Ford to Invest 1 Million Pounds in Britain

London -- US car giant, Ford, has unveiled its plans to spend £ 1bn in UK on developing "green" cars.

Ford plans to clean up its image as a producer of petrol-guzzling vehicles and so is to research the use of lightweight materials, advanced diesel and petrol engines, hybrids and biofuels across its range of vehicles, including Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo.

"Environmental motoring has to go mainstream", not just be a lifestyle choice for a wealthy minority of customers, the head of Ford Europe, Lewis Booth, said.

The £ 1bn will be spent on Ford's existing Dagenham, Dunton, Gaydon and Whitley plants in the UK. Carmakers are developing more fuel efficient cars, rather than SUVs and other heavy vehicles, in response to higher petrol prices.

After Ford's announcement, the transport secretary, Douglas Alexander, said, "There is no bigger long-term challenge facing us than climate change. That is why it is very important for all of us - government, business and individuals - to act. Today's announcement is good news for the environment, British jobs and the wider economy."

Ford also mentioned that there would be unprecedented cooperation between its 9,500 engineers based at three sites in Dunton, Essex, Coventry and Gaydon in Warwickshire.

As per the reports, Ford also aims to produce a Focus model capable of doing 70 miles to the gallon with reduced carbon dioxide emissions.

This announcement followed Ford's admission last month that it would fall short of its goal of producing 250,000 hybrid vehicles a year by 2010.

Hybrid vehicles are powered by a combination of internal-combustion engines and batteries that are charged when the vehicles brake.

The Ford chief executive, Bill Ford, announced the hybrid goal last September, saying that gas-electric hybrid engines would be available in half the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury range by 2010.

The goal of 250,000 hybrids a year would have been 10 times the number Ford was building at the time of the announcement. But in an email to employees last month, Mr. Ford mentioned that the company would focus on alternative fuels instead.

Currently, Ford sells Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrid sport utility vehicles. According to reports, it plans to introduce hybrid versions of the Mazda Tribute SUV in 2007 and the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans in 2008.