xcel
12-14-2006, 10:32 PM
Fuel efficiency, quality and safety are their top purchase priorities. (http://media.ford.com/newsroom/feature_display.cfm?release=24359)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2008_Ford_Explorer_FCV.jpgJon Hewett - Ford Communications - Dec. 13, 2006
Ford unveiled an all-new fuel cell powered Explorer that can travel 350 miles on a single fill-up, more than any fuel cell vehicle on the road at the 2006 Los Angeles Auto Show.
DEARBORN - Consumers, looking for "greener" choices when they purchase a new car or truck, count fuel efficiency among the top three purchase motivators.
And while after 100 years of service and refinement the gasoline-powered engine is still consumer's top choice, automakers are testing the market with vehicles powered by just about every new fuel alternative there is. At the recent Los Angeles Auto Show, for example, Ford, General Motors and BMW each unveiled vehicles that run on hydrogen, while other companies, including DaimlerChrysler and Volkswagen, promoted vehicles powered by E85 ethanol, electric-gas hybrid engines, biodiesel, natural gas and low-sulfur - or "clean" - diesel fuel.
"Consumers are speaking loud and clear," said Mark Fields, Ford president, The Americas. "They're telling us that the social and environmental trade-offs associated with automobiles are increasingly unacceptable."
According to internal Ford research, the percentage of Americans who say they are "very concerned" about the environment is approaching 70 percent, up nearly 10 points in the past five years. Fuel efficiency, quality and safety are their top purchase priorities.
"They want cleaner, safer and more efficient vehicles that don't compromise on function or value, while lessening America's dependence on foreign oil," Fields said.
It is a sentiment echoed in a report released last week by the U.S. Department of Energy, which predicts the sale of flex-fuel vehicles - those that can run on gasoline and ethanol - could reach 2 million units annually by 2030, with about the same number of hybrid gas-electric vehicles sold.
Including diesel vehicles and those running on unconventional technology, such as hydrogen or fuel cells, the DOE sees alternative-fuel-powered vehicles accounting for nearly 30 percent of light-duty vehicle sales in 2030, compared with more than 8 percent today.
The trick will be to determine which fuel holds the most promise for future motorists.
"Like every other major automaker, Ford is not betting on a single technology to replace gasoline engines," writes Sebastain Blanco, editor-in-chief of AutoblogGreen.com, in an article for Ford's "Bold Moves" Web site, www.fordboldmoves.com. "It's pretty clear that hybrids and biofuels are bridge technologies, something greener than gasoline to get us to a future of either hydrogen fuel cell or pure electric cars, or both."
"We believe hydrogen may become a viable motor fuel in the long term," said Gerhard Schmidt, vice president, Research & Advanced Engineering.
In its latest attempt to raise the bar in the hydrogen fuel cell race, Ford unveiled an all-new fuel cell-powered Explorer prototype in Los Angeles that can travel 350 miles on a single fill-up, more than any fuel-cell vehicle on the road.
The vehicle, a prototype built for the D.O.E., has a center-mounted hydrogen tank as well as space for six people and their cargo. Ford has logged more than 17,000 miles testing the Explorer, including over 1,500 miles during one 24-hour period, which Ford called a record for any fuel-cell vehicle.
"With these technology demonstration vehicles, Ford continues to lead the way in the development of hydrogen technology," said Schmidt.
Ford currently has a fleet of 30 hydrogen-powered Focus fuel-cell vehicles on the road as part of a worldwide, seven-city effort to conduct real-world testing of fuel-cell technology.
The company also recently delivered the first in a series of hydrogen internal combustion engine powered E-450 shuttle buses on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario.
Still, major obstacles remain to the mass-adoption of hydrogen-powered vehicles, including the cost of developing fuel and the service station infrastructure needed to support demand.
"Integrating these new technologies into a system is major progress," Milliken said. "There are likely to be more incentives down the road as we get closer to achieving our targets," she said.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2008_Ford_Explorer_FCV.jpgJon Hewett - Ford Communications - Dec. 13, 2006
Ford unveiled an all-new fuel cell powered Explorer that can travel 350 miles on a single fill-up, more than any fuel cell vehicle on the road at the 2006 Los Angeles Auto Show.
DEARBORN - Consumers, looking for "greener" choices when they purchase a new car or truck, count fuel efficiency among the top three purchase motivators.
And while after 100 years of service and refinement the gasoline-powered engine is still consumer's top choice, automakers are testing the market with vehicles powered by just about every new fuel alternative there is. At the recent Los Angeles Auto Show, for example, Ford, General Motors and BMW each unveiled vehicles that run on hydrogen, while other companies, including DaimlerChrysler and Volkswagen, promoted vehicles powered by E85 ethanol, electric-gas hybrid engines, biodiesel, natural gas and low-sulfur - or "clean" - diesel fuel.
"Consumers are speaking loud and clear," said Mark Fields, Ford president, The Americas. "They're telling us that the social and environmental trade-offs associated with automobiles are increasingly unacceptable."
According to internal Ford research, the percentage of Americans who say they are "very concerned" about the environment is approaching 70 percent, up nearly 10 points in the past five years. Fuel efficiency, quality and safety are their top purchase priorities.
"They want cleaner, safer and more efficient vehicles that don't compromise on function or value, while lessening America's dependence on foreign oil," Fields said.
It is a sentiment echoed in a report released last week by the U.S. Department of Energy, which predicts the sale of flex-fuel vehicles - those that can run on gasoline and ethanol - could reach 2 million units annually by 2030, with about the same number of hybrid gas-electric vehicles sold.
Including diesel vehicles and those running on unconventional technology, such as hydrogen or fuel cells, the DOE sees alternative-fuel-powered vehicles accounting for nearly 30 percent of light-duty vehicle sales in 2030, compared with more than 8 percent today.
The trick will be to determine which fuel holds the most promise for future motorists.
"Like every other major automaker, Ford is not betting on a single technology to replace gasoline engines," writes Sebastain Blanco, editor-in-chief of AutoblogGreen.com, in an article for Ford's "Bold Moves" Web site, www.fordboldmoves.com. "It's pretty clear that hybrids and biofuels are bridge technologies, something greener than gasoline to get us to a future of either hydrogen fuel cell or pure electric cars, or both."
"We believe hydrogen may become a viable motor fuel in the long term," said Gerhard Schmidt, vice president, Research & Advanced Engineering.
In its latest attempt to raise the bar in the hydrogen fuel cell race, Ford unveiled an all-new fuel cell-powered Explorer prototype in Los Angeles that can travel 350 miles on a single fill-up, more than any fuel-cell vehicle on the road.
The vehicle, a prototype built for the D.O.E., has a center-mounted hydrogen tank as well as space for six people and their cargo. Ford has logged more than 17,000 miles testing the Explorer, including over 1,500 miles during one 24-hour period, which Ford called a record for any fuel-cell vehicle.
"With these technology demonstration vehicles, Ford continues to lead the way in the development of hydrogen technology," said Schmidt.
Ford currently has a fleet of 30 hydrogen-powered Focus fuel-cell vehicles on the road as part of a worldwide, seven-city effort to conduct real-world testing of fuel-cell technology.
The company also recently delivered the first in a series of hydrogen internal combustion engine powered E-450 shuttle buses on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario.
Still, major obstacles remain to the mass-adoption of hydrogen-powered vehicles, including the cost of developing fuel and the service station infrastructure needed to support demand.
"Integrating these new technologies into a system is major progress," Milliken said. "There are likely to be more incentives down the road as we get closer to achieving our targets," she said.