The rapidly changing face of automotive engineering and design, driven by the political and environmental need to break away from a dependence on fossil fuels has led to different visions for the future of vehicle powertrains. One of those visions lies in hydrogen fuel cell technology, an avenue of development being brought to fruition by the Ford Motor Company through the platform of the Ford Focus FCV.

Ford refers to its Focus FCV as a Generation 3 hydrogen vehicle because the company has been experimenting with other cars in the genre for ten years, principally the Ford P2000. The Ford Focus FCV derives its power from a Ballard 902 Fuel Cell, Proton Exchange Membrane Stack placed in the trunk of the car. The 5000 psi hydrogen tank (4 kg / 8.8 lbs) has two-inch thick aluminum walls encased in Kevlar and carbon fiber to withstand forces from both impact and crushing pressure.

Read more about the Ford Focus FCV.

The Changan Ford Racing Focus delivered a strong performance throughout the 2007 season, winning the annual champion of CCC 2007 and the racer’s annual runner-up title. The excellence performance of Focus racing car is fully demonstrated to consumers through the competition which strongly promoted the sales of Focus.
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Hirvonen and Lehtinen staged a tremendous fightback after suspension problems on the opening day to finish fifth, while fellow Finns Latvala and Anttila recovered from a first day roll and a broken starter motor yesterday to finish 15th. The double points haul was far more than had looked possible midway through yesterday's second leg as rocky roads and treacherous conditions sparked a high rate of attrition among the leading drivers.

Heavy rain before and during the event meant the sandy gravel roads near Carlos Paz in Cordoba province were muddy and rutted. As the roads became softer, rocks that had not been visible during the recce became exposed, causing problems for many. Despite the rain, an estimated 1.5 million people flocked into the pampas and the mountains to watch the three-day event, which was fought out over 21 speed tests covering 347.91km.
Continue with this World Rally Racing News Story ....

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Daniel Jarvis
313.845.2709

• Ford Focus sales are gaining momentum, with three consecutive months of year-over-year retail sales volume increases.  February sales are on track to trump February 2007 retail sales.
• Ford’s strategy of simplifying the Focus vehicle line, along with offering affordable industry-first SYNC technology, is paying off.
• Nearly 40 percent of the 2008 model year Focus units sold during the past three months included SYNC.  SYNC-equipped Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles sell nearly twice as fast as those without.

DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 28, 2008 – Young buyers hungry for new technology and strong fuel economy are driving higher retail sales of the new 2008 Ford Focus.

Focus’ retail sales have been up year-over-year for the past three months – and February retail sales also are tracking above year-ago levels.  The small car’s sales were up 18 percent in November – the car’s first full month on the market – followed by a 9 percent increase in December and 33 percent in January. 
  
“Younger buyers are very interested in technology like SYNC.  In addition to strong sales, we’re seeing the average age of Focus customers coming down,” said Samuel De La Garza, Ford’s Focus Marketing manager.  “These customers also seek style, fuel economy and a high level of quality, reliability and feature content – all of which Focus delivers in spades.”

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