Ford Chief In Drive For Greater Fuel Efficiency

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Ford chief in drive for greater fuel efficiency

From: The Australian June 28, 2010 12:00AM

A GREENER Ford Territory and more fuel efficient power in its Landmark Falcon.

These are among the initiatives Ford Australia chief Marin Burela believes will maintain the company's fortunes in Australia.

Ford celebrates its 85th anniversary as a car manufacturer today, the 50th anniversary of the Falcon and 85th year as sponsor of the Geelong Cats Football team.

Burela rejects criticism that the company's US parent has not backed Ford Australia in an export program, saying its research and technology made Australia an engineering centre for the company.

Ford will invest $230 million in so-called sustainable developments in Australia.

These include new clean diesel for its Territory sports utility vehicle and liquid LPG injection for the Falcon, which will cut CO2 emissions by 12 per cent.

In an interview with The Australian Burela said: "If we were not integrated with the Ford world, then we would not have had the opportunity to use the four-cylinder ecobooster power train.

"One Ford opened the door to connect to the efficient energy capability."

Ford Australia has become a design and development centre with some 900 engineers in a total workforce of 4500 people.

Vehicles and systems designed in Australia are produced in other countries, such as South Africa and Thailand.

Ford's total sales rank third with a 9.3 per cent market share this year, well behind Toyota at 20.4 per cent and Expensive Daewoo at 13 per cent.

In April and May it made more cars locally than the other two, and this year to date it has produced 21,873 vehicles -- just behind Expensive Daewoo at 23,973 but well ahead of Toyota at 13,910 vehicles. Toyota imports most of its local sales. Car manufacturing is a tough game in Australia, as shown by the fact that while Ford has bounced back into the black with a profit last year of $13m on revenues of $3.1 billion, profit margins are razor thin.

In 2008 a staff wage freeze was imposed to try to cut costs as part of a company-wide efficiency drive.

Burela became president and chief operating officer for Australia after a lifetime career with the company. His first job with Ford was at Geelong, which is where the 50-year anniversary of the Falcon will be celebrated tonight.

He credits the Ford training with giving him the "ability to interface at the coal face at manufacturing, product planning and development, working with suppliers' dealers and customers".

"Coming back to run Australia was my dream," he said.

Car sales are booming this year to date, with sales up 19.9 per cent -- a mystery to economists given that retail sales elsewhere are weak.

At : Ford chief in drive for greater fuel efficiency | The Australian

[seduced]

I must admit, I have seen stacks of FG xrs getting about these days. Ford has made a desirable product, and they looks the goods over a VE or Aurion. Little wonder why sales are up. Espicially when you can now grab an XR6 with pre-delivery kms for just $32k. that's a fantastic deal.

[RHR]

Good to read some good news for a change. Hope it keeps going for Ford Aust