Ford Eliminating The Gas Cap

At a Center for Automotive Research meeting near Lake Michigan, Ford’s president Mark Fields, announced that Ford will begin eliminating gas caps on all production vehicles. The standard twist off gas cap design will be replaced with a “capless fuel filler“. NASCAR inspired, this was first seen by Ford in 2005 on the GT supercar but will go production based starting with the 2008 Lincoln MKS sedan.

The “capless fuel filler” will eliminate the potential of losing a gas cap, but also offer a more secure seal and help prevent gas fumes from releasing into the environment. When the nozzle of a conventional gas pump is put into the fuel filler, it pushes on two tabs that open a spring-loaded metal flap. That allows the pump to sit in the tube that delivers gas to the tank, just as a pump does after the cap is unscrewed. After the nozzle is removed, the spring-loaded door seals the pathway shut.

Ford’s marketing research shows that people of all ages and drivers of all makes and models dislike touching their fuel cap and getting the gasoline smell on their hands. This is also a much awaited feature by handicapped and arthritis sufferers.

The capless system is a tangible example of how Ford is developing innovative product solutions to satisfy the unmet needs of consumers, the company said. Capless fuel filler technology eliminates the inconvenience of forgetting to put the gas cap back on after fueling and saves time during refueling by eliminating the need to unscrew a fuel filler cap. It’s also better for the environment because no gas fumes escape.