Will Diesels Come Into Focus? Ford Focus That Is

LOS ANGELES -- Bloomberg news reported that Ford Motor Co. will test a prototype diesel-powered version of its Focus car designed to meet tougher California pollution standards, as automakers respond to regulatory pressure to reduce vehicle emission.

The ULEV II Diesel Focus uses a system in which the engine exhaust is sprayed with urea before reaching the car's catalytic converter, which reduces nitrogen-oxide emissions, they quoted Dick Baker, corporate technical specialist for Ford's Advanced Diesel Systems Group. The car also has a filter to trap soot particles.

The second-largest automaker, which introduced the car today in Los Angeles, will build several of the Focuses for testing, Baker said. Ford doesn't have a target for a production version of the car, which it said meets California standards slated for 2007 that are 90 percent lower than under current rules.

California, the largest vehicle market among U.S. states, is phasing in tougher pollution standards between 2004 and 2007. Ford has been considering vehicle that uses several different types of fuel to reduce emissions in California and other states. The Dearborn, Michigan-based company introduced a hydrogen-powered prototype car, the P2000 H2ICE, in August.

"There won't be a one-fuel-fits-all strategy," said spokeswoman Sara Tatchio. "We think diesel is one of the solutions."