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2016 Ford F-150 gets propane, CNG conversions

It's a complete mystery if a hybrid Ford F-150 will ever see showrooms, but for buyers looking for an alternative fueling method, Ford has an option ready. For the 2016 model year, the Blue Oval is offering a kit that converts the pickup's 5.0-liter V8 to run on compressed natural gas or propane. The package costs $315 and adds improved valves and valve seats to work with the gaseous fuels. From there, the F-150s go to an upfitter to install the actual fuel tanks, lines, and injectors. Ford estimates this costs $7,500 to $9,500, depending on how much CNG a buyer wants to carry. After the conversion, the tow rating remains the same as running on gasoline, and payload is only reduced by the weight of the system. Ford offered a CNG option on the last-gen F-150's 3.7-liter V6, and sales beat the automaker's forecasts. With the greater grunt available from the V8, the company is expecting the conversion to be even more popular on the new pickups. In times of high fuel prices, CNG models have been a way for fleets to reduce their costs. According to Ford, the average price of natural gas nationwide is $2.11, but it's as low as $1 in some areas. The US Energy Information Administration lists the average for regular gas at $2.57 and diesel at $2.81. Chevrolet and GMC also offer a CNG conversion option on some of their heavy-duty trucks, and Ram does, as well. 2016 F-150 WITH CLASS-EXCLUSIVE COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS, PROPANE CAPABILITY GROWS FORD'S ALTERNATIVE FUEL LEADERSHIP Responding to customer requests, 2016 Ford F-150 with the 5.0-liter V8 engine will offer a gaseous-fuel prep option, making it the only light-duty pickup capable of running on compressed natural gas or propane Ford has sold more than 57,000 vehicles prepped to run on clean, low-cost compressed natural gas and propane – seven times more than all other major U.S. automakers combined – since 2009 Ford has the broadest portfolio of natural gas and propane offerings, including 2016 F-150 and Super Duty trucks, and Transit and Transit Connect vans and wagons Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifiers offer a wide variety of CNG options to help customers find the best, most cost-effective solution to their diverse operating needs Ford, America's truck leader, will offer the 2016 F-150 with an available gaseous-fuel prep package that enables 5.0-liter V8-powered models to run on clean, low-cost compressed natural gas or propane, making Ford the only manufacturer of a CNG/propane-capable half-ton pickup.

FBI Seizes Computers, Listening Devices From Ford Headquarters

FBI agents searched Ford Motor Company's headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, this month as part of an investigation into possible corporate espionage. Eight devices, along with documents, computers and financial records, were among the items seized by federal agents on July 11, according to documents obtained by The Detroit News. The FBI searched Leach's home on June 20 and seized more than two dozen items in that search, Reuters reported. Former engineer Sharon Leach, a 17-year Ford veteran of company, was fired last month, according to The News, which first reported the story. She admitted to placing recording devices under conference tables before meetings. She told Ford security she used the recordings to assist in her meeting notes. She couldn't remove the devices after meetings without drawing attention to herself, leaving the devices to record other meetings. Leach has not been charged for any wrongdoing. Former federal prosecutor and Wayne State University law professor Peter Henning told The News that using a search warrant, rather than a subpoena, shows the FBI suspects more employees could be implicated. "If it's an economic espionage case or trade-secrets case, that rarely involves one individual," Henning told The Detroit News. "So the concern is if you send a subpoena and ask for recording devices, those things can be erased." Leach, Ford and the FBI declined to comment on the investigation. Related Gallery AOL Autos Test Drive: 2014 Ford Fiesta ST Auto News Ford espionage corporate

Ford C-Max Commercial Brings Cadillac 'Poolside' Ad Down To Earth

If we had tried to predict the first video response to the controversial Poolside video for the Cadillac ELR, we would not have thought it would center on compost. But, hey, it's always nice to be reminded that the real world is sometimes better than fiction. Instead of the chic swagger of 'Poolside,' 'Anything Is Possible' is all about getting dirty. The new short in question is called Upside: Anything Is Possible and it promotes two things: Detroit Dirt and the Ford C-Max Energi. As in the ELR ad, Ford's plug-in C-Max only makes an appearance at the tail end of the spot, but instead of the chic swagger of Poolside, Anything Is Possible is all about getting dirty. The ad stars Pashon Murray, co-founder of Detroit Dirt, which takes natural waste from around Detroit, composts it into soil and then spreads that around "forgotten parcels" of Detroit to create urban farms. Detroit Dirt gets its bio-waste from a lot of sources, including the Detroit Zoological Society (all that herbivore manure has to go somewhere), Ford and General Motors, but this particular ad was the idea of Ford's PR agency, Team Detroit. It was a frenetic shoot, filmed with an LA-based director right after a big winter storm blew through Detroit, and Murray couldn't be happier with the result. "This was Ford Motor Company pushing my story, letting me tell the story that I believe in," Murray tells AutoblogGreen. "I get to help push this car and I get to tell my story." She says that the Team Detroit and Ford had to agree on the message, "from my understanding, [YouTube] is where they wanted to start, not where they wanted to finish." The ad is already getting a positive response on Twitter, so we won't be surprised if it shows up in more places soon. "It's not saying Ford is better than GM. It's telling the story of a black woman who's working hard in Detroit." As Detroit Dirt has off-screen support from both GM and Ford, it's unsurprising to hear Murray say that the video "is not a rivalry thing." She notes that the ad agency Team Detroit came to her and offered to tell the Detroit Dirt story using the framework of the GM ad. "It's a parody on this commercial, but it's not saying Ford is better than GM," she said. "It's telling the story of a black woman who's working hard in Detroit." What is that story? It's about urban farming, recovery and recycling. Murray tells us that for the last seven or eight years, she's been dedicated to sustainability.