Ford Says Research Inspired New Push for Fuel Economy (original) (raw)
Business|Ford Says Research Inspired New Push for Fuel Economy
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- July 28, 2000
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July 28, 2000
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For years, automakers insisted that the technology did not exist to improve the fuel economy of sport utility vehicles and that Americans were not especially interested in gas mileage.
But today, the Ford Motor Company reversed course and announced plans to improve the gas mileage of its sport utility vehicles by 25 percent over five years, or roughly five miles a gallon, saying that the technology already exists to do so and that customers actually want better fuel economy.
Until recently, Detroit carmakers cited research showing that fuel economy was near the bottom of 25 criteria considered by buyers of sport utility vehicles. But Jacques A. Nasser, Ford's chief executive, said today that fuel economy was among the top 10 criteria for buyers of the vehicles. Ford's market research, rather than the gut instinct of executives, prompted the company's decision to make changes, he said.
Kelly Brown, Ford's director of vehicle environmental engineering, told reporters here that the technology already existed for improving fuel economy affordably through engine and transmission changes and lighter auto parts.
''Everything we're doing is something already tested and proven, and some of it is already in production elsewhere'' within Ford, he said.
Martin B. Zimmerman, Ford's vice president for government affairs, said after Mr. Nasser's speech that while customers seldom volunteered an interest in fuel economy, in-depth research disclosed that buyers wanted better gas mileage.
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