The Swedish success story of E85 and Ford’s FFV models is a prime example of what can be accomplished through co-operation between organisations from different industries. Together with government and non-governmental organisations, Ford has played – and continues to play – a major, pioneering role.

Incentives for environmentally friendly vehicles in Sweden include: free parking in selected cities, reduced vehicle insurance, exemption from congestion charges in Stockholm, reduced company car tax and lower annual registration taxes. Bioethanol is also exempt from mineral oil tax.

As part of the programme, the Swedish Government ruled that 75% of their vehicle purchases (excluding police, fire and ambulance vehicles) must be alternative fuel vehicles. In addition, by law, all petrol stations with an annual volume of more than 1,000 cubic metres must have an alternative fuel pump by 31 December 2009 and all new filling stations must offer alternative fuels. The number of E85 pumps has risen from almost none to more than 600 since 2001 and it is projected that by 2009 nearly 60% of Sweden’s 4,000 filling stations will be retailing E85.

In France, a bio-fuel charter has been developed and signed by a broad range of organisations, including Ford.

The French charter commits to far-reaching tax incentives for both alternative fuels and FFVs, and the installation of 1,500 E85 pumps by the end of 2008. The French government has also pledged to FFVs for 30% of its 2008 vehicle purchases.

Ford's European vehicles use over 250 parts that contain non-metallic recycled materials (that’s plastic, rubber and fabrics). Every year, this saves around 14,000 tonnes of materials from going into landfill sites. Ford have developed a complete vehicle recycling programme, encompassing design-for-recycling guidelines, increased use of recycled materials and reducing hazardous materials. The ultimate aim is to manufacture vehicles that will be almost totally recyclable.