Environmental Stewardship

Holland — An advanced battery maker has started production of automotive lithium-ion batteries in southwestern Michigan.
 

Ford, America’s truck leader, will offer the 2014 F-150 with the ability to run on compressed natural gas, making Ford the only manufacturer with an available CNG/LPG-capable half-ton pickup.

The 2014 Ford F-150 with 3.7-liter V6 engine will be available this fall with a factory-installed, gaseous-fuel prep package that includes hardened valves, valve seats, pistons and rings so it can operate on either natural gas or gasoline through separate fuel systems.

Ford Motor Co., the second-largest U.S. automaker, plans to begin offering compressed natural gas fuel systems for its F-150 pickups to meet growing demand from business fleets and attract retail buyers.
Fuel packages similar to what Ford has offered on large commercial vehicles since 2009 will be available starting this year with the 2014 F-150, said Kevin Koswick, head of its fleet operations. The F-150 will be the only half-ton pickup capable of running on compressed natural gas, or CNG, the company said in a statement.

July 29, 2013 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Chrysler Group LLC and the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) will host an interactive health and wellness pavilion at the association’s national convention in Kissimmee, Fla., August 1-3, 2013. More than 1,500 journalists are expected to attend the convention.

The purpose of the pavilion is to raise awareness to the need for better health and wellness education in multicultural communities in order to address health disparities faced by these communities. The goal is to raise awareness of achievable best practices among journalists who are often key influencers in these communities. 

DEARBORN, Mich., July 26, 2013 – Mike Kluzner’s experience is considered only somewhat unusual among the ranks of Ford’s in-house software engineers. Kluzner got his start designing laser weapon systems capable of disabling the navigation systems of enemy satellites.

His employer? The former Soviet Union.

Today, Kluzner designs software for onboard fuel system diagnostics on Ford vehicles sold worldwide. Kluzner holds more than 20 patents on onboard diagnostics.

It looks like Chrysler is going a little further with its eco-friendly ways than merely selling Fiat 500 EVs. The US automaker recognized 30 US dealerships for their eco-friendly ways, giving out awards for its second-annual Dealer Environmentally Conscious Operations (ECO) Program to 30 Chrysler dealers in 21 states.

DEARBORN, Mich., July 16, 2013 – As Ford’s share of the U.S. electrified vehicle market has quadrupled in the past year, the company is announcing improvements to the on-road fuel economy performance of its hybrid vehicles, hiring new engineers, and expanding its research facilities for expected continued growth.

This year, Ford’s share of the U.S. electrified vehicle market is up 12 share points to nearly 16 percent, while Toyota’s share is down 8 share points, and more customers are trading in their Priuses for the new Ford C-MAX Hybrid.

“Strong consumer acceptance of Ford hybrids shows that our plan to lead in fuel economy across our lineup is working,” said Raj Nair, group vice president, Global Product Development. “Our commitment to deliver great fuel economy in our cars, utilities and trucks is a key reason we are seeing strong growth in coastal markets and with import buyers.”

Ford Motor Co. will double production of its MKZ Hybrid sedan for the 2014 model year, a top executive said this week.

Forty percent of overall MKZ production will be dedicated to building the hybrid model, said Raj Nair, Ford’s group vice president of global product development, at the automaker’s Dearborn campus on Tuesday.

That’s double the 20 percent production mix from the 2013 model year, the first year for the revamped luxury sedan.

DEARBORN, Mich., July 17, 2013 – The winners of the Ford-led MyEnergi Lifestyle Retrofit contest – designed to showcase how a typical American family can affordably move to an energy-efficient lifestyle – are Lindsay and Ben Sattler of Parker, Colo.

Ben Sattler teaches alternative fuels and home energy efficiency courses to inner-city school children, while Lindsay ensures the Sattlers keep a sustainable home life. As the second winners of a MyEnergi Lifestyle retrofit, the Sattlers will receive a grand prize package enabling them to integrate today’s plug-in vehicle technology, smart appliances and solar energy into their home to reduce their electricity bills and carbon emissions. In May, Susan Berry of Ventura, Calif., won a MyEnergi Lifestyle giveaway on the “Katie” show.
 

July 18, 2013 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Chrysler Group engineers are helping to determine if electric-vehicle (EV) batteries can generate revenue as well as power.

Chrysler Group has partnered with NextEnergy to evaluate vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology using four all-electric minivans.
Detroit-based NextEnergy is a non-profit energy-technology and business accelerator.

If the EVs prove to be viable storehouses of electricity, they could provide energy savings by sending surplus power to the grid.