Ford Motor Company is introducing a comprehensive program, called the Ford Advantage Plan, which has been made available in the hope that it will help boost consumers’ buying confidence and jump-start sluggish vehicle sales.

The new Ford Advantage Plan offers payment protection of up to 12 months on any new Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle and 0 percent financing on select models, as well as local charity support.

All Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles are covered under the Ford Advantage Plan, which runs from March 31 through June 1, 2009.

In addition to providing 12 months of payment protection of up to $700 per month, customers can take advantage of 0 percent financing on select Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles through Ford’s financing partner, Ford Motor Credit.

Ken Czubay, vice president of Sales and Marketing:

“Consumers remain anxious about the economy and their own outlook for the future. We at Ford want to do our part to rebuild faith in the marketplace by offering payment protection on every new Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle for up to a year if our customers lose their jobs.

In 2008, more than 18,000 Ford U.S. employees volunteered 100,000 hours to help people in their local communities – that’s the equivalent of nearly $2 million dollars of in-kind corporate contributions. To continue the momentum, this month, Ford will introduce a program in partnership with its dealers throughout the country to assist local charities impacted by the economic downturn. Ford will announce complete details of this community outreach effort later this month.

In other Ford news, the Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the motor giant its 2009 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award, recognizing the companies’ leadership and commitment to protecting the environment through energy efficiency.

This marks the second time Ford Motor Company has received ENERGY STAR recognition.  

Last year, Ford improved energy efficiency in the United States by 5 percent, which resulted in savings of approximately $16 million. Since 2000, Ford’s facilities in the States have improved energy efficiency by nearly 35 percent; equivalent to the annual energy consumed by more than 150,000 homes.

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