Dandelion Roots for Rubber?

The thought of a dandelion usually rings the bell as being a weed in a yard. Not anymore. Researchers at Ford and Ohio State University have found that dandelion roots can serve as a sustainable resource for rubber. Since synthetic rubber is not a sustainable resource Ford is trying to reduce the use of it in their vehicles.

The particular dandelion that can used for a sustainable resource for rubber is the Russian dandelion. This dandelion is called Taraxacum kok-saghyz (TKS). A milky white substance that seeps from the dandelion root is used for the rubber.

The substance that seeps from dandelion roots can potentially be used for a plastic modifier and used in cup holders, floor mats, and interior trim.

Before the new product is used Ford will test the quality to make sure for suitability and that it meets durability standards.

Not only is Ford looking into the prospects of using dandelion root for rubber they are also looking into using a guayule, a U.S. shrub, for potential rubber. Both dandelion root and guayule can be grown domestically.

Ford has made a "reduce, reuse, and recycle" commitment as part of the organizations commitment to become more Eco-friendly. Ford is actively seeking ways to reduce their environmental footprint.

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(Information in this article is courtesy of media.ford.com)

Ford Explorer Industry-First Rear Inflatable Seatbelts Earns Safety Award

-The already popular new Ford Explorer may get even more looks after its industry-exclusive rear inflatable seat belts received another important honor, the 2011 Traffic Safety Achievement Award
-The rear inflatable seat belts just launched on the new 2011 Ford Explorer SUV – named in January as the North American Truck of the Year
-Ford’s rear inflatable seat belts also stood out at the 2011 Edison Best New Product Award ceremony by receiving the gold medal in applied technology
-New Explorer safety innovations include Ford’s MyKey® teen safety technology – a prior recipient of this safety award – and curve control, which can help drivers maintain control of a vehicle if they drive too quickly into a curve

NEW YORK, April 29, 2011 – Ford’s industry-exclusive rear inflatable seat belts – one of the 2011 Explorer’s breakthrough safety innovations that helped nearly triple the vehicle’s March sales – earned the 2011 Traffic Safety Achievement Award from the New York International Auto Show’s World Traffic Safety Symposium.

This advanced restraint system is designed to help reduce head, neck and chest injuries for rear seat occupants. Over time, Ford plans to offer this technology in other nameplates globally.

“Ford’s rear inflatable seat belt technology will enhance safety for rear seat passengers of all ages, especially young children who might be more vulnerable in crashes,” said Sue Cischke, Ford group vice president, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. “Rear inflatable seat belts – a Ford exclusive – help build on our safety leadership.”

Safer and more comfortable
In everyday use, rear inflatable belts operate like conventional seat belts, including compatibility with infant and child safety and booster seats. The additional comfort and padding of rear inflatable seat belts encourages increased use.

In the event of a frontal or side crash, the increased diameter of the inflated belt more effectively holds the occupant in the proper seating position, helping to reduce the risk of injury.

The inflated belts help to distribute crash force energy across up to five times more of the occupant’s torso than a traditional belt. This expands its range of protection and reduces risk of injury by diffusing crash pressure over a larger area, while helping provide additional head and neck support.

Following deployment, the belt remains inflated for several seconds before dispersing its air through pores in the material.

Innovation and heritage
Rear inflatable seat belts debuted as an affordable option for the 2011 Ford Explorer, named in January as the 2011 North American Truck of the Year.

Ford has the most top U.S. safety ratings of any automotive manufacturer ever. This includes more Top Safety Picks from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and more National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) five-star ratings.

Ford was the first automaker to introduce seat belts in all seating positions in 1955 and was a leader in making driver and front passenger airbags standard in most vehicles by 1993.

The New York International Auto Show’s 2009 World Traffic Safety Symposium honored Ford’s MyKey® owner control feature, enabling parents or fleet administrators to set limits on vehicle speed and audio volume while muting the audio system if front occupants don’t buckle up.

In 2007 Ford was recognized with the Traffic Safety Achievement Award for Community Service, honoring the Driving Skills for Lifeinitiative to improve driver skill sets among teens. Two years earlier, Ford was feted for its exclusive VIRTTEX driving simulator and its use in researching potential driver distractions.

Ford’s rear inflatable seat belts also stood out at the 2011 Edison Best New Product Award ceremony by receiving the gold medal in applied technology.

Article Courtesy of Media.Ford.Com

One Millionth Fiesta Produced!

-Ford’s Cologne factory manufactured one million current model Ford Fiestas in just 33 months
-Since 1979, more than six million Ford Fiestas have been produced in Cologne
-The Fiesta is Europe’s top-selling small car and Europe’s second best-selling car overall for March and the first quarter 2011

Cologne, Germany, May 6, 2011 – Ford employees today celebrated the production of the one millionth current Fiesta – just 33 months after the first car rolled off the line.

This production milestone coincides with two further anniversaries: 35 years ago this month, the first generation of the Ford Fiesta was introduced to the German market. And 80 years ago, on May 4, 1931, the very first vehicle rolled off the assembly line in Cologne – a Ford Model A.

Since Ford first began production of the Fiesta, more than six million have been produced. Today, Fiestas built in Cologne are exported to 71 countries. Key markets include Great Britain, France, Turkey and Russia, but the Fiesta is also sold to more remote markets including Mozambique, Morocco, Brunei and even Tahiti.

The current Fiesta has been manufactured in Cologne since 2008 and, since 2009, also rolls off the assembly line in Valencia, Spain. Ford also produces the Fiesta in China (Nanjing), Thailand (Rayong) and Mexico (Cuautitlán), where the Fiesta is manufactured for customers in the US and Canada.

Since the current Ford Fiesta went on sale in October 2008, more than 1,350,000 units have been sold globally. In the first quarter of 2011, JATO records show that 102,859 Ford Fiestas were sold in Europe, making it the top-selling small car and second best-selling car overall for
March and the first quarter 2011 in Europe

“We are pleased with the Fiesta’s continued success, not only because it’s our highest volume model in Europe, but also because it’s now being produced and sold around the world to great acclaim,” said Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe.

Thanks to its excellent efficiency, the Fiesta-producing plant in Cologne ranks highest of 52 evaluated automotive production sites in Europe. In 2006 the factory was presented with the “Automotive Lean Production Award 2006”, a highly sought-after international commendation.

The plant was also honoured for its leading role in the automotive industry by “Agamus Consult” under the leadership of Otto Wolff von Amerongen, former Honorary President of the German Board of Trade “DIHK”, after comparing the progressive production processes in Cologne with automotive factories throughout Europe.

Ford’s Cologne facility is the production centre for both the Ford Fiesta and the Ford Fusion, with an average output of 1,770 cars per day. The Cologne plant’s annual capacity is 400,000 cars and 17,300 employees from more than 50 countries make this output possible, with 4,200 employees working in each of the three production shifts.

The construction time for a Ford Fiesta model currently stands at only thirteen hours – a five hour reduction compared with a decade ago – thanks to ongoing improvements and investment at the plant. A total of €100 million was invested in the Cologne site in 2010 alone.

(Article and Photo's Courtesy of Media.Ford.Com)

Ford's Rear Inflatable Seat Belt Wins '2011 Best New Technology' Award

•Ford's rear inflatable seat belt is named 'Best New Technology' by AJAC
•Ford’s unique inflatable rear belts spread impact forces across more than five times the area than conventional seat belts, reducing pressure on the chest while helping to control head and neck motion
•Ford’s rear inflatable seat belt functions like a standard seat belt in normal everyday use. The vehicle’s crash sensing system determines when the inflatable belt should deploy

TORONTO, Ontario, February 17, 2011 – Ford's rear inflatable seat belt is named the '2011 Best New Technology' by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) at the Canadian International Auto Show.

"Safety is a key priority at Ford and we are honoured to win this year's 'Best New Technology' award for our industry-first rear inflatable seat belts," said David Mondragon, president and CEO, Ford of Canada. "Available initially on our all-new 2011 Ford Explorer, the rear inflatable seat belts work by spreading impact forces over five times more area than conventional seat belts."

Ford's unique inflatable rear belts reducing pressure on the chest while helping to control head and neck motion.

Ford’s rear inflatable seat belt functions like a standard seat belt in normal everyday use. The vehicle’s crash sensing system determines when the inflatable belt should deploy.

What's The Bright Idea?

DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 17, 2011 – The lights around Ford’s Dearborn, Mich., campus are going to get more efficient, as a new lighting project kicks off that will bring an estimated energy reduction of more than 18.2 million kilowatt-hours – enough to power 1,648 U.S. residential homes for a year.

The project eliminates more than 11,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions and offers an annual cost reduction of more than $1.3 million. Ford Land Energy Efficiency and Supply Office is handling the project, by switching out and retrofitting more than 50,000 light fixtures in buildings across southeast Michigan. In fact, more than 6,000 fixtures in Ford World Headquarters alone will be replaced.

“We are continuously taking steps to make sure we’re current with the technologies that offer us reduced energy consumption, along with a cost savings for the type of space,” said Gary Jensen, manager of energy efficiency. “This project helps the environment, reduces demand on the grid and brings bottom line savings for Ford, too.”

Details of the project include:
•Retrofitting existing fixtures
•Optimizing the use of day lighting
•Replacing incandescent exit signs with LED exit signs
•Controlling unoccupied areas with occupancy sensors
•Replacing incandescent and halogen lamps with compact fluorescent and LED lamps

“Lighting technology changes rapidly, with each generation producing greater efficiencies,” said Jensen. “This is only the most recent large-scale lighting upgrade that Ford has done.”

Office buildings, test facilities, a test warehouse and a vehicle proving ground facility are all areas that will be upgraded, with the project being wrapped up in 2011. Within those buildings, lighting is being replaced in offices, conference rooms, hallways, design studios, laboratories and restrooms.

Additional benefits
The project offers several benefits including reduced lumen power density, which will support future Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) considerations. Employees and visitors also will enjoy better visual clarity and enhanced perceived brightness thanks to an improved color rendering index.

Additionally, the project will lower ongoing maintenance costs due to the reduction in total lamps and longer lamp life.

Homeowners note: According to the U.S. Department of Energy, homeowners could save $30 or more in electricity costs over the lifetime of a compact fluorescent bulb if they choose to switch to that type of bulb.

Ford NASCAR Drivers Comment On Upcoming 600th Sprint Cup Win

CARL EDWARDS – No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion -- “That would be huge. Every win is important, but the 600th win is no more important than the last one or the next one after that. They’re all important and I just love being in victory lane with a Ford.”


GREG BIFFLE – No. 16 3M Ford Fusion -- “It would be pretty awesome. On top of that it would be the Daytona 500 and that would be a great place to have your 600th win. As you saw last weekend, I think it’s anybody’s game. We’ll just have to wait and see. I think we’ve got as good a chance as anybody – any manufacturer, any car. All of the Ford cars stand a good chance.”

AJ ALLMENDINGER – No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion -- “It would be a big deal just to win anything right now. I’d like to just contribute to any win total for Ford, but to be the 600th, especially here at Daytona, that would obviously be a huge deal. We’ll take it as it comes. I think we’re gonna have a lot of good shots this year to get some wins and add to that total and, hopefully, it starts here at Daytona.”

DAVID RAGAN – No. 6 UPS Ford Fusion -- “That would be awesome. Winning the Daytona 500 and number 600 would be very, very special. If you could win the worst race of the year and be number 600, that would be great. That would make up for a lot of the other races that we missed out on, so 600 for Ford is gonna be something to remember because it goes all the way back to Henry Ford, who won his first race. A lot of great race car drivers have won under the Ford banner and it would be awesome to throw our name in the hat.”

MARCOS AMBROSE – No. 9 Stanley Ford Fusion -- “I’d like to be 600. I’ll take one win however I can get it, but Ford has been great to me and it’s just great to be back in the Ford Racing family. This year is fairly iconic for the company in racing and 600 wins is a pretty cool stat if you can say you did it, so I’ll be trying hard. The trouble is you’ve got Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle and AJ and everyone else trying to do the same thing.”

TRAVIS KVAPIL – No. 38 Long John Silver’s Ford Fusion -- “How special would that be – to get to be the driver who has such a monumental win for Ford. It would be huge for me. That’s a goal for me in the Cup Series is to be a winner. We’ve had some top 10s and some good runs and led laps, but I haven’t won, so that’s the number one goal on my list and to do that at the same time as getting Ford’s 600th win would be pretty cool. That would be really special. Daytona and Talladega, there are a handful of tracks where I really feel like Front Row Motorsports can get it done, so you never know. If you’re in the right place at the right time with a few laps to go, you’ve got a shot at it. That would be pretty special.”

DAVID GILLILAND – No. 34 Taco Bell Ford Fusion -- “We’ve been close here before and that would be awesome and something no one could ever take from you. That would be cool and we’re gonna try and do it for sure. I think we’ve got a car that’s capable of doing it, but you have to position yourself to be at the right place at the end and now I think it’s even more so because I think there are gonna be even more cars fighting for the lead at the end than the two that we always see.”

TREVOR BAYNE – No. 21 Motorcraft Ford Fusion -- “First, that means we would be winning the race, which is great. And then to get Ford’s 600th win, I would kind of feel bad coming in after all these guys have been working on it for 599, and I come in and it’s like ‘Here’s 600.’ But that would be incredible and to do it with the Wood Brothers and how everything has happened, that would be insane. I don’t even know how to fathom that."

New Ford Focus News

Ford is inviting digital influencers to participate in the inaugural global test drive of the next-generation Ford Focus
•The Focus Global Test Drive event will take place near Madrid, Spain, Feb. 18-20, at a private proving ground facility
•100 participants will share the experience of a lifetime as they put the all-new Ford Focus through its paces, in support of their charities of choice
•Test drivers – among the first to experience the all-new global Ford Focus – will be hosted and coached by racing drivers Justin Bell and Tanner Foust

DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 14, 2011 – Anticipation is building among Focus Global Test Drive participants – bloggers and consumers, hailing from 13 countries where the all-new Ford Focus will soon be available – as they prepare to convene in Madrid later this week.

These cause-minded consumers – many of whom will receive $10,000 (U.S.) to be donated to their favorite charity – will be the first members of the public to test drive the new Ford Focus, in exercises and dynamic driving challenges that highlight features and attributes of the newest car from Ford, which will eventually be sold in 122 counties.

Participants will gather at the National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA) on the outskirts of Madrid, which offers multiple road surfaces and challenges for putting the all-new Focus through its paces. A world-class testing facility originally founded in 1942, INTA features high-speed tracks, road courses and proving ground roads replicating every conceivable obstacle a driver might face, anywhere in the world.

Test driver briefings and dynamic driving exercises will be co-hosted by veteran race driver and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Justin Bell, teaming up with Tanner Foust, U.S. Top Gear HISTORY television personality, stunt driver, rally competitor and Formula D drift champion.