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Bill Ford Driving a Green Future

Ford's chairman sees auto industry getting leaner and greener in recovery

By Jim O'Neill,  Newser User

Posted Nov 24, 2008 8:35 AM CST
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(Newser) – While General Motors, Chrysler, and Congress are haggling over what strings to tie to a federal bailout, Ford chairman Bill Ford Jr is working behind the scenes to further his company's move toward greener, more fuel-efficient vehicles. The automaker, with enough cash on hand to get through 2009, isn’t in the dire straits its rivals are, reports the Wall Street Journal, and has steadily been moving toward an energy partnership with the government.

The only one of the Big Three not seeking a bailout, Ford has instead applied for $7 billion in federal loans to expand its line of fuel-efficient and hybrid vehicles. And Ford Jr is counting on federal help in rolling out national strategies such as electric cars (“One of the things we need to sort out as a country is batteries,” he says). But the scion says his company has already come a long way on energy: "In the next two years, 75% of our vehicles will qualify for (the federal) definition of advanced vehicle technology."

In this July 28, 2003, photo, Detroit Lions owner William Clay Ford, left, president Matt Millen, and vice chair William Ford Jr talk during the NFL team's practice in Allen Park, Mich.
In this July 28, 2003, photo, Detroit Lions owner William Clay Ford, left, president Matt Millen, and vice chair William Ford Jr talk during the NFL team's practice in Allen Park, Mich.   (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
Bill Ford Jr., executive chairman of Ford Motor company, left, and Alan Mulally, president and CEO, laugh together at the North American International Auto Show Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008 in Detroit.
Bill Ford Jr., executive chairman of Ford Motor company, left, and Alan Mulally, president and CEO, laugh together at the North American International Auto Show Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008 in Detroit.   (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Bill Ford Jr., executive chairman of Ford, speaks at the North American International Auto Show Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008 in Detroit.
Bill Ford Jr., executive chairman of Ford, speaks at the North American International Auto Show Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008 in Detroit.   (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
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Bankruptcy may already be a reality
Wall Street Journal

Ford rolls out a risky strategy
Baltimore Sun

Ford has edge on rivals in race to recovery
Detroit Free Press

 
fuel efficiency • Ford • auto industry • financial crisis • Bill Ford Jr.

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