Ford to Build an Experimental Light Vehicle
Ford Motor Co. on Monday unveiled plans to build an experimental, advanced mid-size sedan that is 40% lighter than today’s comparable vehicles and gets up to 70 miles per gallon. It said it will produce prototypes this fall.
The auto maker said the vehicle, the P2000, will use a small, efficient diesel engine. Two versions will be hybrid electric vehicles that use battery power in addition to a combustion engine.
The announcement is the clearest indication yet by any auto maker on how it will comply with the requirements of the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles, a joint industry-government effort to design affordable vehicles that get up to 80 miles per gallon by 2003.
Ford plans to build as many as 16 of the vehicles for testing. Program director Robert Mull said the vehicle--a computer-designed five-seater--could be mass-produced by the middle of the next decade if certain technical and cost barriers are overcome.
“It’s very exciting stuff,” Chairman Alex Trotman said. “We expect to put cars on the road like this someday.”
Last year, the National Research Council identified so-called direct-injection diesels as the front-runner to achieve PNGV goals. But it also raised questions about whether such engines could meet current and future emissions standards.
“It could be a step backward for air quality,” said Jason Marks, transportation analyst for the Union of Concerned Scientists, an environmental interest group.
Diesel engines, which are popular in Europe, provide improved fuel economy but may increase emissions of particulates and nitrous oxides. However, Ford executives maintained that their diesel engine could meet California’s ultra-low-emissions standards.
Ford said the prototype will weigh as little as 2,000 pounds, compared with 3,300 for a similarly sized 1997 Taurus. It will make extensive use of aluminum and magnesium for the body structure, cutting steel content drastically.
“The vehicle will be far lighter than any mid-size vehicle in the world,” Mull said.
The auto maker hopes to use the significant weight savings and the advanced powertrain to sharply increase fuel economy while greatly reducing noxious emissions. The company projects mileage of 60 to 70 mpg.
The development of alternative-fuel vehicles is gaining momentum as the world’s auto makers rush to meet emissions standards set by California. Beginning in 2003, 10% of cars sold in California must have no emissions.
Unlike some competitors, Ford is not aiming for a niche vehicle, but rather one that would be produced in high volume of 300,000 vehicles or more. Such large-scale production can reduce manufacturing costs.
Mull said it would cost about $200 million to develop the P2000, with about half provided by Ford and the rest from the government, suppliers and national laboratories. He said the vehicle now costs several thousand dollars more to produce than the Taurus, Ford’s best-selling car, with a base price starting at $18,500.
The basic P2000 will be equipped with a 1.2-liter, four-cylinder aluminum diesel engine.
Significant cost obstacles must be overcome before the P2000 could be mass-produced. Both aluminum and magnesium are more expensive than steel, and there are also questions about the durability and processing of the materials.
“We think we can get the cost down,” Mull said.
* NO FUN
Ford will take the T-Bird away--at least for now. D12
* RIDING HIGH
Japan leads on Consumer Reports’ “recommended” list. D12
