Ford reduces energy use-per-vehicle-made 22 per cent
by Canadian Manufacturing Daily Staff
The Blue Oval plans to reduce usage by another 25 per cent by 2016
Dearborn, Mich.—Ford says it has reduced the amount of energy it takes to produce vehicles in its manufacturing facilities by 22 per cent over the last six years.
According to its annual sustainability report, Blueprint for Sustainability: Accelerating Ahead, the Blue Oval saw its operational energy use per vehicle built drop from 3,576-kilowatt hours (kWh) in 2006 to 2,778-kWh in 2011.
The approximately 800-kWh drop is comparable to the amount of electricity used in a month by an average household in California, New York, Illinois or Michigan (562- to 799-kWh), according to Ford.
The company plans to reduce electricity usage by another 25 per cent by 2016.
The report, released each year since 1999, also shows waste-to-landfill per vehicle has dropped from 37-lbs. to 22.7-lbs. in the same time frame, as well as decreased water use and CO2 emissions per vehicle produced.
Ford’s lineup of vehicles, according to the report, has also seen an increase in average fuel economy over the last three years, from 26.9-miles per gallon (mpg) to 27.8-mpg in 2011.
