DEARBORN, MI – Twist gas caps eventually will be eliminated on Ford Motor Co. vehicles, according to the Detroit Free Press. Mark Fields, Ford’s president of the Americas, told the Center for Automotive Research’s 40th annual Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City that the “capless fuel filling will make its way throughout our lineup going forward, and it’s the direct result of listening to our customers, as we know that even small innovations deliver big customer benefits,” Fields said, as quoted in the Detroit Free Press. Ford first offered the capless fuel filler on the 2005 Ford GT, a small-selling $137,000 high-performance car. And, now the feature will appear on the new Lincoln MKS full-size sedan, slated to hit showrooms in 2008. The feature works when the nozzle of a conventional gas pump is put into the fuel filler point, and it pushes on two tabs that open a spring-loaded metal flap. That allows the pump to sit in the tube that delivers gas to the tank, just as a pump does after the cap is unscrewed. After the nozzle is removed, the spring-loaded door seals the pathway shut. The system eliminates the possibility of losing the gas cap. That can help protect the environment by preventing gas fumes from escaping into the air if the cap is lost or broken. Also, in addition to making it easier to fill up, the capless system opens up more design possibilities because space for a cap isn’t needed, the report said.