Ford will introduce two electric vehicles, both scheduled for release next year. Ford's expectations for these vehicles, the Focus BEV and the Transit Connect EV, are high and they anticipate strong sales for both offerings. Along with the Fusion Hybrid, the company's decision to offer environmentally friendly vehicles appears evident. In addition, the "green" efforts at Ford's Rouge Plant shows the company's holistic approach to sustainability. Looking beyond the eco-friendly plants and efficient vehicles brings us to question the "greenness" of the thousands of Ford dealership located throughout the U.S. Have they been left out of this environmentally friendly transformation? Not anymore.
Automakers have strived to clean up production facilities and tidy their act. Now, that cleaning up is extending all the way to the dealerships, for Ford at least. Ford's newest program, called the "Green Initiative" was recently revealed at the National Automobile Dealers Association event in Orlando, FL. The goal of the "Green Initiative" is to create an environmentally friendly dealership network.
As David Kelleher, director of market representation for Ford said, "We've been providing dealers with design standards and facility guidelines for a long time. What we've never provided to them is how to make their dealership energy efficient; we've left that to them and their contractors."
Dealers wishing to participate in the program simply pay a small fee and Ford sends out a team of energy assessors to evaluate the dealership. Recommendations are made to help the dealer conserve energy and reduce dependency on natural resources. it's as simple as that.
From production, to dealer networks, right down to the automobile, Ford has the "green" thing covered.
Source: Wards Auto (login required)
