The Ford Motor Co. announced that the 2008 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor will be transformed into a green machine by making it a flexible fuel vehicle that runs on either petrol or E85 ethanol fuel.
Ford is currently the largest manufacturer of police vehicles with over 80 percent of the market. And because of the shift to environment-friendly vehicles, the automaker is extending its alternative fuel technology to its fleet. And the Ford Crown Vic falls not in the exception field. Ford felt the need to offer alternative fuel fleets even to the police customers.
"The ability to offer an E85 capable vehicle to our police customers is significant," said Gerald Koss, the Ford's fleet marketing manager. "Many municipalities and states across the country are encouraging, if not mandating, that their police and other government fleet vehicles begin using alternative sources of fuel. We can now help our police fleet customers achieve this goal."
The automaker will be giving credits toward EPACT mandates and increasing the flexibility in their vehicle fleet selection and purchase to government agencies that include the Crown Vic FFV Police Interceptors on their annual Department of Energy plan. Ford is now accepting orders for the E85-powered Crown Vic Police Interceptor. The production of the vehicle is set to begin this May.
"Ethanol is one way in which we can help lessen America's dependence on foreign oil," said Koss. "In addition to our flexible fuel vehicles, fleets looking to go green can also choose from two hybrid models, the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner, as well as a number of Ford PZEV (partial zero emissions vehicles) models."
Ford also unveiled that it has accumulated a 50-state certification for all of the Ford and the Mercury 2008 flexible fuel passenger car models. The current flex fuel vehicle (FFV) lineup includes the Crown Victoria, Ford F-150, and the Mercury Grand Marquis. Achieving the said certification means that the automaker's FFVs meet both emission rules set by the federal government and the state of California.
The standards of California pose unique challenges for FFVs. Moreover, by complying with both standards, Ford could sell their product lines nationwide minus the limitations imposed on some non-compliant vehicles. This fact will also limit complexities legal-wise. In an effort to distinguish its flexible fuel vehicles from standard gasoline vehicles, the automaker will start equipping the E-85 capable vehicles with yellow gas caps. The placing of the caps will begin later this year. Now, when you want to know how environment-friendly your Ford is, look no farther than the - just search for the yellow gas caps.
Ford has delivered over two million FFVs on the road. Further, the Detroit automaker has pledged to make half of its production capable of running on alternative fuels by 2012. This is when the necessary fuel and infrastructure are in place.
