Dearborn, Mich., Jan. 19, 2011 – The environmentally friendly reach of the Ford Focus Electric goes beyond its zero-emissions motor. Focus Electric combines recycled and renewable materials, green technologies and innovative manufacturing processes to make the car green from bumper to bumper.

“An electric vehicle is already considered a green vehicle, but Ford wanted to go a step further by looking at ways to make the materials inside the Focus Electric more eco-friendly as well,” said Carrie Majeske, product sustainability manager, Ford Motor Company. “Using recycled or renewable materials in lieu of petroleum-based materials allows Ford to minimize the amount of virgin materials used in the Focus Electric.”

The Focus Electric is not only green in areas where customers expect it to be, but also in places they might not, like in the seat cushions. Soy-based foams, which are used on more than 20 Ford vehicles, will be used in Focus Electric, with seat cushions shaped from 8 percent soy-based content. A material called Lignotock also is used behind the cloth on the door. Derived from 85 percent wood fibers, this lighter application results in a weight reduction and provides better sound-deadening benefits compared to conventional glass-reinforced thermal plastics.

via IT’S EASY BEING GREEN: FORD FOCUS ELECTRIC OFFERS ECO-FRIENDLY FEATURES THROUGHOUT VEHICLE | Ford Motor Company Newsroom.

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• The 2011 Ford Explorer is 85 percent recyclable. The reinvented SUV leverages Ford’s industry-leading use of bio foam and recycled fabric in its interior, as well as recycled steel in select exterior parts
• Ford is reducing its use of virgin steel by an estimated 119 tons a year by making Explorer’s noise-dampening fender baffles from the steel left over from stamping out the door openings of F-150 body sides
• 2011 Ford Explorer, the new fuel economy class leader in the midsize SUV segment, uses Ford’s latest high-tech powertrains and mechanical enhancements to achieve fuel economy improvements of more than 30 percent without sacrificing performance

DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 5, 2010 – The all-new Ford Explorer is more than just the new fuel economy class leader in the midsize SUV segment. The reinvented Explorer, which arrives later this year, also sets a new benchmark for sustainability in the SUV segment due to an increased use of renewable and recycled content, such as parts made from steel left over from F-150 production.

The new Explorer also leverages Ford’s industry-leading use of bio foam and recycled fabric in its interior. These and other eco-improvements help make Explorer 85 percent recyclable.

“Ford has made tremendous strides, not only in improving fuel economy in the new Explorer, but also in using more environmentally friendly materials,” said Jim Holland, chief nameplate engineer. “By offering better fuel efficiency in an overall greener package, we’re offering our SUV customers an appealing and sustainable product.”

via 2011 FORD EXPLORER GOES GREEN WITH MORE RECYCLED, RENEWABLE MATERIALS AND INCREASED FUEL EFFICIENCY | Ford Motor Company Newsroom.

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• 2011 Ford Explorer Goes Green With More Recycled, Renewable Materials and Increased Fuel Efficiency (prnewswire.com)

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• Ford is making its vehicles, which are 85 percent recyclable by weight, more eco-friendly through increased use of renewable and recyclable materials; the 2010 Ford Taurus is the latest model to use eco-friendly bio-based seat cushions
• In 2009, Ford reduced the amount of automotive-related plastics to landfills by nearly 30 million pounds and saved approximately $4.5 million by reusing recycled materials
• Ford’s “reduce, reuse and recycle” commitments are part of its broader global sustainability strategy to reduce its environmental footprint
• Automobiles are among the most recycled consumer products. More than 95 percent of all end-of-life vehicles in the U.S. are processed for recycling – compared to 52 percent of all paper and 31 percent of all plastic soft drink bottles

DEARBORN, Mich., April 20, 2010 – Ford is making its vehicles more eco-friendly through increased use of renewable and recyclable materials such as the soy and bio-based seat cushions and seatbacks on the 2010 Ford Taurus.

Ford vehicles are now 85 percent recyclable by weight. In 2009, Ford saved approximately $4.5 million by using recycled materials, and diverted between 25 and 30 million pounds of plastic from landfills in North America alone.

“By increasing the use of recycled or renewable content and reducing the use of undesirable materials whenever possible, we’re helping to reduce waste to landfills by millions of pounds – and we’re doing it around the world,” said John Viera, Ford’s director of Sustainability and Environmental Policy. “More than ever before, the spirit of ONE Ford that drives our global product strategy also drives our commitment to sustainability.”

The 2010 Ford Taurus is the eleventh Ford vehicle to feature earth-friendly bio-based seat cushions and seatbacks. Ford has more vehicle models with seats that use soy and other bio-based foams than any other automaker. Ford Mustang, F-150, Focus, Flex, Escape, Expedition and Econoline as well as Mercury Mariner, Lincoln MKS and Navigator also use the sustainable material.

via FORD IS MAKING GREENER VEHICLES THROUGH INCREASED USE OF RENEWABLE AND RECYCLABLE MATERIALS | Ford Motor Company Newsroom.

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