We have a truck. It is a shiny black Ford F150 with an extended cab for our dog. It is old now, made in 1996, and has lasted well carting our loads (artwork and woodwork) and through numerous road trips east and west. Our truck has two tanks for gas. If one tank runs out, we flip the switch and move to the second. On long trips we can usually drive for half a day without stopping. I could get to my mother’s house in 24 hours. We are now wondering what we will be driving next and doing so with a new set of values.
Ford asked me to test drive the 2010 Fusion Hybrid and here are my thoughts.
Again, I love Ford. I like the feeling of being in a car made here. The fact that the new hybrids pollute less, tugs at my heartstrings. These are progressive treats that make things feel hopeful for our world. The hybrid starts on a battery and hums when turned on. I liked the safety features (backup projection with alarm, side view mirror signals to assist with the blind spot.) There is a flower icon on the dash that grows greener as your fuel efficiency improves (we took a 3 hour trip and averaged 37 mph.) The interior is “eco-responsible” and was one of my biggest interests since I love fabric and learning how things are made. By researching production journeys, upstream and downstream, I can better evaluate the impact. Online I found assorted information promoting methods explored by Ford:
• Post consumer recycled material
• ‘Suede’ fabrics made from pop bottles
• Soy-foam seat cushions
• Recycled resins from used detergent bottles
• Recycled resins from used tires
• Battery casings recycled into splash shields
• Battery casings recycled into radiator deflectors
• Nanotechnology
• Plastic derived from corn, sugar beets, sugarcane, and switch grass
I don’t know what is true or not. I want to admire green attempts of any company, yet I don’t want to be naïve. In the perfect green world information would flow easily, from the source, for all to understand. I wish Ford would create a green section on their website just for me. I want to see data. I want to see pictures. I want read a FAQ section. I have a dream for the perfect car and I hope that Ford can move quickly, daringly, and with the truest set of values in the forefront; the earth and how it supports life. As a stepping-stone into the future, this a good start.
So, I was hot for the hybrid. I drove about town and chatted up a storm about it. I was left with one question. When is the NEW FORD FULLY ELECTRIC CAR going to hit the production lines and be available?
Photo: Our road trip to Michigan.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
“I don’t know what is true or not”? That’s kind of sad, actually. The fact that someone would question a company’s integrity is troubling – yet it’s completely consistent with the 2009 Trust Barometer put out by Edelman that states that 77% of people trust companies less this year than they did last year.
I’m not sure how you think a company website would have more ‘truthiness’ to it than the other information you received, but you can find our entire Blueprint for Sustainability at our microsite (accessible from the Innovation section of ford.com): http://www.ford.com/microsites/sustainability-report-2008-09/default
You can also find the updates on our electrification program at http://ford.digitalsnippets.com/electrification.
Both of those sites will tell you that Ford will have three electric vehicles in the market by 2012, starting with the Transit Connect in 2010, the battery-electric Focus in 2011, and a plug-in electric hybrid in 2012. Combine that with our significant efforts on the EcoBoost engine (more power, better mpgs, lower CO2 output), and you’ll see how committed we are to sustainability from a product perspective.
But the story on the microsite is much more robust than that. Take a look around and let us know what you think.
Scott Monty
Global Digital Communications
Ford Motor Company
@ScottMonty
July 3rd, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Good morning Monty,
The state of questioning is not a “sad” state at all. Questioning is a healthy state and one that is essential to change. Accessibility and clarity of information is another component.
I found my list of Ford’s green “explorations” in various places on the internet, not the Ford site. also, I read conflicting information, one where Ford uses soy base cushion for the seats and one where Ford does not. Which is right? Which cars have them and what cars do not?
I looked on the Ford.com site and could not find information easily. I even put those keywords into the site search, nothing. It doesn’t mean that the information isn’t there, it just means that the Ford website’s navigation isn’t the best for all member’s of the public to search and find information. Especially those of us that are focused on green initiatives as our main criteria.
Thank you for the links. I will read them.
THREE ELECTRIC CARS by 2012!!!!
this news should be on the Ford homepage!
where can i read about the development of the plug-in car?
My review is a hopeful one, one where I commented on Ford’s commitment. It is also a constructive review. Personal, I feel that Ford would benefit from listening to some of my points made (and a few not yet voiced.)
To introduce topics of “sadness”, “trust” and “truthfulness” is truly counterproductive and has nothing to do with the issues I mention in my post.
warmth,
lee
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:17 pm
I thought Lee’s review was very well balanced, one we don’t unfortunately find in the media. She is happy with Ford but she is asking the right questions. That is not sad. That is like telling a child in school that it is sad that they are asking how something works or where it came from.
I think Lee brings up valid comments and suggestions. I think the world is changing and I don’t think it is sad that customers are questioning companies. A customers prospective often improves products, selection and can be inspiring and provide growth opportunities for the company if they listen.
Seems like a nice car.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:59 pm
We should always be able to ask questions! Corporations should face the fact that consumers have lost trust and respect and the only way to restore those is through open and honest dialogue.
Lee’s questions seem to me an expression of genuine concern for consumers who want to maintain their integrity in being green. The response from Ford seems to me a genuine willingness to share information.
I’m certain that the corporations who do the best job at being open, honest, and responsible to the consumer and with the communities they serve will be the ones that come out on top of the current economic turmoil.
I love these dialogues! If we keep the questions and answers going, Ford, the consumers, and the planet all win.
July 3rd, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Well, I’ll tell you what – talk is cheap. So are mission statements, “quality” pledges, sponsorships and commercials.
Produce an environmentally friendly car of extremely high-quality and reliability for people to buy and drive… Then they’ll believe what they experience. Let the product speak for itself. If the advertising and products don’t match up then you have a big problem – buyers then don’t trust anything you say in the future and it’s hard to get a second chance (or fiftieth chance with some US car companies).
Quality wins out and at this point few are going to believe anything Ford says without the car to back it up with.
July 3rd, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Scott-I’d just suggest that you reread Lee’s post. If you felt sad after reading it, maybe you should take an extra day on the long July 4 weekend and relax. It is extremely positive (”Again, I love Ford”-in the corporate world, it doesn’t get any better than that).
Her impressions of the 2010 Fusion Hybrid piqued my interest. Sounds like a good car. Lee had other questions about its sustainability and “greenness,” which, to me, shows that she’s a responsible consumer. The only sad thing is that she couldn’t easily find the answers on Ford’s website. And, yes, we all should be able to trust Ford’s site more than Googling other sites of uncertain reliability. Maybe you should hire Lee to help you “green” the navigation of Ford’s website?
July 3rd, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Though a Sustainability Strategist, a designer/promotor of highly conscious sustainability initiatives (which include more responsible means of transportation), and a person who holds hope that Ford can re-steer the VERY LARGE ship, I must chime-in to defend Scott here. I’ve re-read his post several times and do not see where he condemns or even discourages questions, where he commands trust where it may not belong nor where he claims that Ford is providing information in the most effective format. To the contrary, he admits that consumers have little trust in big companies, claims that it’s sad when consumers don’t know what is true or not (i.e. don’t have a trustworthy source for accurate info), and admits that the company’s web site should not be the bible of truth. Lee did an EXCELLENT job of both offering her review of the test-drive as well as asking poignant questions. Asking questions empowers the masses. Scott chimed-in to provide some answers and he doesn’t command that Lee believe everything she reads. If after reading the information that Scott provided, one would then hope that Scott could help to find answers to the questions that remained.
Yes, there is much to be done in sustainability and many of the larger companies are so entrenched that digging out is extremely difficult (and in some cases, nearly impossible). However, most small steps for large companies dwarf the big steps taken by smaller ones relative to the change in their impact, environmentally and socially. I commend Ford for it’s commitment to new vehicles AND for not shouting how great they are as a result (some of you have asked the Ford boast about it’s achievements on the front page of the web page. To your own point, they appear to be waiting until the vehicle rolls off the assembly line before doing so — very wise).
DISCLOSURE: though I represent many F500 companies, Ford is not one of them.
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:15 pm
So the issue becomes about consumers having their questions answered.
The interior of the 2010 FORD FUSION HYBRID is made of recycled material.
I would like to know which parts inside the car are from recycled materials.
I would like to know the material that these parts are recycled from.
I would like to know the processing method of recycling these used materials.
I would like to know where it takes place too; the location of the factory.
Or perhaps the soy-based seat cushions can be addressed.
Does Ford use them or not?
The answers don’t have to come to me directly.
My thought was to have a section on the Ford website that would actually answer these green concerns in detail. But, first Ford must hear our questions.
Warmth,
lee
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:31 pm
As a consumer I think where Ford completely misses the boat is getting the consumer engaged. The mini is a great example of a brand that gives the customer the power to be educated. I can learn what I want at my pace and if Mini made seats out of recycled plastic coke bottles, I bet they might even show the process in action, and people would be twittering about it,etc. etc. Consumers love that and by the time they get to the dealer they are sold.
When I go to the Ford site i am overwhelmed with where to start. It isn’t engaging and I see a lot of PhD’s photos and a lot of words and statistics and what looks like power point slides. It needs to pop and engage and it doesn’t unless you have a hours to read through the info.
I know my comments are not completely related to the post but I think an overhaul of the way the information is presented might help the future of FORD. Car purchases are emotional for many – they represent status, what your style is, what you stand for, it isn’t just about driving a “green” car.
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:37 pm
All: I never once negated anyone’s ability to ask questions; I merely stated that it’s sad that people can’t trust what a company says.
Now, can we do a better job of making this material available to people? Sure. Can we make a car of high quality and environmental standards, as Phoinix asks? We already do and we’re continuing to do more. Jennifer says we should get the consumer engaged. That’s what we’re doing with lending our our vehicles to bloggers like Lee. We also have invited in the guys from the Movement Design Bureau in to do some in-depth investigation of what we’re doing. You can see one example of their work at: http://movementbureau.blogs.com/projects/2009/05/bill-ford.html
We’re overhauling The Ford Story (http://www.thefordstory.com), the site that will eventually become our consumer-friendly, social media hub. If you check out the Green channel there, you’ll see some of the stories related to our efforts. We’re going to make it searchable and more intuitive to find the content that’s relevant to making a car purchasing decision, as well as about corporate issues. And part of this will be highlighting posts like this and like the Movement Design Bureau’s, among others.
And we have a number of green videos up on our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/ford – including one about our soy-based seats.
Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions. And thanks for asking them.
Scott
July 7th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
As a marketer and brand strategist, I worry that Ford is asking the wrong question and focusing on the wrong aspect of Lee’s post. The issue isn’t that she should or should not ask questions (she should) or that Ford should or shouldn’t be worried that their customer base doesn’t fully trust their vague green claims (they should). Rather, Ford should be asking the question “what do consumers need to know to persuade them to consider a Ford hybrid?” “What benefits offered are the most compelling and relevant to those consumers that they want to consider Ford?” Ford has done a wonderful job of getting consumer input for their new line of hybrids, but should make sure that their communications deliver on that input. Lee’s position is that as a consumer that cares about hybrids (and a Ford fan – it will get that much harder with consumers that are not pre-disposed to love Ford), she is telling them what she needs. I hope they approach their communication strategy with the same diligence and openness that they approached product development.