Latest News
Ford is to invest £1bn in its UK facilities to help develop greener cars.
At a press conference this morning, the company confirmed that it is embarking on a push towards more environmentally-friendly vehicles, and that 9500 engineers at three UK locations will lead the charge.
Ford's target is to build a Focus model within the next five years that can return 70mpg with less than 100g/km of CO2 emissions (the Toyota Prius is 109g/km). But Ford of Europe executive vice-president Lewis Booth said that over 100 models would be affected across Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo.
Richard Parry-Jones, Ford's Chief Technical Officer, said the potential gains were huge. "When these actions take effect the annual net saving in CO2 emissions will be the same as a city the size of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne," he said.
Booth stated that diesel, petrol and flexifuel and hybrid vehicles will be considered, and that two-clutch, two-pedal transmissions will be used - but little mention was made of hydrogen-powered cars. Ford is also to introduce more devices that encourage an eco-friendly driving style, including an 'economy display' like the Prius and the ability for drivers to select more eco-friendly modes, much like the Terrain Response Control on Land Rovers.
Your Say
News archive
Today's hottest stories
Join the debate
Our Say
Autocar's team blogs.
Your Say
Join the debate in our forums.