Ford Next Generation Hybrid System and SmartGauge WIN 2010 Best New Green
Technology Award

TORONTO , Feb. 11 /CNW/ - The Ford Next Generation Hybrid System and SmartGauge, available on the 2010 Fusion Hybrid was declared the winner of the 2010 Best New Green Technology award by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). The award was announced today during a press conference that opened the Canadian International AutoShow media day in Toronto .

"AJAC's Best New Green Technology award, presented by Shell Canada , was established to recognize innovative new developments in the auto industry that will be of benefit to the Canadian consumer," said Canadian Car of the Year and technology award chairman Richard Russell . "Virtually every manufacturer is working to reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. We want to look at these efforts and award those we feel are worthy of recognition."

Russell further commented, "Continual development has made the modern passenger vehicle a very clean device. But we cannot let up on efforts to reduce the effect it has on the environment we will hand off to future generations."

The winner was chosen from a list of five entries, judged by a panel of AJAC members with specific technical qualifications who regularly report on industry engineering and technical trends.

Great strides in our hybrid technology have made the Fusion Hybrid the most fuel efficient mid-size sedan and the addition of SmartGauge with EcoGuide instrument cluster technology, is a unique way to help drivers get the most out of their hybrids," said David Mondragon , president and CEO, Ford of Canada .

AJAC's annual Canadian Car of the Year awards program was created in 1985 with the purpose of providing consumers with sound, comparative information on vehicles that are new to the market.

For that reason, the vote results that determined today's winners are available to consumers as a resource buying guide on the AJAC web site. Also available are the comparative test data derived from the journalists' extensive four day evaluation of over 150 new vehicles in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario in October. This annual event is known in the industry as "TestFest". Shell Canada is the official fuel supplier of the event and in the last year celebrated another milestone in fuels leadership and technology with the launch of Shell Nitrogen Enriched gasolines across North America .

The rigorous TestFest evaluation program includes real world driving on public roads - exactly where consumers drive so that the test and vote results posted to the AJAC web site are directly relevant to potential car and truck buyers.

Still looking to buy a 2009, 2008, or even a 2007 vehicle? AJAC archives the comparative test data from previous years on its web site.

Photos from today's award announcements, the October 30th category winners, and the TestFest evaluation event, are available for print and broadcast media under (less than)Canadian Car of the Year(less than) Photo Gallery(less than) on the AJAC web site.

In addition, our AJAC journalists who evaluated the brand new models at TestFest are available across Canada for interviews to talk about the vote results and comparative data. Media are invited to visit the AJAC web site and log-in under "Ask An Expert", then choose the "Media" link to access interview information once validation has occurred.

    
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For further information: on the 2010 Canadian Car of the Year Awards, either visit our AJAC web site at www.ajac.ca, call the AJAC office at 1-800-361-1516, or send us an email: [email protected]