Ford said the engineering R&D program, which effectively doubles the rate of the automaker’s environmental spending, would help safeguard the jobs of 9,500 engineers at its UK R&D centers.
The initiative has been projected to deliver over 100 vehicle models that offer improved emissions or fuel economy performance, and is part of a broad strategy that will deliver an extensive list and variety of technologies, including lightweight cars, hybrid electric motors and biofuel vehicles.
Climate change is one of the most fundamental challenges for our society, our industry and our company. The scale of the challenge requires a change in mindset, said Lewis Booth, chairman and chief executive of Ford of Europe and Premier Automotive Group.
One of the company’s goals will be to enable its popular Focus car to drive 70 miles on a UK gallon of fuel and emit less than 100 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer driven.
