▁Company ▁was ▁research ing ▁the ▁economic ▁imp lications ▁of ▁Altern ative ▁F uel ▁Ve h icles . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁she ▁presented ▁the ▁company ' s ▁Global ▁Elect r ification ▁Str ategy ▁at ▁the ▁National ▁Association ▁for ▁Business ▁Econom ics ▁Conference . ▁Hugh es - C rom wick ▁emphas ized ▁Ford ' s ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁“ blue print ▁for ▁sust ain ability ” ▁plan ▁to ▁reduce ▁carbon ▁dio x ide ▁em issions ▁by ▁ 3 0 ▁percent ▁by ▁ 2 0 2 0 . ▁This ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁done ▁by ▁developing ▁new ▁autom obile ▁techn ologies ▁including ▁reducing ▁the ▁weight ▁of ▁vehicles , ▁adding ▁hy brid ▁electric ▁vehicles , ▁and ▁employ ing ▁an ▁automatic ▁“ stop - start ” ▁mechanism ▁in ▁vehicles ▁to ▁reduce ▁id ling . ▁The ▁key ▁strategy ▁of ▁Ford , ▁as ▁detailed ▁by ▁Hugh es - C rom wick , ▁was ▁to ▁provide ▁a ▁large ▁variety ▁of ▁afford able ▁electric ▁and ▁hy brid ▁vehicles ▁for ▁consum ers ▁to ▁choose ▁from . ▁ ▁Senior ▁Econom ist , ▁M ell on ▁Bank ▁ ▁Hugh es - C rom wick ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁senior ▁econom ist ▁with ▁M ell on ▁Bank ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 0 - 1 9 9 6 ▁during ▁which ▁time ▁she ▁foc uss ed ▁on ▁macro e conom ic ▁forec ast ing , ▁Latin ▁market ▁studies , ▁and ▁health care ▁econom ics . ▁ ▁Ass istant ▁Professor ▁of ▁Econom ics , ▁Tr inity ▁College ▁Hart ford ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9