2003 Ford F 250 4x4 on 2040-cars

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Lincoln recycling tree fibers into new MKX armrest

Want to hug a tree, or at least a really small part of one. Then set your arm down on one of those armrests in the 2014 Lincoln MKX crossover. The US automaker is working with Weyerhaeuser and Johnson Controls on a tree-based, cellulose-reinforced polypropylene material used in the component that connects the armrest to the floor console, Wards Auto says. With properties similar to plastic, the tree-based material replaces fiberglass and is about six percent lighter. No big deal for now, but if the material starts getting used for things like battery trays and interior storage covers, that loss in weight may eventually start adding up enough to boost fuel economy a bit, providing a green double bonus. Lincoln parent Ford, which isn't saying how much more (or less?) it costs to use the new material, established its Biomaterials and Plastics Research team in 2001. In 2007, the company began using soy-based foam in car seats used for models such as the Lincoln Navigator and Ford Mustang and has since broadened biomaterials use to components like floormats and cupholder inserts. Ford also used recycled plastic bottles from the 2012 North America International Auto Show for seats in the Focus Electric.

2014 Ford Fiesta ST

Concentrated ST Formula Proves Just As Potent
I'm not the jealous type... usually. But I will fully admit to being somewhat of a Pouty Polly when I read executive editor Chris Paukert's report after driving the then-new 2013 Ford Focus ST through the impossibly pretty southern French Alps region last June. I feel like a broken record saying this yet again, but hot hatchbacks hold a special place in my heart. And while I'm always giddy to drive any sort of small, turbocharged three- or five-door at home in Detroit, my jealousy was indeed piqued after hearing Paukert tell about the challenging yet breathtaking roads he encountered while driving the flamin' yellow Focus. You know, the sort of roads that, from above, look like carelessly drizzled lines of icing on the frosted Alpen caps.
Several months later, I found myself piloting a Focus ST just west of metro Detroit, pitting it head-to-head against one of Autoblog's perennial favorite cars, the Volkswagen GTI. It was fantastic - enough so that I fully stand behind my statement that in terms of balls-out performance, the Focus ST cannot be beat as far as today's front-wheel-drive hatches are concerned.

Ford spider screen keeps creepy-crawlies out of cars

Ford is waging a global war on spiders with the 2016 Focus RS. The little beasties can be a real menace to a vehicle by blocking lines with their dense webs, but engineers at the Blue Oval now have a new screen that they claim keeps the bugs at bay. Yellow sac spiders especially like to craft their webs in fuel vapor lines, but blocking the way can cause pressure to build, leading to a safety issue. Implemented in 2004, Ford already has a screen to keep the creepy-crawlies out. But the company now has an updated version in North America, and the Focus RS is the first global vehicle with it. "We are constantly improving and adapting, even when it comes to technologies that are already working," said William Euliss, Ford fuel systems engineer, in the screen's announcement. It might seem like a waste to put engineers on the task of making a spider screen, but the device could save Ford money in the long run. Arachnids have been responsible for the recalls of hundreds thousands of vehicles in the US over the years. Mazda issued two campaigns on the Mazda6 due to the webs causing pressure to build up in the fuel tank and potentially leading to a split. There was also a similar recall from Suzuki, and another one covering the air conditioning system on Toyotas. LOOK OUT! HERE COME THE SPIDERMEN: FORD ENGINEERS USE ARACHNID LEARNINGS TO DEVELOP INNOVATIVE SCREEN TO KEEP CREEPY CRAWLERS OUT AUG 5, 2015 | DEARBORN, MICH. Ford engineers developed an innovative spider screen to keep the creepy crawlers from nesting inside vehicles Screen prevents spiders from building cocoon-like webs dense enough to potentially block fuel vapor lines, which can damage engines and diminish vehicle performance Now, an updated version of the spider screen is being implemented in Ford vehicles in North America; it will go global with launch of the all-new 2016 Ford Focus RS DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 5, 2015 – Arachnophobes may not know this, but there is a team of Ford engineers who developed an innovative spider screen to keep the creepy crawlers from nesting in Ford vehicles. You're welcome. Cheiracanthium mildei and Cheiracanthium inclusum – more commonly referred to as yellow sac spiders – have been known to nest inside vehicles in North America, causing problems for car owners and automakers alike over the years. Instead of using webs to catch prey, these spiders build cocoon-like webs for shelter and to lay eggs.