In a webinar this morning, Ford’s Global Director of Sustainability & Vehicle Environmental Matters John Viera and EVP & CFO Bob Shanks briefly outlined the company’s newly released 2012/13 Sustainability report.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
For the second year running, Toyota has topped Interbrand’s list of “Best Global Green Brands,” followed by Ford and Honda. Rounding out the rest of the top ten are Panasonic, Nissan, Johnson & Johnson, Volkswagen, Danone, Nokia and Dell. Overall, the technology sector clearly dominated.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
After several days of joint testing, General Motors and BMW AG engineers say they are confident that DC “Combo” Fast Charge stations from several suppliers will consistently allow an electric vehicle to take on an 80 percent charge in about 20 minutes.This industry-coordinated early confirmation of DC Fast Charge hardware and software will accelerate efforts to roll out SAE Combo DC Fast Charge infrastructure in the coming months, the announcement says. Some of the suppliers participating in the testing were ABB, Aker Wade, Eaton and IES.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Toyota has announced a program aimed at promoting environmental awareness in the Hispanic communities in Miami and Los Angeles while also providing the tools to continue on the path of going green.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Chemical technology company Genomatica has announced a new partnership with BASF. The chemical giant has licensed Genomatica’s patented new manufacturing process for a renewable form of the organic compound 1,4-butanediol, more commonly known as BDO.BDO and its many derivatives are used for the production of plastics, solvents, electronic chemicals and elastic fibers.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
In an effort to reduce area residents’ need for vehicle ownership within a very car-dependent city, Las Vegas is getting a high-class car-sharing service.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
In 2003 Ford Motor Co. launched Driving Skills for Life (DSFL), a program the automaker created to teach newly licensed teenagers the necessary driving skills beyond the offerings of most drivers' education courses.
PRESS RELEASE -
BASF supports ‘Achieving Efficiency’ theme at
SAE World Congress
PRESS RELEASE -
General Motors names BASF as 2012 Supplier of the Year
SOUTHFIELD, MI, March 27, 2013 -- For the ninth time in the past 11 years, BASF has received General Motors’ (GM) Supplier of the Year Award.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
General Motors hopes to save as much as 12 billion gallons of fuel over the life of the vehicles it builds between 2011 and 2017 through reducing vehicle weight by up to 15 percent and other fuel efficiency upgrades, the company’s CEO Dan Akerson said at last week’s HIS CERAWeek energy conference.
CLEANTECH -
As part of its goal of becoming the world’s most environmentally sustainable carmaker by 2018, Volkswagen announced Friday that it will join Daimler and BMW in developing CO2 technology as a more climate-friendly refrigerant for its automotive air-conditioning systems.CO2 as a refrigerant — also known as R744 — is a naturally occurring gas with lower greenhouse gas effects than conventional refrigerants, and is ideal for use in specially designed automotive air-conditioning systems. The German automaker says the technology will be rolled out progressively over its entire vehicle fleet.
CLEANTECH -
FedEx has trimmed its fleet’s cumulative fuel economy by more than 22 percent, exceeding its goal of a 20 percent reduction by 2020 seven years early.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Aluminum company Alcoa is lending its support to a longstanding research partnership between Honda and Ohio State University that could innovate auto manufacturing.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Greyhound has begun integrating telematics program DriveCam across its entire fleet to optimize safety performance and increase fuel efficiency.
CLEANTECH -
Outgoing U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced 13 major U.S. employers and eight stakeholder groups have joined the Department of Energy’s Workplace Charging Challenge, which aims to increase workplace charging by tenfold over the next five years.
WASTE NOT -
Hewlett Packard has agreed to continue development of a database used by nearly three dozen car manufacturers to eliminate harmful substances from their automotive supply chains.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Rental car group Avis Budget announced it has agreed to terms for the purchase of Zipcar. Founded ten years ago, Zipcar is a pioneer in the car-sharing industry, which gives members regular access to vehicles without the hassles, expenses and environmental impacts of individual ownership.
PRESS RELEASE -
SAN FRANCISCO, September 20, 2012 – Sustainable Brands this month announced three new members to its Corporate Community. Sprint, eBay and Caesars Entertainment join over two dozen companies committed to leveraging their unique role in focusing stakeholder energy toward a healthy and sustainable future.