MEDIA.FORD.COM

Ford Motor Company hosted its 15th annual World Excellence Awards (WEA) ceremony Thursday evening to celebrate 47 of its top-performing global suppliers in 2012.

Greg Biffle topped Ford drivers in qualifying for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 as he finished seventh overall.

KBB.com: Ford Fusion is a Best Family Car; Ford Fusion Energi earns top safety rating; Ford Fusion, Escape accelerate 'super segment' share gains; Ford increases capacity in North America; Ford enables makers to innovate on TechShop tour; Ford – empowering diversity for 35 years

Ford is the only U.S. automaker to accept the Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge – President Obama’s initiative to improve the energy efficiency of commercial and industrial buildings. Ford will reduce energy consumption in 25 plants covering 61 million square feet – the equivalent of more than 1,000 football fields – over 10 years. The initiative will help the automaker continue its long-term commitment to protecting the environment by improving its manufacturing techniques. Ford has received national recognition for its responsible use of natural resources, including paint process improvements, retooling of manufacturing facilities with energy-efficient equipment and large-scale lighting replacements. An illustration of the Department of Energy’s Better Building Challenge can be found here.

As Oklahoma residents struggle to rebuild their lives after this week’s devastating tornadoes, Ford Motor Company and its dealers are donating $400,000 to assist with relief efforts. Ford Motor Company also is donating a Ford Transit Connect van to the American Red Cross for relief services and emergency preparedness education.

Ford Motor Company will add an additional 200,000 units of annual straight-time capacity this year. In addition, Ford will produce an extra 40,000 units by idling select plants for only one week during what has been the traditional two-week summer shutdown.

Ford’s Supplier Diversity Development (SDD) program celebrates 35 years of cultivating successful relationships between the company and its minority-, women- and veteran-owned supplier businesses.

The 2013 Ford Fusion Energi has earned the highest possible “five-star” Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The five-star rating is the U.S. Government’s highest-possible safety rating and is determined only after severe testing procedures as part of NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), which combines vehicle performance in frontal and side-impact crash tests and resistance to rollover.

Joey Logano needed one more caution to have a chance at winning Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race, but he settled for second-place instead in the annual non-points spectacular at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Carl Edwards and his No. 99 Fastenal Ford Fusion team executed the fastest pit stop and ended up winning the pole in a unique qualifying format for Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race. Greg Biffle was third and Joey Logano fifth.