Ford: Fuel Economy to Improve 20% by 2010 MY
In addition to fuel economy improvements, Ford this week rolled out its entire 2010 model year lineup for North America and announced plans for 30 new powertrain actions globally-22 in North America alone-by the end of 2010.
Ford Motor Company says for the 2010 model year it is delivering its "freshest lineup ever" with a series of new, high-quality, fuel-efficient cars and crossovers and an unprecedented investment in advanced new powertrains.
This week Ford rolled out its entire 2010 model year Ford, Lincoln and Mercury lineup for North America and announced plans for 30 new powertrain actions globally-22 in North America alone-by the end of 2010.
"We are creating a full lineup of Ford vehicles-small, medium and large cars, utilities and trucks-that are best-in-class in fuel efficiency, quality, technology and safety and available to consumers with exceptional value," said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Global Product Development. "We are making fuel economy a reason to buy a Ford, and we are distinguishing ourselves as leaders in connectivity and unique consumer-friendly technologies-many of which are appearing in our 2010-model lineup for the first time ever."
The unprecedented number of new vehicle introductions for the 2010 model year includes:
2010 Ford Taurus and Taurus SHO
2010 Ford Fusion and Fusion Hybrid
2010 Ford Mustang and Shelby GT500
2010 Ford Flex with EcoBoost
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
2010 Ford Transit Connect
2010 Lincoln MKT and MKT with EcoBoost
2010 Lincoln MKZ
2010 Lincoln MKS with EcoBoost
2010 Mercury Milan and Milan Hybrid
Plus, Ford is delivering vehicles with even greater levels of interior comfort as well as more new convenience and safety technologies than competitors offer-even in premium sedans. These new technologies include:
New SYNC® applications with Traffic, Directions & Information delivered through customers' Bluetooth-capable mobile phones
Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®), which alerts drivers when obstacles are in their blind spot
Automatic Park Assist, which guides vehicles into parallel parking spaces, hands-free
[PAGEBREAK]
Fuel efficiency improves with more new powertrains
Ford also is making an unprecedented investment in new engine, transmission and driveline components, helping the company improve its average U.S. vehicle fuel economy by approximately 20 percent fleet-wide through the end of 2010 versus 2005-with plans to increase car and truck fuel economy by more than 35 percent by 2015, thanks to powertrain advancements.
Additional improvements include:
A new 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine will go on sale in the 2010 calendar year. It is the first EcoBoost engine to include Twin-Independent Variable Cam Timing (Ti-VCT) and will deliver a 10 to 20 percent fuel economy improvement versus larger-displacement V-6 engines, without compromising performance
A 6.2-liter V-8-producing approximately 400 horsepower-first appears in the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor on sale later this year
A 3.7-liter V-6 iVCT, producing 274-horsepower, and helping the Lincoln MKT achieve best-in-class fuel economy
A 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6-Ford's first EcoBoost engine, featuring better fuel economy than V-8 competitors-is offered in the Taurus SHO this model year with 365 horsepower and 350 ft.-lb. of torque; EcoBoost engines in Flex, Lincoln MKS and MKT deliver 355 horsepower and 350 ft.-lb. of torque
A 3.0-liter V-6 iVCT-featuring an industry-first Cam Torque-Actuated Variable Intake Cam Timing system that improves low-end torque and delivers better fuel economy-is available on the Fusion, Milan, Escape and Mariner later this model year
"We are absolutely committed to delivering new products with the best fuel economy in every segment in which we compete-driven in large part by substantial advancements in powertrain technology," said Barb Samardzich, vice president, Ford Global Powertrain Engineering.
In addition to an aggressive electrification strategy-which will result in at least four electrified vehicles on the road in the U.S. by 2012, including full battery electric vehicles, new hybrids and a plug-in hybrid-Ford is improving gasoline engines across all products in high volumes.
The foundation for Ford's plan is its new EcoBoost engine. EcoBoost is a new high-volume, affordable engine technology slated for a range of global vehicles-from small cars to large trucks. It uses gasoline turbocharged direct-injection technology for up to 20 percent better fuel economy, 15 percent fewer CO2 emissions and superior performance versus larger-displacement engines.
EcoBoost is arriving for the 2010 model year on the Ford Flex, Taurus SHO, Lincoln MKS and MKT. By 2012, the company plans to produce 750,000 EcoBoost units annually in the U.S. and 1.3 million globally. By 2013, Ford will offer EcoBoost engines in 90 percent of its product lineup.
For the 2010 model year, Ford also is offering two new hybrids. The Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan Hybrids deliver 41 mpg in the city-8 mpg better than Toyota Camry Hybrid-making them the most fuel-efficient midsize sedans in America.
Ford Quality and customer satisfaction now #1
Customers and third-party experts alike are noticing Ford's product, fuel economy and quality.
For the first time in the 28-year history of the Global Quality Research System (GQRS) study, customer satisfaction with Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles has reached its highest level in North America-and now equals Toyota.
In addition, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles had the lowest number of "things gone wrong" among all automakers-putting Ford in a statistical tie with Toyota for initial quality and ahead of Honda.
[PAGEBREAK]
"Ford's total focus on quality and customer satisfaction throughout the design and manufacturing process is paying off, and customers are noticing," said Mark Fields, Ford's president, The Americas.
"This is a major milestone, but we are not satisfied," he added. "For Ford, our plan is continuous improvement year after year."
The GQRS study is conducted for Ford on a quarterly basis by Bloomfield Hills, Mich.,-based RDA Group. New vehicle owners are asked to report defects or issues as well as rate satisfaction with vehicle quality on a scale of 1 to 10 across an array of vehicle systems and features.
Strong new products attracting new customers
Internal and external studies show a positive trend in the percentage of consumers with favorable opinions about Ford and growing numbers of consumers who are willing to consider purchasing a Ford product, thanks to improved fuel economy, smart technology and higher residual values.
Among Ford's recent accomplishments in the marketplace:
Ford's retail market share has improved in the U.S. for eight of the past nine months. Meanwhile, Ford of Canada became the No. 1-selling brand in June, achieving its eighth straight month of market share gains.
The Ford brand just posted all-time highs in favorable opinion and purchase consideration, based on customer tracking. Favorable opinion of the Ford brand, for example, has risen 17 percent this year alone, with consideration up 13 percent - driven by customer response to new products.
In the second quarter, Ford average vehicle transaction prices increased at a rate more than double the industry average, reflecting greater customer investments in higher vehicle series and optional features.
Ford's vehicle residual values are projected to be higher than domestic competitors' and are closing the gap on the imports, according to Automotive Leasing Guide. The improvements mean Ford customers will see greater values at trade-in time.
Vehicles such as the 2010 Fusion Hybrid are bringing new customers to Ford at unprecedented rates. Approximately 54 percent of Fusion Hybrid buyers did not previously own Fords, and 66 percent of Fusion Hybrid owners are coming out of foreign vehicles. Similarly, Ford Flex is drawing nearly 50 percent new buyers to the Blue Oval, more than one-fifth of them from imports.
The Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands all showed significant improvement in the 2009 J.D. Power APEAL study, which measures customer satisfaction in design, content and vehicle performance. The Ford F-150 and Flex were singled out for awards in their segments.
Merrill Lynch's closely watched "Car Wars" study concluded that Ford is expected to have the highest vehicle replacement rate among full-line manufacturers between the 2010 and 2013 model years. Ford's average product freshness is expected to improve substantially - particularly compared to rivals - positioning the company to win even more new customers.
"Customers are recognizing that Ford is delivering exceptional quality, fuel efficiency, smart technology and better value," said Fields. "We're delighted to see more and more new customers putting their trust in Ford and encouraging others to do the same."
More Green Fleet

Inspiration Mobility Acquires Key Electrada Assets
Inspiration Mobility Group has acquired select assets of Electrada, adding the fleet electrification provider's team, technology, and charging infrastructure development capabilities to its energy management business.
Read More →
Turning Connected Vehicle Data Into Decisions That Matter
Fleet leaders have more data than ever, but turning that data into clear, actionable decisions remains a challenge. This white paper shows how leading organizations are using connected vehicle data to improve safety, reduce costs, and optimize fleet performance. Learn how to turn insight into action across your fleet.
Read More →Are You Tracking Your Fleet's True Total Cost of Ownership?
Bobit Business Media surveyed 190 fleet professionals and found that while most fleets are tracking costs, fragmented systems and data gaps are keeping true TCO visibility out of reach. With rising pressure to control spend in an increasingly volatile environment, the gap between what fleets think they know and what the data actually shows is wider than you might expect. See how your peers are managing costs today and where the industry still has room to improve.
Read More →
Hybrids: Electrification Without the Challenges
For fleet managers, fuel is one of the biggest line items in the budget — and it's one hybrids can shrink without changing how your people work. Download the eBook to see the numbers, understand the technology, and get a step-by-step guide to making the switch.
Read More →
Startup ZMD Motors Developing Electric Conversion for Ram 5500 Work Trucks
Detroit-based company says it has begun early development of a system to convert internal combustion Ram 5500 chassis-cab trucks to electric power.
Read More →
U.S. EV Adoption Is Climbing, but Commercial and Passenger Markets Diverge
New industry group data revealed that light-duty electric vehicle sales are hitting record market share and volumes, while commercial EV volume dipped. What’s driving the fluctuations?
Read More →
How To Upfit Electric Work Trucks and Vans
The biggest challenge lies in balancing additional equipment and accessories with EV battery capacity and range.
Read More →
How Fleets Can Adjust Approaches To EV Adoption
With the expiration of federal incentives, EV success now hinges less on government policy and more on discounts, battery tech progress, increased range, and broader infrastructure.
Read More →
Despite World Troubles, Forward Thinking Guides Fleets
Fleet operators shared their challenges during an annual conference that embraced the latest advances across all aspects of running private- and public-sector vehicles.
Read More →
GM Energy Details Partnerships and Targets for Public Charging Build-Out
EVgo, Pilot, ChargePoint and IONNA named; goal is 35k GM-invested DC stalls by 2030, with customer-experience upgrades at sites.
Read More →