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FORD SIGNS AGREEMENT TO DEVELOP TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE FUEL ECONOMY

Release Date: 10/12/2001
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Environmental News

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Ford Motor Company announced today a cooperative effort to develop a unique hybrid, high-efficiency vehicle that uses hydraulic fluid to store and provide energy to power the car.

"This is the first-ever cooperative agreement with an automobile company targeted to develop EPA-patented automotive technology," said EPA Administrator Christie Whitman. "I am very excited about the potential for this technology to make a major and cost-effective contribution toward achieving the President's long-term energy and environmental goals. This is a very good example of a public/private partnership working to help consumers and to benefit the environment."

“The hydraulic hybrid research project complements Ford Motor Company’s commitment to develop and implement technologies providing high-volume solutions to address societal concerns,” said William Clay Ford Jr., Ford Motor Company chairman. “While we are working hard to implement proven technologies on our vehicles today, we must at the same time push forward with advanced research that holds a bright promise for tomorrow,” he said.

“Recognizing that significant hurdles remain in development and prove-out, hydraulic hybrid technology holds great promise for our customers and for our society,” said Gerhard Schmidt, Ford Motor Company vice president – Research.

The technology to be developed and tested under this agreement has the potential to significantly improve the fuel economy of light-duty trucks and sport utility vehicles, which could reduce U.S. dependence on imported oil, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save consumers money at the pump.

While it will take time for this technology to be introduced into the marketplace, Ford is committed to spending significant resources to further develop this technology for commercial production. In this agreement, Ford has committed to invest to further develop this proprietary technology, with an aim toward putting a pilot fleet of vehicles on the road by the end of the decade.

The basic technology was originally developed and patented by EPA’s National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and refined under a cooperative agreement with Ford. The advanced powertrain features a high-efficiency engine and a unique hydraulic hybrid propulsion system. The hybrid system uses hydraulic pumps and hydraulic storage tanks to store energy, in the place of electric motors and batteries used in electrical hybrid vehicles. Like other hybrid systems, energy saved when applying the brakes is used to help power the vehicle. This hydraulic power system could have cost and power advantages over electric hybrid systems.

Ford and EPA will be working with FEV Engine Technology, Inc., one of the world’s leading advanced automotive engine and powertrain research and development firms, and Eaton, a major supplier to the worldwide auto industry, to build and test the new technology.R-192 # # #