A New Look At Ford: Mobility and Corporate Responsibility At A Whole New Level

Ford just wrapped up its annual trends conference, “Go Further with Ford” in Detroit and sent me home with some surprising revelations. This was the second time I had attended and like last year, they made quite the impression from their Green technology to their design process. However, what I gleaned out of all the presentations this year was not what I was expecting from an automotive manufacturer. Sure, Ford makes great cars and has been since Henry Ford started producing Model T’s in 1908; but what you may not know about the Ford of today is how dedicated they are to driving technology and innovation in so many more areas than just your car.

Of course, you may already be aware of Ford’s Green efforts and technology break-throughs in their hybrid and electric vehicles. However, the culture and driving forces behind these changes in the company was new information to me. A company, especially a large one like Ford, is like a massive ship and changes in route require a lot of work, passion and strong leadership. Enter Bill Ford, environmentalist and great-grandson of Henry Ford. He began with Ford in 1979, eventually serving as CEO from 2001 to 2006 and now sits as the Executive Chairman of the Board. In taking over leadership of the company, he says he knew big changes would have to take place in order to turn Ford around both financially and environmentally. And he’s done just that. Ford is a leader in green technology and has again proven itself as a powerhouse in the American automotive industry.

Imagine a future where vehicles talk to each other, constantly providing the latest traffic information to a smart grid that can reroute you around a traffic jam (and assist in relieving it through autonomous driving), prevent collisions and keep you in sync with your busy life completely hands free. Ford is not only imagining it, they’re inventing it! From steering wheels and seats that read your biometric vital stats to lane keeping sensors that can read your stress level and driving quality and suggest a coffee break; or in-car connectivity that keeps you connected hands-free to twitter, email, text and phone calls, Ford is designing technology right now that makes my current car seem ancient. And that just scratches the surface of what can be done. Ford is thinking beyond what happens in your vehicle. They want to become the leading mobility provider, connecting your world with a range of integrated services all working to make your daily life better.

Corporate responsibility is not a topic we would normally write about on Rockin’ Mama, but given the impression made on me by Ford’s culture and dedication to eco-friendly cars (down to sustainable carpet) and extra-vehicular projects, I have to share. Starting with the obvious: vehicle electrification is a hot topic in the auto industry and nothing new. Ford is designing a full range of Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid vehicles, some already available, including the Focus Electric at an amazing 110 miles per gallon equivalent, and others later this fall, such as the C-Max Hybrid models. But electrification is not the only green elements going in to Ford vehicles. They have an entire team dedicated to inventing sustainable, 100% recyclable materials. In fact, currently 85% of a Ford vehicle is recyclable and they are aiming for 100%. Its an amazing product to consider when you begin to realize everything from the carpet, which is made with recycled denim, to plastics mixed with shredded decommissioned currency and seat fabrics made with water bottles. Fuel economy research is at the top of their list as well. According to Ford, reductions in vehicle weight, mechanical and aerodynamic improvements, and energy management can add up to a potential 28% reduction in fuel consumption.

Ford is not just driving the bar up in the green arena. They are testing their technology in mobility efforts to help relieve the world’s worst traffic congestion using multiple sensors to integrate automatic speed regulation and adaptive cruise control. If you are like some drivers I know, parallel parking is like a calculus equation… But Ford has already solved that with Active Park Assist! I had a chance to try it for myself and I was blown away. With just my foot controlling the gas and brake, the car literally parked itself.

Finally, Ford is using their Sync system to test a project in urban Mumbai, India where an alarming number of pregnancies go unaccounted for, resulting in a high number of unnecessary infant and even mother deaths. The pilot program sends nurses in Ford vehicles into the community to bring basic care to these women and transmits health data back to doctors for further diagnosis. In the event of an emergency, the woman is transported back to a hospital in the vehicle for life saving care.

Clearly, Ford is not afraid to try new things! No company is going to make progress and excel, especially in our current economic state, by doing the same thing they’ve always done. Its nice to see a manufacturer that truly cares about the environment through a product’s complete life cycle. I’m convinced one day we’ll see a vehicle that has been made completely from sustainable and recycled materials and will be recycled into a new generation of cars after that. Until then, stay tuned for more posts on Ford’s passion for automotive excellence.

No compensation was received for this post. Travel expenses associated with the trip were provided by Ford.

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Caryn Bailey

Caryn is a NICU nurse by day, blogger by night and mom 24/7. She savors the warm Southern California sun and loves to travel, shopping, baking, reading and frequenting her local tea room. Caryn created the column Lavishly Green for Peekaboo Picks Magazine to share her best tips for going green in style, she is the Former editor for Family Review Network, former OC Family Magazine online contributor, former Orange County Moms Blog contributor, former Evenflo Savvy Parent contributor, former member of the Totsy Advisory Board and former freelance writer for CBS Los Angeles.

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