Climate Change and the Environment

At Ford, we have been working for many years to reduce the environmental impacts of our vehicles and operations.

For example, we are doing our part to prevent or reduce the potential for environmental, economic and social harm due to climate change. We have a science-based strategy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from our products and operations that focuses on doing our share to stabilize carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations in the atmosphere. We are on track to meet the central elements of our strategy: For each of our new or significantly refreshed vehicles, we will continue to offer a powertrain with leading fuel economy, and we are reducing GHG emissions across our global product portfolio.

We’re delivering on this commitment in our Asia Pacific Africa (APA) region by introducing small cars, fuel-efficient gasoline engines and alternative-fueled vehicles. In China, we have announced that Ford will bring 20 new engines and transmissions to the country and improve fuel economy by up to 20 percent (compared to 2010) by 2015.

In Asia Pacific Africa, we are launching more vehicles equipped with the EcoBoost® engine in response to growing consumer demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles. We will offer EcoBoost engines in 20 vehicles in Asia Pacific Africa by mid-decade, a five-fold increase from 2012. In 2013, EcoBoost was available in 10 vehicles in the region. The 1.0L I-3 EcoBoost was introduced in the region for the first time on the Ford Fiesta, available in Australia, China, New Zealand, Taiwan and ASEAN, and on the Ford EcoSport, available in Australia, China, India and New Zealand. Also in 2013, the 1.5L I-4 EcoBoost was available on the new Mondeo in China, making it the first vehicle at Ford to include the newly introduced 1.5L EcoBoost engine. We also offer the 1.6L and 2.0L I-4 EcoBoost variants on the Edge, Kuga, Mondeo, Falcon, Focus ST and Fiesta ST. In March 2014, Ford’s joint venture, Changan Ford Automobile Co., Ltd. (CAF), began producing 1.0L EcoBoost engines at a new engine plant in Chongqing to power the Ford Fiesta and EcoSport vehicles built for China.

The fuel-efficient EcoBoost engines are being well received by our customers in the Asia Pacific Africa region. In 2013, sales of EcoBoost-equipped vehicles in the region rose by 250 percent compared to 2012. Seventy-seven percent of the Ford Mondeos and 90 percent of the Ford Edges sold in China are equipped with EcoBoost engines.

In China, Ford will upgrade its entire powertrain portfolio with 20 advanced engines and transmissions to support its aggressive plan to introduce 15 new vehicles to China by mid-decade. These advanced, fuel-efficient technologies – including turbocharging, direct injection, twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT) and six-speed transmissions – will deliver more than a 20 percent improvement in fuel economy to Ford’s passenger vehicle fleet in China by 2015, which represents a key part of Ford’s near-term sustainability goals in China.

In India, we are also continuing to introduce vehicles with excellent fuel economy. In 2013, we introduced the all-new Ford EcoSport with a 1.0L EcoBoost, the first vehicle in India to have this technology. We also continue to offer the Ford Fiesta – powered by TDCi diesel powertrain developed for India – that delivers class-leading fuel economy and reduced CO₂ emissions. This builds on fuel economy leadership established with the Ford Figo, launched in March 2010, which has two engine options: a best-in-class, fuel-efficient 1.4L TDCi diesel and a very competitive 1.2L gasoline engine. In Australia, we introduced the 1.0L EcoBoost on the Fiesta and all-new EcoSport. We also offer EcoBoost versions of the Ford Mondeo, Falcon, Fiesta ST, Focus ST and Kuga. Also in Australia, we offer our EcoLPi liquid-injection liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) system for the Falcon, providing customers with the most advanced LPG technology on the market. The Falcon EcoLPi fuel system improves fuel economy by 12 to 15 percent, while also improving power by approximately 27 percent over the prior LPG Falcon model.

As a technology leader in biofuels, Ford will continue to develop and introduce flex-fuel vehicles that meet market needs throughout the APA region. All current Ford models are compatible with ethanol blends of 10 percent (E10), with the Ford Focus and Ford Escape compatible with ethanol blends of 20 percent (E20).

We are also addressing non-CO₂ tailpipe emissions in the region. Since 2010, our new gasoline-fueled passenger vehicles have been designed to comply with China IV requirements (based on Euro 4 standards). China began implementing more recent European standards (Euro 5) in Beijing in 2013. Korea and Taiwan have adopted very stringent U.S.-based standards for gasoline vehicles and European-based standards for diesel vehicles. Japan, which has unique standards and test procedures, began implementing more stringent standards in 2009. Ford is working to comply with all of these standards using a variety of approaches, including on-board diagnostics and after-treatment technologies.

In terms of facility-based emissions, we monitor greenhouse gas emissions at our plants, and we were the first automaker in China to voluntarily report greenhouse gas emissions at our plants. In 2013, Ford became the first automaker to join the voluntary Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program in India, a joint effort between the World Resources Institute, The Energy and Resources Institute and the Confederation of Indian Industry. One way we’re reducing greenhouse gas emissions is by bringing new technology into the plants, such as the “3-Wet High Solids” paint process, which allows multiple coats of paint to be applied without having to bake each one dry first. This saves an enormous amount of energy in the drying process, reduces CO₂ emissions and cuts the amount of waste chemicals produced. The Chongqing 2 Plant, Jiangling Motor Corporation Xiaolan Plant, India Chennai Plant and Ford Motor Thailand Plants used this and other initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint of their manufacturing. Ford’s upcoming new integrated facility in Sanand, Gujarat, in northwest India will employ the most efficient and environmentally friendly technologies, including Ford’s rotational dip technology and the 3-Wet process, dramatically improving paint quality, depth and durability, as well as significantly reducing volatile organic compound emissions, CO₂ emissions and waste.

For a discussion of our global climate change impacts, policies and commitments, please see the Climate Change and Environment section.