Ford Chairman Says New Fuels Are Developing Too Slowly

The chairman of Ford Motor, William Clay Ford Jr., expressed frustration Tuesday night at the slow pace of alternative fuel development, saying industry leaders expected better progress by now.

In a lecture at the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan, Mr. Ford also said he was concerned about congestion in cities around the world, saying it could be as big a problem as pollution.


Like other auto companies, Ford has emphasized its flexible-fuel vehicles, which can run on fuels other than gasoline.

Last year, it and other Detroit companies pledged that 50 percent of their vehicles would be flexible by 2012 if fuels were available.

The pledge followed incentives from the Bush administration for the development of E85, an ethanol-gasoline mixture that causes less carbon dioxide emissions than gasoline.

Mr. Ford said, however, that he supported the move on the expectation that fuel producers would move quickly from E85, which is derived from corn, to cellulosic ethanol, which is made from wood chips and other fibers.

NY Times