green news
Ford’s First
EcoBoost
Dealership in
South Africa
Globally, Ford wants to be
known for its quality, its safety, its
green credentials and its smart
approach. Smart as in clever,
canny and cool.
F
ord’s product line-up definitely
lives up to these aspirations,
and when it comes to green, it
is interesting to see that their much
acclaimed EcoBoost engines are
being given the thumbs up by South
African motorists, with many opting
for the models with these trail-blazing
engines.
Ford’s South African executives love
that their brand is seen as green and
smart, so they are taking this image
further, and going downstream and
introducing state-of-the-art green
technologies in its dealerships.
The Action Ford dealership in
Krugersdorp recently became the first
Ford facility in Africa to use a new
indirect counter-flow evaporative cooling
system for controlling the climate on the
showroom floor. Known as the Climate
Wizard, this Australian developed system
draws in fresh air and cools the air
by evaporating water, without adding
to the moisture content in the air and
thus avoiding the creation of a humid
environment. It’s also possible for the
dealership to leave doors and windows
open without affecting the efficiency of
the cooling system.
With the indirect counter-flow evaporative
cooling system in place as a standalone
solution, energy cost savings of between
80% and 90% can be realised. It will take
j ust ten years to recoup the costs of the
system, and Ford is monitoring it closely
to evaluate its performance to see if it will
be viable for other dealerships.
“These technologies help make running a
dealership far more efficient,” says Hartogh
Streicher, dealer principal at Action Ford
Krugersdorp. “The indirect counter-flow
evaporative cooling system is also better
than a conventional air conditioning system
when it comes to creating a pleasant
environment for our customers.”
Jeff Nemeth, president and CEO at Ford
Motor Company of Southern Africa says,
“Today’s car buyers expect high levels of
technology.
Ford is committed to exceeding these
expectations by introducing exciting and
innovative new technological features across
its product range.
The global scale of Ford’s vehicle
programmes makes additional technologies
and features more economically viable for
cars in South Africa.
It’s our vision to have all Ford dealerships
in South Africa implement energy-saving,
environmentally-friendly measures. It
reflects the values of Ford at a global
level, and makes us more responsible
global citizens.”
➲ The media were given
a guided tour of the facility
on 16 April. Proudly present
were the honourable
Dean Brown AO, representing
Seeley International, the
developers of the Climate
Wizard; Jeff Nemeth,
president and CEO at FMCSA;
Hartogh Streicher, managing
director, Action Ford
Krugersdorp; Paul Vorster,
chairman, Action Ford
Krugersdorp; Mark Kaufman,
vice president Marketing,
Sales, & Service at FCMSA
| words in action
70
may 2014