The following is an extract from Ford Group Vice President Stephen Odell’s keynote speech at the SMMT International Automotive Summit in London on 28 June 2011. Click through to download the full speech.
“It’s the engine research and manufacturing that we have in Britain that has largely contributed to the significant reduction in CO2 emissions in recent years. Today, around 35 per cent of Ford’s total vehicle sales in Europe are for vehicles emitting less than 120 g/km of CO2, and there’s been a close to six-fold increase in sales of Ford vehicles emitting less than 110 g/km of CO2 compared to the start of 2010.
“That is the genius of the automotive industry. That is what skilled manufacturing, innovative research and targeted investment can do.
“Happily, British policy makers are once again also beginning to see it. I believe they increasingly understand the importance of a strong manufacturing base. I detect a renewed sense of urgency to re-establish a stronger manufacturing base in this country. Otherwise, the UK would be left behind by those nations around the world that have continued to value manufacturing as an important and essential part of economic well-being and growth.”
Ford Group Vice President and Chairman and CEO of Ford of Europe, Stephen Odell
Click through to download the full speech.
