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Ford Motor Company’s $11.5 billion investment in electrification through 2022 and its strategy for electrifying iconic vehicles like Mustang, F-150 and Transit is already paying off, said Ken Washington, Ford chief technology officer, at a recent virtual discussion on technology-enabled sustainability hosted by Reuters.
“These nameplates are known successes in the market and we know our customers are going to love the electrified versions of these products,” said Washington. “This will allow us to leverage what they’ve come to expect about these iconic vehicles – like power, torque, responsiveness and performance.”
Ford is playing to its strengths by offering hybrid versions of SUVs like Explorer and Escape, as the approach allows the company to leverage its scale in well-established models. As demand for electric vehicles grows, that advantage will set Ford apart from the rest of the industry and allow customers to move toward electrification, Washington added.
“We know from early signs that this strategy is working,” he said. “This approach is really going to generate heightened perceptions of Ford’s commitment to electrification versus our industry peers.”
Washington also talked about how the push into electrification brings additional capability that wouldn’t be possible in a gas-powered vehicle, such as the onboard generator available in the F-150 hybrid and upcoming all-electric F-150.
He predicted “unprecedented levels of market acceptance” of battery electric vehicles and hundreds of new competitor vehicles within the next decade – including more than 350 in China and more than 100 in the U.S. by 2025. “It’s critically important for Ford to have a strategy that breaks through the clutter of the large number of nameplates that are going to be introduced to the market,” said Washington.
Ford continues sustainability leadership
Washington also touched on Ford’s long history of sustainable initiatives, including its use of soy foam in vehicle seating. The automaker is realizing founder Henry Ford’s “farm to car” vision of experimentation with biomaterials such as tomato seeds and fibers, using them to create bio-based plastics, which in turn reduce the use of fossil fuels.
Updates to Ford’s sustainability strategy made last year include goals like achieving zero air emissions, reaching 100 percent renewable carbon-free energy to power company facilities, sending zero waste to landfill, the use of fresh water only for human consumption, and using only recycled and renewable plastics in vehicles.
Washington reiterated Ford’s aspiration to become carbon neutral globally by 2050, and highlighted the fact that Ford is the only U.S. automaker to commit to reduce emissions in line with the Paris Climate Agreement and to stand with California in reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. Ford is also the only U.S. automaker on CDP’s recently announced Climate Change “A-List.”
“We also hear a lot about new ways to manufacture and bring new materials into our products,” said Washington. “But none of that matters if we don’t take care of this planet and we’re not paying attention to sustainability and clean energy.”
Washington was one of more than 40 speakers at Momentum, Reuters’ virtual forum for the global technology community to discuss the role of technology in building a better society and advanced economy. He participated in a question-and-answer session with Florian Schattenmann, chief technology officer and vice president of innovation and research and development for Cargill, as well as Joy Tan, senior vice president of public affairs for Huawei Technologies USA.
“These nameplates are known successes in the market and we know our customers are going to love the electrified versions of these products,” said Washington. “This will allow us to leverage what they’ve come to expect about these iconic vehicles – like power, torque, responsiveness and performance.”
Ford is playing to its strengths by offering hybrid versions of SUVs like Explorer and Escape, as the approach allows the company to leverage its scale in well-established models. As demand for electric vehicles grows, that advantage will set Ford apart from the rest of the industry and allow customers to move toward electrification, Washington added.
“We know from early signs that this strategy is working,” he said. “This approach is really going to generate heightened perceptions of Ford’s commitment to electrification versus our industry peers.”
Washington also talked about how the push into electrification brings additional capability that wouldn’t be possible in a gas-powered vehicle, such as the onboard generator available in the F-150 hybrid and upcoming all-electric F-150.
He predicted “unprecedented levels of market acceptance” of battery electric vehicles and hundreds of new competitor vehicles within the next decade – including more than 350 in China and more than 100 in the U.S. by 2025. “It’s critically important for Ford to have a strategy that breaks through the clutter of the large number of nameplates that are going to be introduced to the market,” said Washington.
Ford continues sustainability leadership
Washington also touched on Ford’s long history of sustainable initiatives, including its use of soy foam in vehicle seating. The automaker is realizing founder Henry Ford’s “farm to car” vision of experimentation with biomaterials such as tomato seeds and fibers, using them to create bio-based plastics, which in turn reduce the use of fossil fuels.
Updates to Ford’s sustainability strategy made last year include goals like achieving zero air emissions, reaching 100 percent renewable carbon-free energy to power company facilities, sending zero waste to landfill, the use of fresh water only for human consumption, and using only recycled and renewable plastics in vehicles.
Washington reiterated Ford’s aspiration to become carbon neutral globally by 2050, and highlighted the fact that Ford is the only U.S. automaker to commit to reduce emissions in line with the Paris Climate Agreement and to stand with California in reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. Ford is also the only U.S. automaker on CDP’s recently announced Climate Change “A-List.”
“We also hear a lot about new ways to manufacture and bring new materials into our products,” said Washington. “But none of that matters if we don’t take care of this planet and we’re not paying attention to sustainability and clean energy.”
Washington was one of more than 40 speakers at Momentum, Reuters’ virtual forum for the global technology community to discuss the role of technology in building a better society and advanced economy. He participated in a question-and-answer session with Florian Schattenmann, chief technology officer and vice president of innovation and research and development for Cargill, as well as Joy Tan, senior vice president of public affairs for Huawei Technologies USA.
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