrapped steering wheel includes the now fashionable stripe that helps racers know when the wheels are pointed straight ahead. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Auxiliary Switches
Auxiliary switches on the center console make for easy control of extra lighting or a winch. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - In the Desert
The Raptor will be available in orange, black, blue or white. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Badge
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - 3...2...1...Blast-off!
2010 Ford F-150 Raptor. (Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
The Rebirth of SVT
At 100 mph, the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is barely breaking a sweat. Sure, just about any modern pickup truck can run smoothly at triple-digit speeds on the highway, but we're not on a highway.
No, we're sitting shotgun in the Raptor as it hammers down a rutted dirt road in the middle of the Nevada desert. It's the kind of road that would send standard trucks limping home with leaking shock absorbers and torn-up bodywork, but the likelihood of this happening in the Ford Raptor is slim.
You see, the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor has been built with conditions like this in mind. It's the latest project from Ford's Special Vehicles Team (SVT), a group of enthusiastic engineers within Ford that made its name building high-powered street vehicles like the Cobra Mustang and F-150 Lightning. This time the SVT engineers have focused their efforts on building something completely different, an off-road truck capable of running at high speed in the desert as effortlessly as it does down a suburban highway.
All the Best Parts
Most factory-supplied off-road packages before now have amounted to nothing more than slightly larger-capacity dampers, retuned springs and a few decals on the fenders. The 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor has all these things, but it takes the premise several steps further.
Take the suspension, for instance. It's been completely revamped up front with all-new upper and lower wishbones, a revised tie rod, longer four-wheel-drive half-shafts and upgraded steering knuckles. The changes allow up to 11.2 inches of suspension travel in front and 13.4 inches in back.
Instead of using off-the-shelf dampers, SVT has worked with the off-road specialists at Fox Racing to build a set of unique items for the Raptor. Internal bypass valves help deliver increased damping as the shocks compress, a first in a factory off-road damper, says SVT's Jamal Hameedi, the Raptor's chief nameplate engineer. He notes, "The oil we use in them costs more that our competitor's entire shock."
A track that's 7 inches wider than a stock F-150 is also part of the Raptor's package. It gives the Raptor a low, wide stance, which requires wider flared fenders front and rear, giving the truck a Coke-bottle shape. It's so wide, in fact, that the Raptor requires the federally mandated marker lights you usually see perched atop dually tow trucks. For the Raptor, the front lights are incorporated into the grille, making for a cleaner appearance and unique light signature at night.
Underneath the big fenders sit a set of 35-inch BFGoodrich tires engineered specifically for the Raptor. They spin on 17-inch cast-aluminum wheels that look great as long as you like black.
Big V8 on the Way
The base-model 2010 Ford F-150 Raptor will be powered by the same 24-valve 5.4-liter V8 found in the standard F-150. Good for 320 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque, it should provide plenty of thrust since it puts down the power through a six-speed automatic transmission and 4.10:1 final-drive ratio.
Then again, off-road trucks tend to be a little over the top as a rule, so after the start of production the Raptor will offer an even more powerful 16-valve 6.2-liter V8. It's an all-new engine for Ford, and while final testing isn't finished, a rating of around 400 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque is expected. It will use the same six-speed transmission and 4.10 gears.
Every Raptor will feature four-wheel drive. This isn't typical among desert racing trucks, but it was necessary to make a good business case for the truck. The extended cab is another nod to street-friendly practicality, as SVT had to make a solid case for sales success to enable such a radical concept to move forward through Ford's product planning.
Making It Work in the Dirt
In order to take full advantage of the Raptor's hardware, SVT's engineers also made some changes to the Raptor's software. Engaging the "off-road mode" not only switches off the truck's electronic stability control system, but also changes the programming for the antilock brake system to allow more wheel lockup while reducing pedal flutter. The brake bias also changes, with more braking power directed to the rear wheels. "This lessens the truck's inherent understeer, so it turns in quicker when you're running in the dirt," Hameedi tells us.
Off-road mode also reprograms the transmission, so it holds gear ratios into the upper reaches of the rpm range while the throttle mapping changes to offer better control. Even more important, off-road mode commands the standard electronic locking differential in back to remain fully locked at any speed.
Last but not least, the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is the first Ford truck to offer electronic hill descent control. It's not really a useful feature for fast desert running, but it broadens the truck's appeal even further by allowing some measure of capability when it comes to low-speed rock-crawling.
Looking the Part
Unlike typical off-road packages, the Raptor's cosmetic changes are substantial. From the A-pillars forward, the only parts directly carried over from the stock truck are the headlights. The hood, the front quarter panels and the front fascia all are unique to the Raptor. The revised rear quarters are a full 8 inches wider than a standard F-150.
Interior upgrades include new seats with additional side bolstering, a thicker, leather-wrapped steering wheel and an SVT-specific instrument panel. The center console also comes standard with a row of auxiliary switches so owners can easily add aftermarket accessories like floodlights or a winch.
An Unlikely SVT Project
It's easy to look at the Raptor and say it's a poorly timed project. Truck sales are down, gas prices remain higher than they've been in years and Ford is just trying to keep its head above water. All true, but SVT still thinks the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is a good bet.
"I think the Raptor will do even better than the Lightning ever did," says Hameedi. "We had to build a solid business case for this truck and we did. We don't have to sell a lot of them for this project to be profitable."
No, we're sitting shotgun in the Raptor as it hammers down a rutted dirt road in the middle of the Nevada desert. It's the kind of road that would send standard trucks limping home with leaking shock absorbers and torn-up bodywork, but the likelihood of this happening in the Ford Raptor is slim.
You see, the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor has been built with conditions like this in mind. It's the latest project from Ford's Special Vehicles Team (SVT), a group of enthusiastic engineers within Ford that made its name building high-powered street vehicles like the Cobra Mustang and F-150 Lightning. This time the SVT engineers have focused their efforts on building something completely different, an off-road truck capable of running at high speed in the desert as effortlessly as it does down a suburban highway.
All the Best Parts
Most factory-supplied off-road packages before now have amounted to nothing more than slightly larger-capacity dampers, retuned springs and a few decals on the fenders. The 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor has all these things, but it takes the premise several steps further.
Take the suspension, for instance. It's been completely revamped up front with all-new upper and lower wishbones, a revised tie rod, longer four-wheel-drive half-shafts and upgraded steering knuckles. The changes allow up to 11.2 inches of suspension travel in front and 13.4 inches in back.
Instead of using off-the-shelf dampers, SVT has worked with the off-road specialists at Fox Racing to build a set of unique items for the Raptor. Internal bypass valves help deliver increased damping as the shocks compress, a first in a factory off-road damper, says SVT's Jamal Hameedi, the Raptor's chief nameplate engineer. He notes, "The oil we use in them costs more that our competitor's entire shock."
A track that's 7 inches wider than a stock F-150 is also part of the Raptor's package. It gives the Raptor a low, wide stance, which requires wider flared fenders front and rear, giving the truck a Coke-bottle shape. It's so wide, in fact, that the Raptor requires the federally mandated marker lights you usually see perched atop dually tow trucks. For the Raptor, the front lights are incorporated into the grille, making for a cleaner appearance and unique light signature at night.
Underneath the big fenders sit a set of 35-inch BFGoodrich tires engineered specifically for the Raptor. They spin on 17-inch cast-aluminum wheels that look great as long as you like black.
Big V8 on the Way
The base-model 2010 Ford F-150 Raptor will be powered by the same 24-valve 5.4-liter V8 found in the standard F-150. Good for 320 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque, it should provide plenty of thrust since it puts down the power through a six-speed automatic transmission and 4.10:1 final-drive ratio.
Then again, off-road trucks tend to be a little over the top as a rule, so after the start of production the Raptor will offer an even more powerful 16-valve 6.2-liter V8. It's an all-new engine for Ford, and while final testing isn't finished, a rating of around 400 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque is expected. It will use the same six-speed transmission and 4.10 gears.
Every Raptor will feature four-wheel drive. This isn't typical among desert racing trucks, but it was necessary to make a good business case for the truck. The extended cab is another nod to street-friendly practicality, as SVT had to make a solid case for sales success to enable such a radical concept to move forward through Ford's product planning.
Making It Work in the Dirt
In order to take full advantage of the Raptor's hardware, SVT's engineers also made some changes to the Raptor's software. Engaging the "off-road mode" not only switches off the truck's electronic stability control system, but also changes the programming for the antilock brake system to allow more wheel lockup while reducing pedal flutter. The brake bias also changes, with more braking power directed to the rear wheels. "This lessens the truck's inherent understeer, so it turns in quicker when you're running in the dirt," Hameedi tells us.
Off-road mode also reprograms the transmission, so it holds gear ratios into the upper reaches of the rpm range while the throttle mapping changes to offer better control. Even more important, off-road mode commands the standard electronic locking differential in back to remain fully locked at any speed.
Last but not least, the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is the first Ford truck to offer electronic hill descent control. It's not really a useful feature for fast desert running, but it broadens the truck's appeal even further by allowing some measure of capability when it comes to low-speed rock-crawling.
Looking the Part
Unlike typical off-road packages, the Raptor's cosmetic changes are substantial. From the A-pillars forward, the only parts directly carried over from the stock truck are the headlights. The hood, the front quarter panels and the front fascia all are unique to the Raptor. The revised rear quarters are a full 8 inches wider than a standard F-150.
Interior upgrades include new seats with additional side bolstering, a thicker, leather-wrapped steering wheel and an SVT-specific instrument panel. The center console also comes standard with a row of auxiliary switches so owners can easily add aftermarket accessories like floodlights or a winch.
An Unlikely SVT Project
It's easy to look at the Raptor and say it's a poorly timed project. Truck sales are down, gas prices remain higher than they've been in years and Ford is just trying to keep its head above water. All true, but SVT still thinks the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is a good bet.
"I think the Raptor will do even better than the Lightning ever did," says Hameedi. "We had to build a solid business case for this truck and we did. We don't have to sell a lot of them for this project to be profitable."
New Ford Hybrid System Expected to Deliver Class-Leading Fuel Economy, Improved Drivability
Ford’s next-generation hybrid propulsion system builds upon the proven success of the Escape and Mariner Hybrids, delivering class-leading fuel economy for the all-new 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan Hybrids that debut later this year.
“Offering consumers more fuel-efficient vehicle choices, including improving and increasing our hybrid vehicle offerings, is part of Ford’s broad plan to deliver technology solutions for affordable fuel economy for millions,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president for Global Product Development.
“With the new Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids, we are now able to offer even better range of travel on battery power at a greater speed, thanks to a more efficient, seamless transition between the battery-powered motor and gasoline-driven engine,” he said. “These new hybrids will exceed expectations on all fronts – fuel efficiency, comfort, convenience and overall drivability.”
With the new arrivals, Ford will be the producer of the most fuel-efficient mid-size sedans and SUVs on the planet – and the Fusion Hybrid is expected to be at least 5 mpg better in the city than the Toyota Camry hybrid.
The Ford Hybrid team has developed a powertrain system that combines the best attributes of the gasoline engine and electric battery-driven motors to deliver the optimal experience for the customer in terms of driving performance and fuel economy. Additionally, the propulsion system for the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids transitions between gas and electric power and back more efficiently and seamlessly.
The overall system upgrade allows the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids to operate longer at higher speeds in electric mode. The hybrid vehicles can operate up to 47 mph in pure electric mode, about twice as fast as some competitors. Plus, the city driving range on a single tank of gas is expected to be more than 700 miles.
“Offering consumers more fuel-efficient vehicle choices, including improving and increasing our hybrid vehicle offerings, is part of Ford’s broad plan to deliver technology solutions for affordable fuel economy for millions,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president for Global Product Development.
“With the new Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids, we are now able to offer even better range of travel on battery power at a greater speed, thanks to a more efficient, seamless transition between the battery-powered motor and gasoline-driven engine,” he said. “These new hybrids will exceed expectations on all fronts – fuel efficiency, comfort, convenience and overall drivability.”
With the new arrivals, Ford will be the producer of the most fuel-efficient mid-size sedans and SUVs on the planet – and the Fusion Hybrid is expected to be at least 5 mpg better in the city than the Toyota Camry hybrid.
The Ford Hybrid team has developed a powertrain system that combines the best attributes of the gasoline engine and electric battery-driven motors to deliver the optimal experience for the customer in terms of driving performance and fuel economy. Additionally, the propulsion system for the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids transitions between gas and electric power and back more efficiently and seamlessly.
The overall system upgrade allows the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids to operate longer at higher speeds in electric mode. The hybrid vehicles can operate up to 47 mph in pure electric mode, about twice as fast as some competitors. Plus, the city driving range on a single tank of gas is expected to be more than 700 miles.
2010 Ford Fusion Packs a Fuel-Efficient Punch with New Gas Engine, Six-Speed Transmission Lineup
A choice lineup of gas-powered engines will deliver even more horsepower and better fuel economy in the 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan mid-size sedans, which already stand out for their strong reliability and driving dynamics. For 2009, the 2010 model year Fusion and Milan will offer Ford’s all-new Duratec 2.5-liter I-4, producing 175 horsepower; an enhanced 3.0-liter V-6 with 19 more horsepower than its predecessor; and a 3.5-liter V-6 that pumps out 263 horsepower on the Fusion Sport model.
Fusion models equipped with the 2.5-liter I-4 engine are expected to deliver at least 3 mpg better on the highway than the Honda Accord and 2 mpg better than the Toyota Camry. All are paired with six-speed transmissions for up to a 10 percent fuel economy improvement and a host of other industry-first technologies aimed at improving performance while gaining fuel economy.
The 2010 Fusion and Milan are expected to deliver similar fuel economy achievements in the mid-size car segment, helping build upon a stellar quality reputation that includes Best Buy recommendations from several top consumer publications.
Fusion models equipped with the 2.5-liter I-4 engine are expected to deliver at least 3 mpg better on the highway than the Honda Accord and 2 mpg better than the Toyota Camry. All are paired with six-speed transmissions for up to a 10 percent fuel economy improvement and a host of other industry-first technologies aimed at improving performance while gaining fuel economy.
The 2010 Fusion and Milan are expected to deliver similar fuel economy achievements in the mid-size car segment, helping build upon a stellar quality reputation that includes Best Buy recommendations from several top consumer publications.
FUEL ECONOMY LEADERSHIP
* With every new Ford vehicle, we commit to be the best or among the best for fuel economy. By the end of 2010, nearly all of our North American engines will be upgraded or replaced. Within two years, nearly all of our North American lineup will offer fuel-saving six-speed automatic transmissions.
* Innovative technologies and clever engineering solutions already are putting Ford at the head of the pack for fuel economy in vehicles including the 2009 Ford Focus, Escape and Escape Hybrid, Flex and F-150.
* The 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan will be the next products to offer customers a more fuel-efficient powertrain lineup. The all-new Duratec 2.5-liter four cylinder engine is expected to deliver fuel economy that’s at least 3 mpg (hwy) better than Honda Accord and 2 mpg better than Toyota Camry.
* The all-new Fusion and Milan Hybrids are expected to achieve class-leading fuel economy, beating Toyota Camry Hybrid by at least 5 mpg (city). With these new hybrids, Ford will double the size and volume of its hybrid lineup and will be the largest domestic producer of full-hybrid vehicles in North America. Ford also will have the most fuel efficient SUV and mid-size sedan on the road.
* Our EcoBoost technology is slated for a wide range of global vehicles and will benefit millions of customers. It uses gas turbocharged direct-engine technology to deliver up to 20 percent better fuel economy, up to 15 percent fewer CO2 emissions and superior driving performance versus larger-displacement engines.
* The first applications of EcoBoost V-6 engines come next year in the Ford Flex and Lincoln MKS. Four-cylinder EcoBoost engines will debut in 2010 in North America and Europe. We’ll offer EcoBoost on more than 80 percent of our North American lineup by the end of 2012.
* Our sustainability strategy also includes mid- and long-term technologies that will benefit millions of customers without compromising their expectations for fuel economy, quality, safety and performance. For the mid term (2013-2020), we’ll achieve gains by fully implementing solutions and proven technologies that we’re evaluating for high-volume introduction – such as significant weight reductions, high-volume hybrids, plug-in hybrids and a broader application of EcoBoost. Beyond that, we’ll look at volume introductions of emerging alternative solutions such as hydrogen, full-battery electric vehicles and bio fuels.
* Innovative technologies and clever engineering solutions already are putting Ford at the head of the pack for fuel economy in vehicles including the 2009 Ford Focus, Escape and Escape Hybrid, Flex and F-150.
* The 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan will be the next products to offer customers a more fuel-efficient powertrain lineup. The all-new Duratec 2.5-liter four cylinder engine is expected to deliver fuel economy that’s at least 3 mpg (hwy) better than Honda Accord and 2 mpg better than Toyota Camry.
* The all-new Fusion and Milan Hybrids are expected to achieve class-leading fuel economy, beating Toyota Camry Hybrid by at least 5 mpg (city). With these new hybrids, Ford will double the size and volume of its hybrid lineup and will be the largest domestic producer of full-hybrid vehicles in North America. Ford also will have the most fuel efficient SUV and mid-size sedan on the road.
* Our EcoBoost technology is slated for a wide range of global vehicles and will benefit millions of customers. It uses gas turbocharged direct-engine technology to deliver up to 20 percent better fuel economy, up to 15 percent fewer CO2 emissions and superior driving performance versus larger-displacement engines.
* The first applications of EcoBoost V-6 engines come next year in the Ford Flex and Lincoln MKS. Four-cylinder EcoBoost engines will debut in 2010 in North America and Europe. We’ll offer EcoBoost on more than 80 percent of our North American lineup by the end of 2012.
* Our sustainability strategy also includes mid- and long-term technologies that will benefit millions of customers without compromising their expectations for fuel economy, quality, safety and performance. For the mid term (2013-2020), we’ll achieve gains by fully implementing solutions and proven technologies that we’re evaluating for high-volume introduction – such as significant weight reductions, high-volume hybrids, plug-in hybrids and a broader application of EcoBoost. Beyond that, we’ll look at volume introductions of emerging alternative solutions such as hydrogen, full-battery electric vehicles and bio fuels.
Ford's new hybrids go 47 mph on electric power alone
Automotive News | October 30, 2008 - 12:01 am EST
DETROIT -- The hybrid versions of the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans that start production in December should give drivers who like electric cars a nice jolt.
The sedans will be able to reach a top speed of 47 mph on electric power alone -- twice as fast the current Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrid crossovers -- and can travel as far as eight miles on battery power before the gasoline engine engages.
In a preview of the two vehicles today, Ford executives gave reporters a close look at the two vehicles and explained how they work. They also showed a smaller but more powerful battery pack that will cost less than the one now used in the Escape, Mariner and Mazda Tribute crossovers.
These two hybrid sedans may be the most technically sophisticated regular production vehicles Ford Motor Co. has ever made. They feature:
• An electric air conditioning system that keeps the car cool even when the gasoline engine is off
• A multilayered powertrain information system that uses two programmable screens on either side of the speedometer to “coach” the driver on how to get better fuel economy
• A smaller but more powerful nickel-metal hydride battery pack that uses a simpler cooling system than the one Ford developed for its first hybrids, the Escape and Mariner
• A new energy management system that varies the voltage to the electric motor and battery pack for more efficient operation.
Best in class
Nancy Gioia, Ford’s director of sustainable mobility and hybrid programs, said the hybrid versions of the Fusion and Milan will deliver best-in-class fuel economy.
“We are at least 5 mpg better than the Toyota Camry Hybrid in city driving, and we’ll beat Camry on the highway,” she told reporters.
Ford did not give the EPA figures for the Fusion and Milan hybrids, but the EPA rates the Camry at 33 mpg city and 34 highway.
Ford says both cars will be able to travel more than 700 miles in the city on one tank of gasoline. The engine for the Fusion and Milan hybrids is a 155-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder mated to a continuously variable transmission.
When the Fusion and Milan reach full production next year, Ford aims to double its annual output of hybrid vehicles from 25,000 to 50,000. Ford executives would not say how many Fusions and Milans would be built, but the Fusion will make up the majority of production, said J.D. Shanahan, chief engineer for the Fusion and Milan.
Eye on profit
The boost in production coupled with the new battery pack could enable Ford to turn its first profits on hybrids. In the past, Gioia has said the path to profitability for hybrids is to boost volume while reducing the cost of components.
The new battery pack uses 17 percent fewer cells yet is 20 percent more powerful than the batteries in the Escape and Mariner. It also is 23 percent lighter and uses 30 percent less space than the pack now in the Escape and Mariner hybrids. A new cooling system also is less expensive. Instead of using the vehicle’s air conditioner to keep the batteries cool, the new pack uses air from the car’s interior.
Ford also showed other versions of the 2010 Fusion and Milan. A new performance-oriented model of the Fusion, the Sport, will offer a 3.5-liter V-6 engine rated at 263 hp. All versions of the 2010 Fusion and Milan will offer six-speed transmissions.
The four-cylinder entry-level versions will be available with either a six-speed automatic or a six-speed manual. The V-6 versions will come with a six-speed automatic only. Shanahan said all versions would deliver class-leading or class-competitive fuel economy in their segments.
Ford's Smart Gauge
DETROIT -- The hybrid versions of the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans that start production in December should give drivers who like electric cars a nice jolt.
The sedans will be able to reach a top speed of 47 mph on electric power alone -- twice as fast the current Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrid crossovers -- and can travel as far as eight miles on battery power before the gasoline engine engages.
In a preview of the two vehicles today, Ford executives gave reporters a close look at the two vehicles and explained how they work. They also showed a smaller but more powerful battery pack that will cost less than the one now used in the Escape, Mariner and Mazda Tribute crossovers.
These two hybrid sedans may be the most technically sophisticated regular production vehicles Ford Motor Co. has ever made. They feature:
• An electric air conditioning system that keeps the car cool even when the gasoline engine is off
• A multilayered powertrain information system that uses two programmable screens on either side of the speedometer to “coach” the driver on how to get better fuel economy
• A smaller but more powerful nickel-metal hydride battery pack that uses a simpler cooling system than the one Ford developed for its first hybrids, the Escape and Mariner
• A new energy management system that varies the voltage to the electric motor and battery pack for more efficient operation.
Best in class
Nancy Gioia, Ford’s director of sustainable mobility and hybrid programs, said the hybrid versions of the Fusion and Milan will deliver best-in-class fuel economy.
“We are at least 5 mpg better than the Toyota Camry Hybrid in city driving, and we’ll beat Camry on the highway,” she told reporters.
Ford did not give the EPA figures for the Fusion and Milan hybrids, but the EPA rates the Camry at 33 mpg city and 34 highway.
Ford says both cars will be able to travel more than 700 miles in the city on one tank of gasoline. The engine for the Fusion and Milan hybrids is a 155-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder mated to a continuously variable transmission.
When the Fusion and Milan reach full production next year, Ford aims to double its annual output of hybrid vehicles from 25,000 to 50,000. Ford executives would not say how many Fusions and Milans would be built, but the Fusion will make up the majority of production, said J.D. Shanahan, chief engineer for the Fusion and Milan.
Eye on profit
The boost in production coupled with the new battery pack could enable Ford to turn its first profits on hybrids. In the past, Gioia has said the path to profitability for hybrids is to boost volume while reducing the cost of components.
The new battery pack uses 17 percent fewer cells yet is 20 percent more powerful than the batteries in the Escape and Mariner. It also is 23 percent lighter and uses 30 percent less space than the pack now in the Escape and Mariner hybrids. A new cooling system also is less expensive. Instead of using the vehicle’s air conditioner to keep the batteries cool, the new pack uses air from the car’s interior.
Ford also showed other versions of the 2010 Fusion and Milan. A new performance-oriented model of the Fusion, the Sport, will offer a 3.5-liter V-6 engine rated at 263 hp. All versions of the 2010 Fusion and Milan will offer six-speed transmissions.
The four-cylinder entry-level versions will be available with either a six-speed automatic or a six-speed manual. The V-6 versions will come with a six-speed automatic only. Shanahan said all versions would deliver class-leading or class-competitive fuel economy in their segments.
Ford's Smart Gauge
2010 Ford Fusion, Fusion Hybrid Offer Leading Fuel Efficiency, Smart New Technologies
DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 29, 2008: For 2010, the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan will offer Ford's all-new Duratec 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that is expected to deliver at least 3 mpg better on the highway than the Honda Accord and 2 mpg better than the Toyota Camry
Ford's next-generation hybrid system debuts in the new 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids. The more efficient system delivers a more seamless driving experience and is expected to achieve class-leading fuel economy, besting the Toyota Camry hybrid by at least 5 mpg city
Ford's SmartGauge(TM) with EcoGuide is a new instrument cluster execution that gives hybrid owners a more connected, fuel-efficient driving experience by coaching them on how to optimize performance of the 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids
With the Fusion and Milan Hybrids and the Escape and the Mariner Hybrids, Ford has doubled the size and volume of its hybrid lineup, making Ford the largest domestic producer of full hybrid vehicles in North America
Ford Motor Company announced today that the new 2010 Ford Fusion will offer consumers a more fuel-efficient powertrain lineup, including an all-new hybrid model that is expected to achieve class-leading fuel economy.
The new Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrid models also offer owners a more connected driving experience, thanks to SmartGauge with EcoGuide, a unique new instrument cluster execution that helps coach drivers to improve fuel efficiency.
"Offering consumers more fuel-efficient vehicle choices, including maximizing the efficiency of our gasoline-powered engines, improving and increasing our hybrid vehicle offerings and increasing our use of fuel saving technologies such as six-speed transmissions, is part of Ford's plan to deliver technology solutions for affordable fuel economy for millions," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president for Global Product Development.
Improved gas engines
For 2010, Fusion and Milan will offer Ford's all-new Duratec 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 175 horsepower; an enhanced 3.0-liter V-6 with 19 more horsepower than its predecessor; and a 3.5-liter V-6 that pumps out 263 horsepower on the Fusion Sport model.
Fusion models equipped with the 2.5-liter I-4 engine are expected to deliver at least 3 mpg better on the highway than the Honda Accord and 2 mpg better than the Toyota Camry.
All are paired with six-speed transmissions for up to a 10 percent fuel economy improvement and a host of other industry-first technologies aimed at improving performance while gaining fuel economy.
Next-generation hybrid system
Ford's next-generation hybrid propulsion system builds upon the proven success of the Escape and Mariner hybrids, delivering class-leading fuel economy for the all-new 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids that debut later this year.
With the new arrivals, Ford will be the producer of the most fuel-efficient mid-size sedans and SUVs in America -- and the Fusion Hybrid is expected to perform at least 5 mpg better on the highway than the Toyota Camry hybrid.
The overall system upgrade allows the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids to operate longer at higher speeds in electric mode. The hybrid vehicles can operate up to 47 mph in pure electric mode, about twice as fast as some competitors. Plus, the city driving range on a single tank of gas is expected to be more than 700 miles.
"With the new Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids, we are now able to offer even better range of travel on battery power at a greater speed, thanks to a more efficient, seamless transition between the battery-powered motor and gasoline-driven engine," Kuzak said. "These new hybrids will exceed expectations on all fronts -- fuel efficiency, comfort, convenience and overall drivability."
With the addition of the two new hybrid sedans, Ford will be the largest domestic producer of hybrid vehicles in North America. All Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan models will be built at Ford's Hermosillo (Mexico) Stamping and Assembly Plant.
SmartGauge with EcoGuide
Ford's SmartGauge with EcoGuide, an innovative new instrument cluster, provides real-time information to help drivers maximum fuel efficiency.
Ford collaborated with IDEO and Smart Design, two world leaders in helping consumers connect with technology, to develop the instrument cluster. Job One was properly integrating the driver with the cluster's science and technology.
The driver is immediately engaged by the SmartGauge liquid crystal display (LCD) screens, on either side of the center-mounted analog speedometer, with a special greeting that combines illumination and graphics.
EcoGuide then uses a multi-layered approach to coach the driver to maximum fuel efficiency. A tutorial mode is built into the display and helps the driver learn about the instrument cluster and the hybrid in a whimsical way that does not overpower.
For instance, drivers can choose one of four data screens to choose the information level displayed during their drives. They are:
Inform: Fuel level and battery charge status
Enlighten: Adds electric vehicle mode indicator and tachometer
Engage: Adds engine output power and battery output power
Empower: Adds power to wheels, engine pull-up threshold and accessory
power consumption
All levels can show instant fuel economy, fuel economy history, odometer, engine coolant temperature, what gear the car is in and trip data, including trip fuel economy, time-elapsed fuel economy and miles to empty.
Ford's next-generation hybrid system debuts in the new 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids. The more efficient system delivers a more seamless driving experience and is expected to achieve class-leading fuel economy, besting the Toyota Camry hybrid by at least 5 mpg city
Ford's SmartGauge(TM) with EcoGuide is a new instrument cluster execution that gives hybrid owners a more connected, fuel-efficient driving experience by coaching them on how to optimize performance of the 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids
With the Fusion and Milan Hybrids and the Escape and the Mariner Hybrids, Ford has doubled the size and volume of its hybrid lineup, making Ford the largest domestic producer of full hybrid vehicles in North America
Ford Motor Company announced today that the new 2010 Ford Fusion will offer consumers a more fuel-efficient powertrain lineup, including an all-new hybrid model that is expected to achieve class-leading fuel economy.
The new Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrid models also offer owners a more connected driving experience, thanks to SmartGauge with EcoGuide, a unique new instrument cluster execution that helps coach drivers to improve fuel efficiency.
"Offering consumers more fuel-efficient vehicle choices, including maximizing the efficiency of our gasoline-powered engines, improving and increasing our hybrid vehicle offerings and increasing our use of fuel saving technologies such as six-speed transmissions, is part of Ford's plan to deliver technology solutions for affordable fuel economy for millions," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president for Global Product Development.
Improved gas engines
For 2010, Fusion and Milan will offer Ford's all-new Duratec 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 175 horsepower; an enhanced 3.0-liter V-6 with 19 more horsepower than its predecessor; and a 3.5-liter V-6 that pumps out 263 horsepower on the Fusion Sport model.
Fusion models equipped with the 2.5-liter I-4 engine are expected to deliver at least 3 mpg better on the highway than the Honda Accord and 2 mpg better than the Toyota Camry.
All are paired with six-speed transmissions for up to a 10 percent fuel economy improvement and a host of other industry-first technologies aimed at improving performance while gaining fuel economy.
Next-generation hybrid system
Ford's next-generation hybrid propulsion system builds upon the proven success of the Escape and Mariner hybrids, delivering class-leading fuel economy for the all-new 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids that debut later this year.
With the new arrivals, Ford will be the producer of the most fuel-efficient mid-size sedans and SUVs in America -- and the Fusion Hybrid is expected to perform at least 5 mpg better on the highway than the Toyota Camry hybrid.
The overall system upgrade allows the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids to operate longer at higher speeds in electric mode. The hybrid vehicles can operate up to 47 mph in pure electric mode, about twice as fast as some competitors. Plus, the city driving range on a single tank of gas is expected to be more than 700 miles.
"With the new Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids, we are now able to offer even better range of travel on battery power at a greater speed, thanks to a more efficient, seamless transition between the battery-powered motor and gasoline-driven engine," Kuzak said. "These new hybrids will exceed expectations on all fronts -- fuel efficiency, comfort, convenience and overall drivability."
With the addition of the two new hybrid sedans, Ford will be the largest domestic producer of hybrid vehicles in North America. All Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan models will be built at Ford's Hermosillo (Mexico) Stamping and Assembly Plant.
SmartGauge with EcoGuide
Ford's SmartGauge with EcoGuide, an innovative new instrument cluster, provides real-time information to help drivers maximum fuel efficiency.
Ford collaborated with IDEO and Smart Design, two world leaders in helping consumers connect with technology, to develop the instrument cluster. Job One was properly integrating the driver with the cluster's science and technology.
The driver is immediately engaged by the SmartGauge liquid crystal display (LCD) screens, on either side of the center-mounted analog speedometer, with a special greeting that combines illumination and graphics.
EcoGuide then uses a multi-layered approach to coach the driver to maximum fuel efficiency. A tutorial mode is built into the display and helps the driver learn about the instrument cluster and the hybrid in a whimsical way that does not overpower.
For instance, drivers can choose one of four data screens to choose the information level displayed during their drives. They are:
Inform: Fuel level and battery charge status
Enlighten: Adds electric vehicle mode indicator and tachometer
Engage: Adds engine output power and battery output power
Empower: Adds power to wheels, engine pull-up threshold and accessory
power consumption
All levels can show instant fuel economy, fuel economy history, odometer, engine coolant temperature, what gear the car is in and trip data, including trip fuel economy, time-elapsed fuel economy and miles to empty.
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