Ford's portfolio approach to sustainable mobility offers a
large range of fuel-efficient engines and alternative-fuel vehicles
- including EcoBoost®, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, flexible fuel,
battery-electric, B20 biodiesel and compressed natural gas or
liquefied petroleum gas (CNG/LPG) vehicles. The Ford Fleet Purchase
Planner has been developed to assist fleet customers in comparing
these alternatives and understanding which vehicles offer the
optimal mix to achieve CO₂ emission reductions while balancing
corporate financial goals. Vehicle fleets for large corporations
can have thousands of vehicles that are replaced on a timescale of
months to years. We present the three main components of the Fleet
Purchase Planner (patent pending) that provide fleet customers the
lowest cost solution to achieving their sustainability goals: the
Vehicle Emissions & Fuel Cost Calculator, the Fleet CO₂
Emissions Footprint Status Calculator, and the Purchase
Recommender. The Vehicle Emissions & Fuel Cost Calculator
applies customer-specific information, such as vehicle type, fuel
type and price, driving conditions (city or highway), geographic
region where the vehicle will operate, and fuel efficiency to
generate the vehicle sustainability and fuel cost information. The
Fleet CO₂ Emissions Footprint Status Calculator is designed to help
fleet customers understand their current carbon footprint based on
their specific fleet, regions, and fuel economy. The Purchase
Recommender uses mathematical optimization to provide customized
purchase recommendations that highlight the best value
opportunities for improving corporate sustainability. This
innovative analytical solution helps Ford fleet customers better
understand their green vehicle technology options and identify the
optimal vehicle fleet for their needs.