Ford developing way to make car parts from cash
Filed under: Technology, Ford
Ford is looking to put a new twist on the term "old money." The automaker may add old, shredded, out-of-circulation U.S paper currency to its list of recyclable materials that may be used for cushions, insulation and other components.
With about 10,000 pounds of paper money being shredded per day, Ford is exploring adding it to a list of recyclable or reclaimed materials that includes soybeans, denim and plastic bottles.
Ford has cut its petroleum use by about 5 million pounds a year by using soy-based material for foam that is installed in seat cushions and head restraints. And each Ford Fusion is built with the denim-equivalent of about two pairs of blue jeans that's used for sound-dampening purposes.
Ford started looking into using recycled materials about ten years ago as a way to cut use of petroleum in components that usually require plastic. At that time, oil cost about one-seventh of what it costs now.
In January, the company said it would use recycled plastic bottles from the North American Auto Show in Detroit and the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to create part of the polyester fiber used in the Ford Focus Electric's seats.
Continue reading Ford developing way to make car parts from cash
Ford developing way to make car parts from cash originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsAzure Dynamics files for protection, Transit Connect Electric production halted
Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ford, Earnings/Financials, Electric
Azure Dynamics, which develops electric-drive powertrains for automakers such as Ford, said this week that it will file for financial protection from its creditors under Canadian law and will cancel its plans to sell shares in what may be a precursor to a bankruptcy filing.
Azure is the company that adds the all-electric powertrain to Ford's practical little Transit Connect Electric. For now, no new TCEs will be made. Azure's Mike Elwood told AutoblogGreen that production of the Transit Connect Electric has stopped as a result of the restructuring and that, "While we go through our restructuring there will be no TCE activity until we present an approved plan." We're told that warranty issues for those who have already purchased a Transit Connect Electric will be a part of this plan.
Ford's Wes Sherwood told AutoblogGreen that Azure's filing does not affect Ford's overall EV and green-vehicle strategy. "Our priority is to ensure that Azure's Transit Connect Electric customers continue to have support throughout their ownership experience," he said. "Our Ford electric vehicle product plans remain on track, as part of our commitment to provide customers the power of choice for fuel economy solutions across our lineup - from EcoBoost-powered vehicles and hybrids to plug-in hybrids and full electrics."
Azure Dynamics joins a list of companies that were looking to capitalize on an increase in demand for battery-electric and plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles but have had problems staying afloat. Extended-range plug-in utility vehicle maker Bright Automotive folded last month amid its claims that the federal government took too long to process the $400 million in loans promised to the company, while Fisker Automotive, which makes the extended-range plug-in Karma, has faced questions about its own future and most of the federal government loans earmarked for the company have been delayed.
Continue reading Azure Dynamics files for protection, Transit Connect Electric production halted
Azure Dynamics files for protection, Transit Connect Electric production halted originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsEditors’ Choice: Top Five 2012 Chicago Auto Show Debuts
Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Hatchback, Acura, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Volkswagen, Diesel
The Chicago Auto Show may be the smallest of the North American auto shows we cover (yet largest by square footage, ironically), but year after year, more and more automakers choose to show off some new metal under the lights of McCormick Place. This year saw a total of 18 major reveals (click here to see our full rundown), and while that pales in comparison to last month's Detroit show, there's still a lot of new metal to talk about here in Chicago.
So, of the 18 cars that took the stage in the Windy City, which ones were our favorite? More importantly, which one was the favorite? Follow the jump to see our top five picks for the best 2012 Chicago Auto Show debuts.
Continue reading Editors' Choice: Top Five 2012 Chicago Auto Show Debuts
Editors' Choice: Top Five 2012 Chicago Auto Show Debuts originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord Transit Connect Electric to qualify for $15,000 rebate in California
Filed under: Car Buying, Minivan/Van, Government/Legal, Ford, Electric
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is set to add an additional category to its Hybrid Incentive Voucher Program (HVIP) that awards buyers of zero-emissions light-duty commercial vehicles, including the Ford Transit Connect Electric, a discount of up to $15,000 on their green vehicle purchase.
Starting in November, light-duty zero-emissions commercial vehicles with a GVWR between 5,001 and 8,500 pounds will be eligible for vouchers of up to $15,000 in California. This discount will reportedly be available to all fleets, public or private, that register the zero-emissions vehicles in the state of California. This $15,000 discount, coupled with the federal government's $7,500 tax credit, means that some buyers of the Transit Connect Electric will get a whopping $22,500 off the vehicle's $57,400 price tag.
Vouchers for the light-duty zero-emissions category are valued at $15,000 for a fleet's first vehicle ordered, with $12,000 off all purchases thereafter for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011. Proposed vouchers for Fiscal Year 2012 dip to $12,000 for the first three vehicles, $10,000 for the next 27 purchased, $8,000 for vehicles 31-65 and $6,000 for vehicles 66-100.
Ford Transit Connect Electric to qualify for $15,000 rebate in California originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Oct 2011 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord Transit Connect CNG taxis swing into action across U.S.
Filed under: Minivan/Van, Ford, Specialty
The next time you hail a cab in Southern California, you could be jumping into a vehicle fueled by clean-burning compressed natural gas (CNG). That's because California Yellow Cab of Orange County has become the state's first taxi company to put CNG-fueled Ford Transit Connect vans into service. California Yellow Cab says 10 (and soon more than 120) natural gas Connects are on the roads and ready to pick up passengers in the greater Los Angeles area.
Meanwhile, over in Chicago, Taxi Medallion Management says it has a dozen Ford Transit Connect CNG taxis in service. And in Connecticut, two cab companies are waiting for Ford to fulfill orders for 70 CNG-fueled Transit Connect taxis.
Later on, CNG-fueled Transits will ship out to Las Vegas and St. Louis. Philadelphia is expected to get in on the CNG action, too, once city officials approve natural gas vehicles for taxi duty.
Continue reading Ford Transit Connect CNG taxis swing into action across U.S.
Ford Transit Connect CNG taxis swing into action across U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Sep 2011 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord Focus Electric launch pushed back to Spring 2012
Filed under: Car Buying, Hatchback, Ford, Electric
Want to buy a 2012 Ford Focus Electric when it hits dealer lots in late 2011? You might be out of luck. Unless, that is, you reside in New York or California, as those are reportedly the only two states that are in line to receive retail deliveries of the electrified Focus before the end of 2011.
Spring 2012 is now the official arrival time for the rest of us who live in the initial 19 markets that will get the Focus Electric. Those markets include Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, Raleigh Durham, Richmond, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tucson and Washington, D.C.
David Finnegan, Ford's electrified vehicles marketing manager, is being reported saying:
Heck, even Ford's "Go gas-free" Focus Electric promo ad reads "Coming spring 2012." It doesn't get much more official than that.For the first few months of production, we will be concentrating on California and New York. Our dealers in those areas will be the first to have their retail orders scheduled and receive the Focus Electric. We will be rolling out to the remainder of our initial markets starting in Spring 2012.
Ford Focus Electric launch pushed back to Spring 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsPlug-in hybrid Ford F-Series Super Duty trucks coming in 2013
Filed under: Hybrid, Truck, Technology, Work, Ford, Diesel
Working in collaboration with Ford, Azure's plug-in hybrid technology will debut on the F-550 Super Duty chassis cab in early 2013. This agreement also allows for Azure to perform plug-in hybrid powertrain conversions on all available configurations of Ford's F-350 and F-450 trucks. Azure says that roughly two-thirds of its plug-in hybrid system will be applicable for all Super Duty configurations, with approximately one-third needing to be powertrain-specific (i.e. gasoline or diesel).
Additionally, the Azure-Ford agreement includes a so-called "ship-thru" provision that will allow Azure to sell its converted vehicles through qualified Ford Commercial Truck dealerships in North America. In 2009, Azure struck up a similar deal with Ford for the Transit Connect Electric.
Continue reading Plug-in hybrid Ford F-Series Super Duty trucks coming in 2013
Plug-in hybrid Ford F-Series Super Duty trucks coming in 2013 originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid to get up to 48 mpg city?
Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Ford, Lincoln, Rumormill
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid - Click above for high-res image gallery
While Ford is busy busting its you-know-what to prep its next-gen CD4 vehicles - the Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ here in the States and the Ford Mondeo in other markets - for launch, the team of Blue Oval engineers assigned to development of the updated Fusion Hybrid is reportedly hard at work reducing the gas-electric's fuel consumption.
A report from Ford Inside News suggests that the Fusion Hybrid's revised powertrain, which will most likely feature Ford's fuel-saving e-CVT trans, will bump the vehicle's fuel economy rating all the way up to 47 or 48 miles per gallon city. If true, that would be a healthy increase over the 2011 Fusion Hybrid's 41 mpg city rating, which is already class leading. Since the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid will make use of the same hardware, this means that the gas-electric MKZ is almost sure to have an identical mpg rating.
The next-gen Ford Fusion Hybrid should be launched in early 2012, with the debut of the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid likely pushed back a bit further.
2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid to get up to 48 mpg city? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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