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Huge corporate demand prompts Ford Econetic rethink
Date: 19 March 2008 | Author:
Ford is looking again at volume predictions for the low-CO2 version of its Mondeo due this summer, after huge demand from the business car market saw it sell 3000 Focus Econetic models before the car had even gone on sale.
"It's stronger than expected, as the mainstream 1.6 TDCi also gets under 120g/km," Ford's UK boss Roelant de Waard told BusinessCar. "We may have to think again about Mondeo [Econetic] volumes."
"The RVs are set high so there is a belief that these vehicles will be even more attractive in the future - it makes the business case for going green at no extra cost," said de Waard.
The Focus Econetic offers 114k/km of CO2 from its 1.6-litre 90PS diesel, while Ford has promised a sub-140g/km Mondeo and a sub-100g/km version of the new Fiesta by the end of 2008. Beyond the Fiesta, future models are yet to be confirmed.
De Waard said: "An Econetic S-max? It will be determined by the business case, and the interest in the Focus Econetic is helpful in that discussion. There is clear demand for this technology," he said.
Looking further ahead, Ford of Europe boss John Fleming said there are no plans to bring the hybrid technology on sale in America to the European market, with the brand focussing on other ways to cut CO2. "We've got microhybrid technology, [smaller capacity] direct injection turbo boost petrol engines and clever diesels," he told BusinessCar. "We're also working on weight and size - the new Fiesta is a good example of not going
