PARK THE CAR

Ford is serious about reducing carbon emissions and preserving the planet for future generations, and it is taking dramatic steps in order to do so. Ford is targeting carbon neutrality in Europe by 2035, including all of its vehicles, production facilities and supporting logistics.

However, preserving the planet and building a safer, healthier world requires more than electrified vehicles - in fact sometimes it requires no vehicle at all. This is why Ford launched the Park the Car initiative, to encourage people to make healthy and informed choices about their travel habits, especially over short distances. Walking and cycling can help improve both physical and mental health, as well as ease traffic congestion in built-up areas.

Why Park The Car?

At Ford, we have always encouraged responsible driving and road use. Driving responsibly used to be a straightforward message about actions behind the wheel, but in today’s world it means far more. Taking care of the environment is a shared responsibility, and swapping just one car journey a day for active travel can reduce a person’s daily carbon footprint.

Currently, 60% of journeys under 2 miles made in the UK are made by car, and 68% of brits exclusively drive to work. With just over 32M cars on the road across the nation, this creates a lot of unnecessary traffic jams.

By swapping just one journey a week from car to walking or cycling, we could help reduce congestion and carbon emissions. Parking the Car is not only good for the planet, but it is also good for our bodies and minds. Walking and cycling over short distances can also help keep bones and muscles healthy, as well as helping clear your head before the working day.

How Are We Doing This?

Ford is partnering with a number of organisations, businesses and charities to enable as many people as possible to Park the Car. We know that everyone has different reasons for driving, and we want to ensure that everyone has the tools and information to make healthy travel choices to fit in to their lifestyle.

PARK THE CAR EMPLOYEE DAYS

We believe that we should lead from the front when it comes to Park the Car, and for us that means empowering our employees to make active travel choices. We are hosting internal activity days across our UK sites to learn more about what our employees need to swap the car for cycling or walking.

Employees can try out different bikes, learn about essential cycle maintenance, team up with “bike buddies” to encourage them to stick to healthy habits, and make suggestions about how we can improve Ford facilities for those commuting actively.

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RIDE LONDON

We first partnered with RideLondon, the world’s greatest festival of cycling, in 2022 and are excited to become the headline partner for the next three years.

RideLondon encourages everyone, from beginners to professionals, to learn about the benefits of cycling and how to navigate urban areas on two wheels, whatever your experience or ability.

Find out more

THE BIKE PROJECT

We believe that everyone should have access to the mental and physical benefits cycling can bring, which is why we partnered with The Bike Project.

Ford employees donated dozens of old bicycles and delivered them to The Bike Project, a charity which repairs and donates bicycles to refugees and asylum seekers across the UK.

The charity has donated nearly 10,000 bikes so far, created 35 jobs and taught more than 500 female refugees to cycle.

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ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL PARTNERSHIP

We are partnering with Essex County Council to address issues which may be stopping people from being able to choose active travel. We are exploring cycling proficiency courses, family cycling lessons and motivational leader boards to encourage communities to Park the Car.