October 1, 2007—Ford of Europe says its ground-breaking Product Sustainability Index (PSI) is the most comprehensive approach yet in assessing how the environmental, social, and economic impact of vehicles can be addressed from the earliest stages of their development.
A 38-page report gives an insight into the detailed rationale, criteria, and approach used in the PSI. It also shows that all three models designed to date with PSI in mind—the all-new Ford Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy—deliver improved sustainability performance in all three key areas: environmental, social, and economic performance, when compared to the previous models.
Ford’s PSI tracks eight product attributes identified as key sustainability elements of a vehicle. These are: life cycle global warming potential (mainly carbon dioxide emissions), life cycle air quality potential (other air emissions), the use of sustainable materials (recycled and renewable materials), substance management (including TV allergy-tested interior certification), exterior noise impact (drive-by noise), safety (for occupants and pedestrians), mobility capability (seat and luggage capacity relative to vehicle size), and life cycle ownership costs (full costs for the customer over the first three years).
The initiative has been independently confirmed to be compliant with ISO 14040, the international Life Cycle Assessment standard.
For the full Product Sustainability Index report (pdf), visit the Ford Web site.
