LA: exporting green tech to the world? - The Ford view

Ford has made 'sustainability' - the motor industry's green buzzword of the moment - a key part of its future business plan, according to CEO Alan Mulally.

'We are focusing on sustainable technology solutions that can be used not for hundreds or thousands of cars, but for millions.'

Hybrids, plug-in electric cars, fuel cells, energy-creation schemes and better use of power sources will all play a part, but Mulally also believes much can be done to reduce carbon dioxide emissions with petrol and diesel engines.

'There is lots of room for improvement with the internal combusion engine,' he claims.

'If you take weight out of cars, efficiency goes up. The same applies to improving aerodynamics. We also aim to ensure that 50% of our cars will be able to run on biofuels by 2012, and eventually that will be extended to all models.

'We are also looking at every possible combination of hybrid car, but at the moment these are expensive and heavy because you are, in effect, carrying around two power trains [a petrol or diesel engine and an electric motor or motors].

'In the longer term, fuel cells are one compelling vision - cars that use hydrogen to make electric power and produce zero emissions at the tailpipe.'