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Questions and Answers hitting the car market?

Q: What are the biggest green issues hitting the car market?

A: Historically, the green issue concerned air quality. The automotive industry has addressed this issue with huge improvements have been made. It now takes about 100 modern cars to generate the same air quality-related emissions as a car from 20 years ago would produce. Today, however, the emphasis is very much on CO2. Road Transport globally accounts for about 10-per-cent of global CO2 emissions. While we are a major part of the climate change issue, we are not the only part.

Q: What is being done to combat CO2 emissions?

A: Over the next few years you will see a whole range of new technologies in response to this CO2 challenge-high blend bio-fuel-compatible products, small-engined turbo vehicles, clever use of design and materials to reduce weight, increased numbers of gears on family cars, stop-start technology and alliances with the oil companies to optimise engine and transmission lubricants. However, the success of these initiatives or technologies ultimately depends on consumers’ willingness to pay. Technology that might cost the manufacturer £300 could save the consumer £500 in fuel over the vehicle’s 14-year life. But the customer might only be willing to part with their cash in the region of £100 for this technology. Making these technologies successful will be a real commercial challenge.

Q: What changes are already being implemented?

A: Ford has already taken many actions to address CO2 that are in practice today. At the Dagenham - Diesel-Centre, state of the art diesel is produced and a range of products that achieve the long-term EU CO2 targets of 120g per kilometre.

Q: Why does Ford believe environmental innovation is so crucial for motoring?

A: Ford accepts climate change is a reality. We accept the science that says climate change is caused by increasing levels of CO2 created by the consumption of fossil fuels. We stopped discussing this internally some time ago. There may be tensions in society as to whether the issue is real and what we are going to do about it, but at Ford it is thought eventually society will have to take action. This action will, at first, probably be driven by governmental pressure. Market change is being driven by government action or by society acknowledgement to be CO2 responsible. Ford needs to be ahead of the game to ensure consumer commercial survival.

Q: What can motorists do to be greener?

A: There are many aspects to become green conscious, but probably the most relevant is CO2 emissions. There is a range of things consumers can do to cut CO2 produced whilst driving in their daily lives. But in principal it’s about what they buy, how it is used and what is used to fill it with. What vehicle are bought will have a major impact on CO2, but driving in the appropriate gear and using greener fuel such as bio-fuels can also make a difference.