Ford Motor Company to use IIT Chennai for emission R&D

According to Dr Haren S Gandhi, technical fellow, manager, chemical engineering department, IIT, Madra, Ford Motor has established the Henry Ford chair at IIT Madras. Earlier IIT Madras would choose a research project of its choice. "Now, we want research projects of common interest. We can leverage the research and development in the US, Germany, with the skills of IITs." The car company also has established a similar chair in IIT Delhi for research in vehicle safety.

He said Ford Motor was working in earnest on applying nanotechnology to the development of materials for the future in the fields of storing hydrogen and exhaust catalysis and emission controls that require less precious metals. "The challenge is to monitor the nano particle size over the years as it has the tendency to grow."

The Kolkata-born Dr Gandhi is the first researcher from the US automobile industry to have won the US president's National Medal of Technology for research and development and commercialisation of automotive exhaust catalyst technology. He was recently appointed a member of the advisory committee to the ministry of industry and the ministry of environment, government of India, to advise on automotive emission regulations. Dr Gandhi received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Bombay University, and a MSc degree and doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Detroit.

Speaking about Ford Motor's plans in the light of increase in fuel prices, he said the company would be launching hybrid cars in all the market segments. Ford Motor was the first car company to launch a hybrid engine car in the sports utility vehicle (SUV) segment. "It makes more sense to have a hybrid engine in a SUV rather than a small car which is already fuel efficient." According to him, by the end of this decade, Ford Motor will be rolling out 2.5 lakh hybrid cars. The company also plans to roll out diesel powered vehicles in a big way.

According to Dr Gandhi, compressed natural gas (CNG) is ideal for fleet operators owning big vehicles as they fuel their vehicles at one particular point. It is not suitable for small vehicles.

He said Ford Motor has produced the largest number of alternate fuel vehicles in the world. Speaking about the ethanol fueled vehicles, he said that the price of ethanol mixed petrol should factor the two per cent fuel inefficiency so that the vehicle buyer is not bothered.

Similarly, he said that one cannot thrust upon a customer a product that he doesn't want. For instance, electric vehicles, of which he says, "It is a stupid technology useful only in the golf carts."