Joined
·
14,692 Posts
More Hybrid Cars Come, Critics Want More
By Michael Ellis
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Automakers are promising to introduce more gas-electric hybrid vehicles but the pace is not fast enough for U.S. consumers who want better fuel economy as gas prices rise, or environmentalists who complain the industry could do more to conserve resources.
Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F - news) on Wednesday said it will add a second hybrid, powered by both a gas engine and electric batteries, to its lineup in late 2006 or early 2007.
The 2007 model-year Mercury Mariner hybrid sport utility vehicle will build on the lessons learned from the Ford Escape hybrid SUV, which goes on sale later this summer, Ford officials said at the New York Auto Show. Ford is also planning a hybrid version of a midsize sedan beyond 2007.
"Ford has shown that they can make a 35 mpg SUV -- now they need to use this technology throughout their fleet to clean up the environment and cut our oil dependence," Dan Becker, director of the Sierra Club's global warming and energy program, said in a statement.
Although U.S. gas prices have recently hit record highs, unadjusted for inflation, SUVs and large pickup trucks have been the fastest-growing segments of the market this year.
But demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles such as hybrids could grow if gas prices continue to steadily climb, J.D. Power and Associates, a California-based research group, said following a study of 7,126 consumers released this week.
Already, consumers in some parts of the country are on waiting lists for hybrid vehicles.
GUILT-FREE SUVS?
Environmental groups have focused on Ford, in particular Chief Executive Bill Ford Jr., who was an outspoken advocate for the environment before he took over as CEO in 2001. Since then, the automaker has backed down on one of Bill Ford's most noted environmental initiatives -- to boost the fuel economy of Ford SUVs by 25 percent by next year.
The Escape hybrid, Ford's first gas-electric vehicle, will be the most fuel-efficient SUV when it goes on sale this summer, Ford said, getting better fuel economy than most cars on the market. But the Escape has been delayed because Ford said it needed more time for testing.
Both Toyota and Honda, currently the only automakers to offer hybrids, have reported strong demand for the vehicles. Last week, Toyota said it would raise the price of its Prius hybrid sedan by $300 or 1.5 percent, after increasing its targeted annual U.S. sales volume to 47,000 last December from its previous target of 36,000.
"When you talk to SUV buyers, the number one dissatisfaction is fuel economy," Dennis Clements, the group vice president and general manager of Lexus, told Reuters in an interview. "So I think that (RX 400h) will resonate. The luxury SUV business continues to grow, quite dramatically."
Full Uncut Article Here: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...os_hybrids_dc_2
By Michael Ellis
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Automakers are promising to introduce more gas-electric hybrid vehicles but the pace is not fast enough for U.S. consumers who want better fuel economy as gas prices rise, or environmentalists who complain the industry could do more to conserve resources.
Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F - news) on Wednesday said it will add a second hybrid, powered by both a gas engine and electric batteries, to its lineup in late 2006 or early 2007.
The 2007 model-year Mercury Mariner hybrid sport utility vehicle will build on the lessons learned from the Ford Escape hybrid SUV, which goes on sale later this summer, Ford officials said at the New York Auto Show. Ford is also planning a hybrid version of a midsize sedan beyond 2007.
"Ford has shown that they can make a 35 mpg SUV -- now they need to use this technology throughout their fleet to clean up the environment and cut our oil dependence," Dan Becker, director of the Sierra Club's global warming and energy program, said in a statement.
Although U.S. gas prices have recently hit record highs, unadjusted for inflation, SUVs and large pickup trucks have been the fastest-growing segments of the market this year.
But demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles such as hybrids could grow if gas prices continue to steadily climb, J.D. Power and Associates, a California-based research group, said following a study of 7,126 consumers released this week.
Already, consumers in some parts of the country are on waiting lists for hybrid vehicles.
GUILT-FREE SUVS?
Environmental groups have focused on Ford, in particular Chief Executive Bill Ford Jr., who was an outspoken advocate for the environment before he took over as CEO in 2001. Since then, the automaker has backed down on one of Bill Ford's most noted environmental initiatives -- to boost the fuel economy of Ford SUVs by 25 percent by next year.
The Escape hybrid, Ford's first gas-electric vehicle, will be the most fuel-efficient SUV when it goes on sale this summer, Ford said, getting better fuel economy than most cars on the market. But the Escape has been delayed because Ford said it needed more time for testing.
Both Toyota and Honda, currently the only automakers to offer hybrids, have reported strong demand for the vehicles. Last week, Toyota said it would raise the price of its Prius hybrid sedan by $300 or 1.5 percent, after increasing its targeted annual U.S. sales volume to 47,000 last December from its previous target of 36,000.
"When you talk to SUV buyers, the number one dissatisfaction is fuel economy," Dennis Clements, the group vice president and general manager of Lexus, told Reuters in an interview. "So I think that (RX 400h) will resonate. The luxury SUV business continues to grow, quite dramatically."
Full Uncut Article Here: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...os_hybrids_dc_2
