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The Ford Motor Company Michigan Assembly Plant celebrated the launch of the 2012 Ford Focus today. The all-new Focus sets a standard in the small car segment, offering more technology and features than more expensive European entries. Jim Tetreault, (Tay-trow) Ford vice president, North American Manufacturing says this vehicle will deliver up to 40 mpg.
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| Cut #1: | "This is going to be our fourth vehicle now that attains greater than 40 miles per gallon, so it's really a great day for Ford." :07 sec. |
| It is the only gasoline-powered vehicle with an automatic transmission to do so. The exceptional fuel economy is achieved in part because the engine is mated with the latest dry-clutch six-speed Ford PowerShift automatic transmission. The all-new Ford Focus is fitted with a completely new 2.0-liter gasoline direct-injection DOHC four-cylinder engine that combines high-pressure direct injection and twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT) for enhanced performance and fuel efficiency. Tetreault says this Michigan Assembly Plant will be one of the most flexible manufacturing plant in the company. | |
| Cut #2: | "It'll set new benchmarks for Ford in that we'll be able to build numerous different models in the same plant, but particularly in addition to the model variety is going to be the uniqueness of our ability to produce a number of powertrains." :14 sec. |
| Tetreault says the uniqueness is based on the fact that four different powertrains can be built on one assembly line. So besides the 40 mpg Ford gasoline powered Ford Focus there will three more electrified vehicles produced in that same plant. | |
| Cut #3: | "We've got the plug-in hybrid, the battery electric hybrid and also the battery electric vehicle." :05 sec. |
| So there are three different versions of electric vehicles that will be produced on the very same line that the gasoline Focus is being produced. | |
| Cut #4: | "What's unique about that most of our competitors do their electric vehicles on separate lines, we've incorporated right into the main assembly line." :06 sec. |
| Which translates into a significant cost savings for Ford. | |
| Cut #5: | "Well it certainly does, because we're utilizing the same facilities and the same tooling the uniqueness is in the powertrain installation and we've done that in a very flexible manner so we can respond to the market place." :10 sec. |
| One of the other unique things being done at the Michigan Assembly plant is that they're thinking green and saving energy, by utilizing power of the sun. | |
| Cut #6: | "We have a demonstration project with DTE, the State of Michigan and extreme power where we're utilizing solar electric energy to power a storage battery system so that we can run in off sunlight hours. Those batteries will contain power that powers the electric trucks that transport material around the sight. So this is the first application where we're replacing diesel engine trucks with electric trucks and it's all going to be powered by the sun, very unique application something we're very proud of and something we're moving on in all of our plants a plan to continue to develop green energy throughout our manufacturing system." :39 sec. |