Ford launches Ka-Ligraphy accessories

Ford Ka owners can now personalise their car thanks to a new range of specially created exterior graphics launched this month.Known as Ka-ligraphy, the vinyl graphics complement the cute curves of the loveable small Ford and come in a variety of different styles.

Ka-ligraphy costs from just £49.99 (rrp) for the more discreet "I luv my Ka" tattoo in a choice of six vibrant colours. Alternatively there are 12 different "Zodiac" sign roof designs with spoiler graphic in either black, silver or blue at £119.99 or the full-body "Butterfly" treatment.

The "Butterfly" artwork, available in five bright colours, include a small butterfly transfer through to bolder graphics for the rear bootlid, roof and wheelarch pair.

Exclusively designed for the Ford Ka, Ka-ligraphy accessories only takes between five and 30 minutes to fit, depending on the size of the decal and the area of the car being covered. The graphics are warranted for three years and can be ordered now from all Ford franchised dealerships.
Ford's Ka re-wrote the small car rule book when it appeared more than a decade ago and the chic yet affordable 1.3-litre model continues to be a sales success. The current range offers buyers a choice of Studio, Style, Zetec and Luxury 2 sport trim levels priced from £7,095 - £9,195 on-the-road and Ka-ligraphy graphics can be applied to all Ka in the range.

Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 Hits 207mph

Ford has made history today by achieving 207.279 mph with the Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999, the world's first production based hydrogen fuel cell race car. The Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 is Ford's latest environmental innovation, and represents a step on the road toward commercially viable hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The car was designed and built by Ford engineers in collaboration with The Ohio State University, Ballard and Roush.

The Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 fuel cell car - the world's first and only production vehicle-based fuel cell race car - was a collaboration with Ballard, Roush and The Ohio State University and one of two vehicles demonstrating that fuel cell technology can set land speed records. Ford researchers also are supporting student engineers from The Ohio State University on its Buckeye Bullet 2, a streamliner type fuel cell-powered racer attempting 300+ mph.

"What we've accomplished is nothing short of an industry first," said Gerhard Schmidt, vice president, Research & Advanced Engineering for Ford Motor Company. "No other automaker in the world has come close. We are excited to have accomplished something never before done. We established this project to advance fuel cell powered vehicles and to do what has never been done before and we did it."

Schmidt said that Ford's historic run at Bonneville will further expand Ford's technological horizons with fuel cell-powered vehicles, because it is a fuel that could someday play a key role in meeting the energy needs of the transportation sector. The Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 is Ford's latest environmental innovation and is another step on the road toward commercially viable hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

The speed was reached during a run at the Bonneville Nationals, which are being held from Aug. 10-17.

The Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 land speed record vehicle was designed by Ford engineers and built by Roush in Allen Park, Mich. Ford engineers leveraged the 2004 Buckeye Bullet's electric motor, while Ballard supplied the 400 kW hydrogen fuel cells. Ford retiree Rick Byrnes, a veteran Bonneville racer, piloted the Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 on its record breaking run.
Ohio State students have designed their streamliner, dubbed Buckeye Bullet 2, from the ground up. Ballard donated the hydrogen fuel cells for Ohio State's car, Roush its engineering services and Ford has provided overall project coordination and expertise in fuel cell drivetrains.
In 2004, Ohio State students set the unlimited land speed record for an electric vehicle by running 314 mph in the first Buckeye Bullet, dubbed BB1.

Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 Part of a Broader Effort

The Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 shows one of the ways Ford is advancing environmental innovation with the goal of offering vehicles with zero impact on the environment. Multiple technologies, including hydrogen fuel cells, hybrids, E85 ethanol, clean diesels, bio-diesels, advanced engine and transmission technologies allow a flexible approach that balances customer needs, environmental impact and shareholder interests.

Ford Motor Company currently has a fleet of 30 hydrogen powered Focus fuel cell vehicles on the road as part of a worldwide, seven-city program to conduct real world testing of fuel cell technology. The 30-car fleet has accumulated nearly 580,000 miles since its inception in 2005.
Ford also is conducting tests with the world's first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, the Ford Edge with HySeries Drive. The Ford Edge with HySeries Drive uses a series electric drivetrain with an onboard hydrogen fuel cell generator to give the vehicle a range of 225 miles with zero emissions.

Currently, Ford offers gasoline-electric hybrids including the Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid. The company will also offer hybrid versions of the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan in 2008.

Ford developing new engine tech with MIT

Ford is testing a new engine that injects small amounts of ethanol into the cylinder during high loads that's said to develop up to three times the torque of a conventional petrol engine. The technology was pioneered by a start-up company at MIT and is just one avenue that Ford is investigating in its quest for more efficient powertrains.
The new engine runs on normal petrol but at much higher pressures. A direct injection fuel injector pumps small amounts of ethanol into the cylinder which is said to keep the fuel-air mix from burning early preventing knock. The design would allow for much smaller engines but with the power and torque that customers demand.

Ford is also working with suppliers to bring new innovations to market earlier, reports Automotive News, and it's more open to forming joint-ventures for further developments.

Ford Ka II preview

The new design includes a hexagonal grille that might reappear later on the Fiesta, some seeply angled headlamps and a ballsy rear-end treatment.

According to the CarMagazine the images are speculative, and the sources who've seen the car recognise that the front end ismore radical that the pictures suggest.Ford's new small car concept is programmed to be presented in September at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show.

Ford says no hybrids for Europe

Sure, Europe is one of the most forward-looking markets in terms of automotive effects on the environment. It's also one of the most affluent sectors of the car market. But Ford doesn't think Europeans will care enough about the benefits of hybrids to justify the extra costs.

The price differential in bringing a hybrid petrol/electric Escape to market in Europe is about €1,940 (US$2,500) - which according to Ford is more than the European market will bear according to Automotive News. It seems Europeans are interested in greener cars, but not at a higher price - they want 'cost-neutral' solutions.

Instead of hybrids, Ford will focus on stop-start motors, improved aerodynamics and increased efficiency through technologies like low rolling resistance tires. These options still hold some potential for development, and are apparently more cost-effective than a hybrid powertrain.

Considering Europe's love for diesel motors and the efficiency they provide, the distaste for expensive hybrids is perhaps not so surprising.

Future Ford plug-in hybrids in 5 to 10 years

This is the first time Ford offered a timeline for producing plug-in hybrids. The news came from FoMoCo's CEO, Mr. Alan Mulally who said that within 10 years we will start to see this technology in our hands.

Mullaly also announced an alliance between the No. 2 American automaker and utility Southern California Edison to test 20 rechargeable electric vehicles.This alliance was made because of the relationship of the two chief executives, both being linked to Boeing Corp(according to Autonews, Mulally was Boeing's executive vice president before joining Ford in September 2006 and Bryson is a director of Boeing).

According to Ford's CEO, the rollout of the plug-in hybrids depends on the developing of the lithium-ion batteries that will be charged by the car's owners using regular household electrical outlets.

Ford engineers and the researchers from Southern California Edison will test together in the "real world" the 20 plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Many environmental advocates see the hybrid vehicles as the best available technology to reduce the petrol consumptions and with this the CO2 emissions because the plug-in hybrids are to use little or no gasoline over short distances and at lower speeds.

Ford showing interest for Romanian plant

Ford Motor Company took the lead in bidding to purchase the former Daewoo assembly plant from the Romanian government after GM dropped out the deal.

Beside General Motors, the Russian automaker GAZ,Chinese from Chery and the Indians from Tata Motors showed interest for Daewoo Automobile Craiova ."AVAS received … only one offer, from Ford Motor Co.," the agency said in a statement.

A General Motors spokesman said that the American automaker intends to increase its capacity in central and eastern Europe.Although GM has financial equity or production deals with several plants in central and easter Europe, this including Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, the automaker showed great interest about the Romnian plant but for no reasons the deal went off. Mark Kempe said that GM is looking at all option around the region and this is the reason they decided not to bid.

The factory from Craiova was bought back in 2006 for $51 million plus another $10 million for debts stemming from past loans mad by the Korean automaker.The head of AVAS, Mr. Teodor Atanasiu, said he will have to ensure a minimum yearly output of 300,000 vehicles.