Of course there is no single magic solution to the challenge of climate change, so Ford are working on a broad range of measures to reduce environmental impact. For example, the Dagenham Diesel Centre takes all its electricity from its own wind turbines. But more significantly, Ford are making cars with greener power. Ford have introduced clean diesel technology, and have just launched the new ECOnetic range of low CO2 vehicles, and, looking to the future, Ford are carrying out world-leading research into hydrogen internal combustion engine and fuel cell technology.

For now, a step in the right direction is ‘Flexifuel’, a technology that allows standard production vehicles such as the Focus or C-MAX to run on bioethanol. Ford was the first vehicle manufacturer in Europe to offer production passenger vehicles with Flexifuel Vehicle (FFV) technology. Ford’s Flexifuel Vehicles can run on bioethanol (or so-called E85: 85% bioethanol, 15% petrol) as well as petrol or any combination of both. Bioethanol is obtained from renewable raw materials such as wood residues, sugar beet, wheat or crop waste. Through the use of Flexifuel vehicles, fossil CO2 emissions can be significantly reduced, without your performance and driving pleasure being compromised.

Ford believe Flexifuel technology is a positive alternative and know it can work – in Sweden, 90% of new Focus sales are already Flexifuel which is why Ford are putting so much effort into delivering Flexifuel as an affordable and accessible technology in the fight to reduce the impact of Ford vehicles on the environment. More than 40,000 Ford Focus and C-MAX Flexifuel models have been sold to date, and from early 2008 Ford's range of Flexifuel vehicles will expand to include the new Ford Mondeo, Galaxy and S-MAX.