---

Ford Motor Company Receives CALSTART'S Top Award

7 March 2000

Ford Motor Company Receives CALSTART'S Top Award For Commitment to Clean Vehicle Transportation

    PASADENA, Calif., March 3 Ford Motor Company has
been awarded the Blue Sky Award(TM) in California for its commitment to
advanced, clean vehicle technology.
    The Blue Sky Award(TM) is presented annually by CALSTART to recognize
outstanding marketplace contributions to advanced, sustainable transportation
that cleans the air, improves energy efficiency and helps reduce greenhouse-
gas emissions.  CALSTART is a division of WestStart-CALSTART, an advanced
technologies organization that promotes the development of new and clean
transportation solutions.
    "We are honored and pleased to be recognized by CALSTART, especially
because of the nature of this award," said Martin Zimmerman, vice president,
Governmental Affairs, Ford Motor Company.  "At Ford we believe that there is
competitive advantage in bringing about cleaner and more efficient
transportation.  We look forward to continuing our working relationship with
the state of California to realize the common objectives we all share."
    In addition to members of CALSTART, the review committee for this award
included representatives from the Natural Resources Defense Council, Union of
Concerned Scientists and Coalition for Clean Air.  Dr. Alan Lloyd, chairman of
the California Air Resources Board (CARB), co-presented the award to Ford
Motor Company with Michael Cage, president and CEO of WestStart-CALSTART.
    Ford was recognized for several industry-leading initiatives, including:

    *  Its majority purchase of the Norwegian-based small electric vehicle
manufacturer, TH!NK Nordic AS, and its aggressive launch of the two-seat TH!NK
city urban electric runabout.
    *  The contract awarded by the U.S. Postal Service to produce 500 electric
postal delivery trucks, with an option for up to 6,000 more vehicles.
    *  The company's on-going commitment to environmental vehicles and clean
transportation alternatives, as evidenced by the production of more than two
million Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) trucks that precede by years any government
regulation to be low emission.

    The California Fuel Cell Partnership, which is headed by John Wallace,
executive director of TH!NK brand for Ford Motor Company, was also recognized
with the Blue Sky Innovation Award(TM) for its fuel cell leadership.  The
partnership is dedicated to bringing fuel cell technology to market and is the
first-ever collaboration among automotive, energy and technology companies to
develop and demonstrate fuel cell vehicles under "real world" conditions.