FORD MOTOR COMPANY SCIENTISTS WIN AWARD FOR DIESEL EMISSIONS SYSTEM

CHICAGO, October 16, 2002 – Ford Motor Company's On-board Reductant Delivery (ORD) system, developed by George Wu and Bob Hammerle of Ford 's Scientific Research Lab, has earned an R&D 100 Award. Also known as "an Oscar of Invention," the award from R&D Magazine recognizes the top new inventions in the country. Past winners include the ATM, LCD screens, anti-lock braking systems and the fax machine.

The ORD system developed by Wu and Hammerle enables exhaust treatment systems to help meet stringent future diesel emissions standards worldwide, including the U.S. Tier 2 and European Stage IV and V limits for smog-forming emissions. The ORD system can be easily retrofitted onto existing diesel vehicles for approximately one-tenth of the cost of existing retrofit systems.

"We see real potential for this technology to bring the benefits of diesel fuel to more users," said Tim Studt, Editor in Chief, R&D Magazine. "Dr. Wu and Dr. Hammerle's contribution to reducing worldwide emissions is commendable."

R&D Magazine presented the awards today at an event at Chicago's Navy Pier.

The Ford ORD system is an air-assisted reductant injection system. Reductants, or reducing agents, are required by almost all diesel after-treatment devices dealing with oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulate mater (PM) to enhance the efficiency and durability of the device. Reductants can include fluids such as diesel fuel or urea water solutions. To be effective, these reductants must be added quickly, as well as be delivered in precisely measured and finely dispersed quantities. In addition, the delivery system must be able to withstand the high temperatures and harsh environment surrounding the automobile exhaust system. The Ford ORD system can supply any liquid form of reductant at any location needed for these applications.

Unlike existing reductant-delivery systems, Ford’s ORD system has only three components – an air supply, reductant injector and a reductant reservoir. It provides a more than 75 percent reduction in components, cost, size, weight, noise and energy consumption when compared with competitor products.

The demand for diesel-powered passenger cars is rising rapidly in Europe. It may also increase in many other markets, such as the U.S., due to mounting concerns over fuel economy and global warming. Diesel engines are significantly more fuel-efficient than gasoline engines. However, to become more widespread, diesel-powered vehicles must meet future emissions standards for NOx and PM. The development of the Ford ORD system can enable Ford diesel vehicles to meet these standards and be introduced into U.S. markets.

Ford has licensed the ORD system to ServoTech Engineering, which will be marketing the system under the name SOBRIS™. Simple and low-cost reductant addition systems are critical to the future of diesel vehicles both in the U.S. and around the globe. The Ford ORD system is being considered closely for coming applications on Ford cars and trucks.