July 28th, 2006
The Ford Motor Company has launched a website that is promises to document the future of Ford. Ford calls the site Ford Bold Moves, and contains information on how Ford is reinventing itself to compete in the changing automotive development and sales market, the design process of the company including design experiences (both successful and not), and a section on fossil fuel situations including issues such as climate change, labor, and healthcare. More interesting though, is the point-counterpoint presentation, where users and non-users are reacting to the technological offerings of Ford.
One particular point-counterpoint conversation is between Sebastian Blanco, editor-in-Chief of AutoblogGreen.com (a web site dedicated to smart driving) and David Morris, of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance based in Minneapolis. The two adversaries are debating on which direction Ford should take, whether it should go 100% oil independent (i.e. Hydrogen cars) or use a combination of proven and commercialized technologies such as ethanol compatible engines and plug in electrics. The resulting point-counterpoint statement is both enriching and exciting which hopefully will provide Ford with a keener sense of which environmentally-responsible direction to take.
Interesting too are the updates on what Ford has introduced to the market and has been keeping for (future) commercialization, including Hydrogen-combustion engines, its own version of fuel-cell cars, and of course pure hydrogen cars. A cherry-red Hydrogen fuel cell Mustang must be an awesome sight to see!
But is this enough for Ford and the American automobile sector to survive? Tell me what you think.