Business and Economics

Ford and Toyota announced that they are working together on a new more efficient hybrid system and advanced telematics. Ford has developed an excellent reputation for trucks, and Toyota has owned the hybrid car market for a couple decades. So, it stands to reason that the two should be partnering to develop a hybrid system for light trucks and SUVs. As stated in an August 2011 press release, "Ford and Toyota have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the product development collaboration, with the formal agreement expected by next year." That understanding will see them acting as equal partners...

Ford Motor Company is using SunPower Corp.’s panels for its solar electric vehicle charging system. The charging stations will fuel Ford's new EVs (Focus Electric and C-Max Energi). The system employs rooftop solar panels which feeds power to an electric vehicle charger. Under Ford’s “Drive Green for Life” program customers can get the 2.5-kilowatt solar-powered charging station for under $10,000. The price includes federal tax credits but not state or local rebates. Loans and leases to offset the cost of the solar roof are also available. The solar roof comes with a residential monitoring device that tracks the performance of the array...

GM Ventures L.L.C., the venture capital arm of General Motors Corporation is investing $7.5 million in Sunlogics P.L.C. a maker of electric vehicle charging stations. As part of the Chevrolet Green Zone program, Sunlogics will construct solar charging stations for GM. These “solar canopies” charge electric cars with low weight photovoltaic panels. The solar charging stations are rated at 20 kilowatts and can take up to 24 electric vehicle spaces. Sunlogics will also install solar canopies at GM’s Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid electric car dealerships as well as large-scale solar arrays to be installed on GM’s facilities. Sunlogics plans to...

In 2008, The Future Laboratory produced a ranking system for the different levels of sustainability being achieved by organisations. This was called the Three Tiers of Sustainability: Tier 1: The Basics of Sustainability This is the firs level where companies employ simple measures such as switching lights and PCs off when left idle, recycling paper, and using greener forms of travel with the purpose of reducing the day-to-day carbon footprint. Some companies also employ self-service technologies such as centralised procurement and teleconferencing Tier 2: Thinking Sustainably This is the second level, where companies begin to realize the need to embed...

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is the systemic, strategic coordination of functions that seeks to improve long-term performance. A supply chain consists of all parties involved, directly or indirectly in fulfilling a customer request. The supply chain not only includes the manufacturer and the supplier but also transporters, warehouses, retailers, and customers themselves. Within each organization the supply chain includes all the functions involved in receiving and filling a customer request. The objective of every supply chain is to maximize the overall value generated. The value a supply chain generates is the difference between what the final product is worth to...

Apple started recycling in 1994 and today they operate recycling programs in countries where most of their products are sold. Apple fares very well when assessed using Dell's method of measuring recycling, (given a seven year product lifetime, the percentage of the total weight recycled each year compared to the total weight of what was sold seven years earlier). Apple recycled 13 million pounds of e-waste in 2006, which is equal to 9.5% of the weight of all products Apple sold seven years earlier. This percentage grew to 13% in 2007, and to 20% in 2008. By 2010, they had...

Volkswagen has made the strategic decision to produce and market vehicles that are more price competitive than they are fuel efficient. All the major automotive brands are making radical fuel efficiency improvements to help reign in carbon. It is obvious to all but the willfully misinformed that climate change is a serious threat to all life on the planet, and anthropogenic carbon is the leading cause. Carbon reduction on the scale required demands a new approach to the way we do business. Companies that oppose the transition to a low carbon economy are compromising their own long term competitiveness as...

To help make it easier for electric vehicle owners to recharge, Google will display the locations of EV charging stations on its web and mobile applications. Charging stations are nowhere near as ubiquitous as gas stations and this is a barrier to the widespread proliferation of electric cars. Thanks to Google Maps, owners of plug-in hybrids and fully electric vehicles will have an easier time finding charging stations.Google has been a powerful supporter of greener cars. The search leader is also behind an initiative called RechargeIT, which hosts data about plug-in electric vehicles.Google is working with the US Department of...

The Johnson Graduate School of Management and the Kellogg School of Management have joined forces to launch the 2011 International Impact Investing Challenge. This competition is unique because it challenges MBA students to solve the world’s biggest problems – poverty, climate change, ecosystem degradation – with innovation and entrepreneurship.The competition will challenge MBA students to achieve economic returns that support progress on global impact issues. Teams from a dozen top MBA programs are competing for more than $40,000 in awards in a final event at J.P. Morgan in New York City on April 8.The International Impact Investing Challenge is an...

Ford is producing some leading green vehicles including the Escape Hybrid, and the Fusion Hybrid, but the flagship of Ford's green offerings is their first all electric car known as the Focus Electric. This zero emission vehicle is a fully electric version of their popular small car.The Focus Electric is an aerodynamic vehicle with low-rolling resistance tires. It is powered by a 100 kW electric motor coupled with a 23-kWh battery. The 100-kilowatt electric motor provides 123 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. It has a top speed is 84 mph (136km/h) and can be charged in just three hours...