Ford is again joining forces with veteran-led disaster response outfit Team Rubicon to aid in disaster relief efforts, as the threat of natural disasters grows.
The new initiative, dubbed “Team Rubicon Powered by Ford,” will see Ford donate a fleet of special vehicles, as well as a $2.5 million grant via the Ford Fund to assist Team Rubicon’s deployment of employee volunteers in disaster hit areas in the US. Ford and Team Rubicon note that 90% of US counties experienced a federal climate disaster between 2011-2021, highlighting the need for increased support for organizations providing assistance during natural disasters.
The total investment by Ford will reach $5.8 million, taking its total financial commitment to Team Rubicon to $7 million.
“Ford’s investment will immediately begin generating returns — before, during, and after — as disasters strike, materials and people will be transported into disaster areas,” said Art de la Cruz, Team Rubicon’s CEO in a statement to Yahoo Finance.
In terms of vehicles and services, Ford is donating the following to Team Rubicon’s assets on the ground:
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10 Ford F-150 XL PowerBoost Hybrid trucks equipped with 7.2 kW Pro Power Onboard, enabling Team Rubicon “to provide essential services to communities without electricity”
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Three Ford F-150 Lightning Pro EV trucks equipped with 9.6 kW Pro Power Onboard
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Two Ford Super Duty F-350 XL trucks equipped with available 2.0 kW Pro Power Onboard
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Two Ford Bronco 4-door SUVs equipped to handle off-road conditions
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Five years of Ford Pro Fleet Management software and scheduled service maintenance
The Ford Fund is also separately granting $2.5M to support Team Rubicon’s Ready Reserve Fund over the next 5 years, which allows Team Rubicon to provide “no-cost services for vulnerable communities as soon as disaster strikes,” Ford Fund President Mary Culler said to Yahoo Finance. “It also funds mitigation, preparedness, and recovery efforts, ensuring equitable aid reaches those most in need throughout the disaster cycle,” Culler said.
Team Rubicon’s partnership with Ford is its sole relationship with an automaker. For its part, Ford says helping communities in need is part of its DNA, and that the company’s electrification efforts will hopefully help in part to mitigate environmental disasters brought on by rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere.
“Ford is working to minimize its impact on climate change by driving the transition to electric vehicles, reimagining how EVs and the batteries that power them are designed, manufactured, and recycled,” Culler said.
Team Rubicon, founded by former marines Jake Wood and William McNulty, was formed in response to the devastating aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Since then Team Rubicon has been deployed on over 1,100 operations across the globe addressing the needs of local communities following natural disasters, and counts more than 150,000 volunteers.
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Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.
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