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Glossary of Environmental Terms
For The Auto Industry
Use this list of environmental automotive terms to help you with your research in finding the perfect "green" vehicle, or simply to help you understand more about what Ford Motor Company is doing to protect the natural world.
 Alternative Fuel Vehicle
Vehicles powered by fuels other than gasoline including methanol, electricity, natural gas, ethanol, hydrogen and propane.
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
A colorless, odorless gas which results from incomplete combustion of fuel. Carbon monoxide is toxic and has adverse affects above certain threshold levels. It does not accumulate in the atmosphere.
EPA-estimate MPG
Fuel economy estimates are based on test results, which are required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These tests certify that vehicles meet the federal emissions and fuel economy standards. Manufacturers test pre-production prototypes of the new vehicle models and submit the results to the EPA, which in turn confirms the figures' accuracy.
Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV)
Vehicles with the ability to run on two fuel types or a combination of the two fuels, including ethanol and gasoline or methanol and gasoline.
Fuel Cells
Energy conversion devices that generate electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen without combustion. Hydrogen, which can be stored on-board in gaseous or liquid form, is electro-chemically combined with oxygen from the air to produce electricity. The only emission is water vapor. Fuel cell electric vehicles are similar to a battery-powered electric vehicle except that fuel cells replace batteries.
Hybrid Electric Vehicle
An HEV is powered by a conventional engine with an electric motor added for enhanced fuel economy and reduced emissions. The electric motor can also be used to boost power and enhance performance. Daily recharging plug-ins are not necessary. This type of vehicle is well suited for the environmentally aware driver who wants better fuel economy and fewer pollutants, but doesn't want the hassle of plug-ins.
Hydrocarbons (HC)
Organic compounds resulting from unburned or incompletely burned fuel. They react in the atmosphere with oxides of nitrogen
(NOx) in the presence of sunlight to form smog.
ISO-14001
An internationally recognized Environmental Management System which mandates that manufacturers continually examine its products, processes and materials in a continuous, quantifiable search for improvements that will benefit the environment.
LEV
Stands for "Low Emission Vehicle," which is one of four categories of emissions standards under the National Low Emissions Vehicle regulations. In order to be certified as
LEVs, vehicles must meet stringent emission levels for non-methane organic gases
(NMOG), oxides of nitrogen, and carbon monoxide (CO) on emissions certification tests. LEV is also a California standard about twice as stringent as Tier 1 for smog-forming emissions.
MPG
Fuel economy estimates are based on test results, which are required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). There are two different fuel economy estimates for each vehicle, one for city driving and one for highway driving. To generate these two estimates, separate tests are used to represent typical everyday driving in a city and in a rural setting.
National Low
Emission Vehicle Program
The National Low Emission Vehicle program is a voluntary clean car program that is designed to reduce smog and other pollution from new motor vehicles. On December 16, 1997, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized the regulations for the National LEV program. Because it is a voluntary program, it could only come into effect if agreed upon by the northeastern states and the auto manufacturers. The EPA received notifications from all the auto manufacturers and the relevant states lawfully opting into the program. As a result, starting with model year 1999 and nationally in model year 2001, new cars and light-duty trucks will meet tailpipe standards that are more stringent than the EPA could have required under the law.
Oxides of Nitrogen
(NOx)
Byproducts of fossil fuel combustion (primarily NO and NO2) resulting from the combination of oxygen and nitrogen at high temperatures. These compounds react in the atmosphere in the presence of sunlight to form ozone. They can also cause eye irritation and impair lung function above certain threshold levels.
Ozone
A compound produced by chemical reactions in the presence of sunlight. Ozone can cause eye and lung irritation. Ozone has very different effects in the environment depending on
where it occurs. In the stratosphere, the ozone layer acts to shield the earth from harmful
ultraviolet rays from the sun. However, at ground level, ozone is a pollutant.
Recyclability
The portion of specific product or material that can be diverted from the waste stream and returned to use as a functioning part or raw material for the manufacture or assembly of a new product through a process that is both presently and widely available.
Recycled Content
The portion of a material or product's weight that is composed of materials that have been recovered from or otherwise diverted from the waste stream, either during the manufacturing process or after consumer use.
Recycling Action Teams
RAT Patrols, as they're affectionately called, were formed by Ford to pioneer new technologies aimed at identifying a wider range of recyclable materials. Ford products use more than 4 billion pounds (1.8 metric tons) of recycled materials now-everything from old blue jeans to plastic bottle caps to old carpets and the list goes on.
Smog
Refers to a brownish atmospheric haze. The primary component of smog is ozone.
SULEV
Stands for "Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle," which is a California standard that establishes stringent emission standards for non-methane organic gas (NMOG), oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO). SULEV has even tougher standards than ULEV and is about 95% more stringent than Tier 1 for smog-forming emissions.
Tier 1
Tier 1 is the minimum national exhaust emission standard for non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and carbon monoxide (CO).
TLEV
Stands for "Transitional Low Emission Vehicle," which is one of four categories of emissions standards under the National Low Emission Vehicle regulations. In order to be certified as TLEVs, vehicles must meet stringent emission levels for non-methane organic gases (NMOG), oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO) on emissions certification tests. TLEV is also a California standard about 20% more stringent than Tier 1 for smog-forming emissions.
ULEV
Stands for "Ultra Low Emission Vehicle," which is one of four categories of emissions standards under the National Low Emission Vehicle regulations. In order to be certified as
LEVs, vehicles must meet stringent emission levels for non-methane organic gases
(NMOG), oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO) on emissions certification tests. ULEV is also a California standard about 65% more stringent than Tier 1 for smog-forming emissions.
  
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