Ford Steps Up Ethanol Plans

These days automakers are not only about the coolest cars. These days, automakers like Ford are also after a cleaner environment too, working to combat the effects of global warming. Ford Motor Company is one of these auto makers that care for the environment.

This year Ford is working to step up ethanol production among a broad range of renewable fuel options for its future vehicles. The Dearborn automaker already has more put than 2 million flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs) in American roads including models from their line up: Ford F-150, Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car. Last year, together with DaimlerChrysler and General Motors, they promised to double annual production of vehicles capable of running on renewable fuels by 2010.

This year, the three automakers renewed their commitment to make half of their annual vehicle production running on alternative fuel by 2012.
On the other hand there is also a need for sufficient allocation system for ethanol or E85, a mixture of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Curtis Magleby, director, State and Local Governmental Affairs says that E85 should be at a right price that will not sacrifice the performance of the vehicle. Not to mention that access to it has to be convenient to customers.
In year 2006 Ford entered into a unique E85 partnership with VeraSun Energy Corporation and MFA Oil to create the Midwest Ethanol Corridor. The objective was to offer flexible-fuel vehicle owners the capacity to drive between Chicago and Kansas City, powered by E85 at the same time educating the owners about the advantages using ethanol.

Since America has no alternative fuel option, this serves as a challenge for them to reach great marketability. Actually Bill Honnef, senior vice president, VeraSun estimates that its production in the U.S. will reach a capacity of 14 billion gallons, or roughly one-tenth the annual consumption of gasoline by American motorists (140 billion gallons), within the next five years.
It would be of great advantage if they will take into account what Brazil did, where the government gives incentives to their farmers 10 years ago to grow more sugar canes to produce ethanol. Now they have sold two-thirds of the vehicles that has the ability to run on pure ethanol, known as E100 which result to low dependency on foreign oil.