Ford E-News - Dec. 8, 2010

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --

First Ford Transit Connect Electric vehicles get in hands of customers

Ford Motor Company and Azure Dynamics have begun shipping the first Ford Transit Connect Electrics to early customers in North America and to the United Kingdom for a demonstration project. The all-electric commercial vans, built on the Ford Transit Connect vehicle body, equipped with Azure Dynamics' patented Force Drive™ battery electric powertrain, and assembled by AM General at its facility in Livonia, Mich., are reaching the market 13 months after the collaboration to develop the zero-emissions vehicle was first announced.  more...

Jennifer Moore |  [email protected] |  313.248.2335

All-new Ford Focus production kicks off in Germany

Volume production of the all-new Ford Focus, the first global Ford compact car, has begun at Ford's Saarlouis Assembly Plant in Germany. The Saarlouis plant, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, will be the single source for production of the all-new Focus in Western Europe, building all three bodystyles – four-door, five-door and wagon. Production of the high-performance ST model will be added in early 2012. Five hundred permanent jobs were created to support Ford Focus production in Saarlouis.  more...

Angie Kozleski |  [email protected] |  313.323.1984

Ford uses cutting-edge science to investigate part imperfections before problems arise

Even the tiniest defect can cause a big problem for a vehicle owner, which is why Ford is using cutting-edge scientific methods to find flaws that could affect the quality of vehicles. Using a powerful tabletop-sized tomography CT scanner – the same type used by hospitals and police departments – Ford is studying the quality of parts before they go into finished vehicles. With the Skyscan Micro-CT scanner, engineers can find defects smaller than a particle of sand, giving them another tool to help Ford vehicle quality excel.  more...

Kristen Kinley |  [email protected] |  313.337.2786

Ford volunteers give and share on Accelerated Action Day

The Ford Volunteer Corps is cooking, delivering and collecting food as it sends teams of volunteers into local communities to help feed the hungry. On Ford Accelerated Action Day, hundreds of Ford employee and retiree volunteers stocked shelves in food storage warehouses, packed holiday food boxes for families in need and served meals in soup kitchens. In addition to Ford Accelerated Action Day, Ford is a sponsor of the holiday Meals on Wheels program for thousands of seniors in Michigan.  more...

Della DiPietro |  [email protected] |  313.720.8095

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F), a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 163,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, production of which has been announced by the company to be ending in the fourth quarter of 2010. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.

SOURCE Ford Motor Company