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Ford to get green, Nanjing plant may be model

By Cai Hong (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-05-25 08:02

Ford, the only major US automaker not on federal aid, is ambitious and aggressive with its green plans. [Agencies]

Ford Motor Corp said it is prepared for the new national tailpipe emissions requirements that US President Barack Obama recently announced.

"Ford is ready to live up to the high standards," said Kenneth Hsu, Ford's global communications manager.

The nationwide standards will force automakers to dramatically boost fuel efficiency (all vehicles must be able to average 35 miles per gallon) by 2016.

The new regulations will go into effect for 2012 models, with slightly lower efficiency standards, which will be raised each year until 2016.

Ford, the only major US automaker not on federal aid, is ambitious and aggressive with its green plans.

Its factory in Brook Park, Ohio, is now producing a new line of fuel-efficient EcoBoost engines that will be standard on the Ford Taurus SHO and operational on the Lincoln MKS and MKT and on Ford Flex cars.

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"The EcoBoost engines will be installed on more than 90 percent of Ford vehicles sold in the US by the year 2013," Hsu said.

Ford said its 3.5-liter, V-6 EcoBoost engine can achieve 20 percent better fuel economy and 15 percent lower carbon dioxide emissions without sacrificing any power.

The auto giant is also retooling its aging truck plant in Wayne County, Michigan to build an all-electric vehicle based on a redesigned Ford Focus sedan.

"We are modernizing our Wayne factory complex on the new state-of-art manufacturing plant in Nanjing, China," said Hsu.

Ford launched its China joint venture, Changan Ford Mazda Automobile in Nanjing, Jiangsu province in 2004. The plant produces small-car models for both the Ford and Mazda brands.

Highly flexible, automated production lines and an advanced environmentally-friendly paint process at the Nanjing plant will be available for the Wayne factory, which is due to open for production in the second half of next year.

The White House's new bill will cost automakers $1,300 per vehicle, which, depending on sales, could total $13 billion to $20 billion a year.

Congress is planning to offer the automakers help. A revised version of an energy bill, released late Monday, doubles (to $50 billion) an Energy Department program offering low-cost retooling loans to automakers and parts producers.

It will also allow manufacturers to apply for government assistance in producing plug-in hybrids and even seek money to buy the expensive batteries used in such vehicles.

Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Nissan Motor Co and Tesla Motors Inc had applied earlier for funds under the program.

The amount of loans they will get will be announced in a month.

But the beleaguered Chrysler, which is restructuring under bankruptcy protection, is no longer eligible for the loans. The government aid is only for financially viable companies.

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