January 20, 2009 - Nancy Gioia - Ford Motor Company, Detroit MI

Ford's Hybrid Chief Charges Forward

Nancy Gioia Works to Build a Fuel-Efficiency Leader

Ford's Hybrid Chief Charges Forward

Hybrid cars are a tough sell these days. Low gas prices have made it easy for consumers to get back in their gas-guzzling trucks and sport-utility vehicles. The cars remain pricey compared with their more traditional counterparts. And if someone were still tempted, the state of the current economy would probably scare them off.

But don't tell that to Ford's hybrid chief, Nancy Gioia.

"Boy, what a time to be a part of auto industry," she said. "If you ever want to make a difference, it's a fantastic industry and fantastic time to be a part."

Gioia, 48, has been tasked with transforming the iconic American automaker into the fuel-efficiency leader in every vehicle category. Hard-charging and unwavering on her mission, she takes it all in with a sunny disposition.

In an industry dominated by men, Gioia has risen to become one of the most influential women in Detroit. She is a torchbearer of Bill Ford Jr.'s revamped vision of his family's company and an innovator.

Gioia, a fan of double-shot lattes, is also a flurry of facts and figures.

Want to talk about batteries? She'll list reasons why Detroit's automakers need a domestic battery cell supplier in 10 minutes flat. Next topic: Perfecting the plug-in electric infrastructure. She'll briskly carry on without skipping a beat.

"We have Southern California Edison, EPRI -- the Electric Power Research Institute -- Department of Energy," she said. "And we have now have six other utilities join the plug-in partnership to define the standards, customer expectations, billings and requirements. We aren't just working on paper. We've built 21 plug-in hybrids. About half of them built, we're delivering those across the country, sharing data, so that we can help the system get there."

Gioia, the daughter of two schoolteachers, says she never thought she'd end up in the auto industry. When she graduated from University of Michigan in 1982 with a degree in electrical engineering, Gioia had 15 job offers.

Yet, she took the one with Ford.

"It happened to be a real exciting time," she said. "Electronics were growing in cars from $500 worth of content to $2,000 in a five-year period. It was this great booming industry."

Along the way, Gioia has risen through the ranks. She oversaw the reinvented 2002 Ford Thunderbird from concept to production. And she most recently directed engineering for all Ford, Lincoln and Mercury passenger cars in North America.

Now she faces her biggest project: hybrids.

Hybrids, a combination of electrical and mechanical engineering, are a natural fit for Gioia's expertise.

"When I joined the team, I was amazed," she said. "About half the people on the team were people I started out at the company with. It was like going back to the electronics division."

Under Gioia, who was named Ford's director of sustainable mobility technologies and hybrids in 2005, the company has made strides in shrinking its technology. Smaller and lighter parts translate into more affordable cars. The new Mercury Milan is more fuel efficient and less costly to build, since Ford cut the cost of its hybrid system by 30 percent.

But she also wants this new technology to be fun.

It's not enough that the 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid sedan claims better mileage than the Toyota Camry; an advanced hybrid propulsion system allows the Fusion to reach up to 47 mph in electric mode. Her engineers also installed a smart gauge that coaches Fusion drivers to maximize the car's fuel economy. If you cut down on slamming the brakes and high-speed sprints, green leaves will start to grow on the display next to the speedometer.

"The car is a hoot to drive," Gioia said. "It's a lot of fun with smart technology."

Last week, at the 2009 International Car of the Year awards, Gioia accepted the Earth, Wind & Power Truck of the Year for the Ford Escape hybrid. The first annual award honored the most environmentally friendly vehicles of the year.

"We believe climate change is real and we have to be a part of the solution," she said.

Gioia directs the scientists developing tomorrow's propulsion solutionsat Ford's Research and Innovations Center and oversees a product engineering group that's in charge of putting these new technologies into vehicles.

"She's emerging as someone who may be pivotal in the transformation of the U.S. auto industry," said Dave Beach, a Stanford University engineering professor, who taught Gioia during her master's program.

Gioia's strategy is to make small incremental changes over time, rather than bundle together giant technology overhauls into one vehicle.

Ford's EcoBoost technology is a cornerstone of her short term plan. EcoBoost, which combines direct fuel injection and turbocharging to boost fuel economy, will allow for towing and heavy-duty hauling without any performance loss.

As Ford's technology improves, so will its mix of products. Lighter, more powerful lithium-ion batteries are being developed in hopes of replacing the limited capability of today's nickel-metal hydride batteries.

Though Gioia's main focus is battery electric technology, she's also working on hydrogen internal combustion engines and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

She recognizes that families have different needs and need a variety of vehicles. Gioia owns a Ford Escape hybrid for city driving. But she also has the classic F-150 pickup, which she and her daughter use to transport their two horses to shows.

Last week at the North American International Auto Show, Gioia stood in front of a prototype skeleton of a battery-powered vehicle, explaining the intricacies of this car of the future. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), one of the loudest critics of the auto industry, quietly nodded.

Gioia seems to have that effect on people. Doubling as the company's advanced-technology evangelist, she's often recruited to explain Ford's advances in fuel economy to journalists and influential visitors such as Corker.

"Our goal is to help generate the knowledge we need for that electrified future," she told Corker. "Another big part . . . "

"Now, I'm playing tour guide here," interrupts Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas, pulling the senator away from the display.

"Now if I could, one other thing . . . " she continued. Fields backed off: "She always tells me what to do."

Original Story - Washington Post