The announcement recently made by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg with regards to the changing of taxi policy and increasing fuel economy standards have been at the advantage of Fordmajor stockholder of Mazda maker of Mazda AC compressor --- since the said policy would further highlights the automakers leadership in the field of hybrid taxis.
The Ford Escape Hybrid together with the Mercury Mariner Hybrid are the only hybrid vehicles that have been able to meet the current New York City taxi requirements not to mention the proposed new fuel economy policy.
It can be noted that it was in the year 2005 when San Francisco became the first city to feature gas-electric hybrid-powered taxi cabs. San Francisco at that time chose Ford Escape Hybrid and later that year, New York City has also added a small fleet of Escape Hybrid taxis based on the decision approved by the New York City Council in connection wit the Clean Air Taxis Act. Then in June 2006, Ford embarked again on a nationwide tour promoting the benefits of the use of Escape Hybrids as a taxi service and since then both Chicago and Austin have introduced Escape Hybrids into their taxi fleets.
The fleet of 18 Escape Hybrid taxis in New York City has been able to accumulate hundreds of thousands of miles over the past two years and has been able to record an estimated fuel savings of $250,000. Today there are already 288 Escape Hybrids in taxi service throughout the city, and drivers are reporting that the hybrids are amazingly durable and their fuel-saving advantages are simply outstanding which makes them a great choice for taxis.
Facts on Ford Escape Hybrid
Ford Escape Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient SUV in the world: Its EPA rating is 34 miles per gallon for city driving. The front-wheel drive Escape Hybrid is the most fuel efficient SUV presently on earth and can provide drivers with 500 miles per tank of gas.
A savings of $30 per shift: According to Paul Gillespie, a San Francisco cab driver, driving an Escape Hybrid has helped him save up to $30 per shift. He is working four shifts a week which saves him $120 and for a year more than $6,000 on gasoline.
Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV) Certified: The Escape Hybrid has significantly reduced smog-forming emissions as it meets the cleanest emissions standard available for a vehicle that make use of fossil fuels---particularly the Californias AT-PZEV standard. The Escape Hybrid driving over 100,000 miles can conserve approximately 1,666 gallons of gas compared to a traditional cab and at the same time preventing 32,000 pounds of carbon emissions.
Durability and Reliability: In terms of these qualities, the Escape Hybrid has proven its strength by surviving a round-the-clock durability test in one of the most severe driving conditions that any vehicle can possibly endure. This durability of the Escape Hybrid is backed by a standard 8-year/100,000-mile limited warranty for unique hybrid components that includes the battery pack.
Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner Hybrid were given high tax credits: The real world fuel economy of the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner Hybrids will increased for the 2008 model year and because of this the Federal income tax credits available now are $3,000 for FWD models which rose by $400 and $2,200 on 4WD models up by $250. Both Ford and Mercury Hybrids at present have the highest tax credit given to a hybrid vehicle. The tax credits given to Ford and Mercury have increased by $900 more than their closest competitor. For both vehicles the EPA-certified fuel economy for FWD models is 34 mpg for vcity and 30 mpg for highway while 29 mpg for city and 27 mpg highway for AWD models.
Insurance discounts for Mercury Mariner Hybrids and Ford Escape Hybrids: Travelers which is one of the largest providers of personal insurance products in the US has offered hybrid drivers in the states of California, New Jersey, Texas, New York, Maryland, Florida, Kentucky, Georgia, and Washington discounts of up to 10 percent ion certain coverage. The company has estimated that their hybrid policy business has grown by up to 200 percent last 2006.
Hi5
Source: http://windows-xpfuhfjnshe.blogspot.com/2007/08/additional-ford-hybrid-taxis-at-street.html
Friday, August 31, 2007
Ford Announces More Hybrids In The Future
The struggling Dearborn-based car manufacturer Ford Motor Company announced that it will be producing more hybrid vehicles in the near future as the demand for fuel-efficient vehicles increases. The company said that they are facing engineering challenges in the development of these future hybrid vehicles.
Nancy Gioia, the Director of Fords Sustainable Mobility Technologies and Hybrid Vehicle Programs, said in a conference at Ann Arbor, Michigan that Ford will be producing more hybrid vehicles aside from the current Ford Escape Hybrid and the Mercury Mariner Hybrid.
The announcement is the first hint about Fords future plans for hybrid vehicles since April this year. During that month, FoMoCo President and Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally appointed an executive to a new position which is tasked with addressing environmental concerns.
With the introduction of the Ford Escape Hybrid in 2004, Ford became the first American car manufacturer to offer a gas-electric hybrid vehicle. In 2006, Ford introduced the Mercury Mariner Hybrid in the United States auto market. The Mariner is similar to looks and operation to its sibling, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid.
Due to reduced sales in the United States, Ford backed off on their initial goal fore the production of hybrid vehicles. This move was criticized by environmental advocates pointing out that the company has lost its dedication to protecting the environment by halting its plan for more hybrid vehicles.
In response to the criticism and the increasing demand for hybrid vehicles, Bill Ford, the companys Executive Chairman said that he regretted that the company did not immediately develop hybrid and other fuel efficient vehicles. The company though has taken steps to address environmental issues. Their Ann Arbor plant is considered as one of the most environment friendly vehicle assembly facilities in the country.
Currently, the hybrid vehicle market is being dominated by the largest Japanese car manufacturer that is Toyota. The Prius alone, the first mass produced hybrid vehicle, posted doubling sales figures in the past months. Toyota earlier announced that they have already sold more than one million units of their hybrid vehicles.
Fords Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid, meanwhile, are far behind Toyota hybrid vehicles in terms of sales. While Toyota has already sold 77,000 units of the Prius in the United States auto market for the first five months of the year, Ford only managed to sell 11,000 units of the Escape and Mariner Hybrids combined. The 11,000 units sold by Ford indicate an eight percent increase compared to the first five months last year. For Toyota though, the increase in the sale of the Prius reaches about 50 percent.
Environmental advocates are calling for Ford and other car manufacturers to market plug-in hybrid vehicles. These are vehicles which has a battery pack that can be charged via a common household socket. These vehicles can also run on pure electric power over relatively short distances. This means that for city driving, these vehicles will not consume any petroleum fuel and will produce no greenhouse gas. This makes them more fuel efficient and environment friendlier than gasoline engine-powered vehicles even those equipped with green filters.
Nancy Gioia said that Ford is currently developing plug-in hybrid vehicles but is facing challenge as to the development of an efficient and reasonably-priced battery pack. It is expected though that Ford will take steps similar to General Motors which has secured the services of independent companies to develop advanced lithium-ion battery packs for automotive application.
Adorama
Source: http://michaelyoyxrn.blogspot.com/2007/08/ford-announces-more-hybrids-in-future.html
Nancy Gioia, the Director of Fords Sustainable Mobility Technologies and Hybrid Vehicle Programs, said in a conference at Ann Arbor, Michigan that Ford will be producing more hybrid vehicles aside from the current Ford Escape Hybrid and the Mercury Mariner Hybrid.
The announcement is the first hint about Fords future plans for hybrid vehicles since April this year. During that month, FoMoCo President and Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally appointed an executive to a new position which is tasked with addressing environmental concerns.
With the introduction of the Ford Escape Hybrid in 2004, Ford became the first American car manufacturer to offer a gas-electric hybrid vehicle. In 2006, Ford introduced the Mercury Mariner Hybrid in the United States auto market. The Mariner is similar to looks and operation to its sibling, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid.
Due to reduced sales in the United States, Ford backed off on their initial goal fore the production of hybrid vehicles. This move was criticized by environmental advocates pointing out that the company has lost its dedication to protecting the environment by halting its plan for more hybrid vehicles.
In response to the criticism and the increasing demand for hybrid vehicles, Bill Ford, the companys Executive Chairman said that he regretted that the company did not immediately develop hybrid and other fuel efficient vehicles. The company though has taken steps to address environmental issues. Their Ann Arbor plant is considered as one of the most environment friendly vehicle assembly facilities in the country.
Currently, the hybrid vehicle market is being dominated by the largest Japanese car manufacturer that is Toyota. The Prius alone, the first mass produced hybrid vehicle, posted doubling sales figures in the past months. Toyota earlier announced that they have already sold more than one million units of their hybrid vehicles.
Fords Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid, meanwhile, are far behind Toyota hybrid vehicles in terms of sales. While Toyota has already sold 77,000 units of the Prius in the United States auto market for the first five months of the year, Ford only managed to sell 11,000 units of the Escape and Mariner Hybrids combined. The 11,000 units sold by Ford indicate an eight percent increase compared to the first five months last year. For Toyota though, the increase in the sale of the Prius reaches about 50 percent.
Environmental advocates are calling for Ford and other car manufacturers to market plug-in hybrid vehicles. These are vehicles which has a battery pack that can be charged via a common household socket. These vehicles can also run on pure electric power over relatively short distances. This means that for city driving, these vehicles will not consume any petroleum fuel and will produce no greenhouse gas. This makes them more fuel efficient and environment friendlier than gasoline engine-powered vehicles even those equipped with green filters.
Nancy Gioia said that Ford is currently developing plug-in hybrid vehicles but is facing challenge as to the development of an efficient and reasonably-priced battery pack. It is expected though that Ford will take steps similar to General Motors which has secured the services of independent companies to develop advanced lithium-ion battery packs for automotive application.
Adorama
Source: http://michaelyoyxrn.blogspot.com/2007/08/ford-announces-more-hybrids-in-future.html
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Escape Sales Surged Over the Million Mark
Recently, Ford Motor Co. proudly announced that Escape has surpassed the million mark. The automaker reported that it has sold more than 1 million of Escape models since November 2000. To put on record, Ford Escape is the best-selling SUV in the market today. In addition, it is also the best-selling crossover of any size for six years now.
From day one, the Escape has offered a combination of traditional SUV traits and crossover construction,?said Cisco Codina, group vice president, North America Marketing, Sales and Service. Escape offers refined ride and go-anywhere capability; impressive fuel economy and up to 3,500 pounds of towing; and a comfortable interior in a compact, agile package. And Escape keeps getting better, as we will show at the LA auto show.?
Ford Escape is the automaker's first crossover SUV. It can be recalled that the 2001 version of the vehicle is a bit unrefined and crude. It was clear that there was an unmet opportunity in the market place,?said Barry Redler, Ford SUV Group marketing manager. The other entries were one-dimensional, either focused only on off-road, SUV attributes at the expense of refinement, or focused on car-like ride and handling at the expense of off-road adventure. Escape was an instant success because it offered customers something no one else did: The best of both worlds.?
The redesigned 2008 version uses Escape's original success formula. It has passed Ford Tough Truck standards and was subjected to durability testing in the heat of the Australian outback and the sub-zero cold of Manitoba, Canada. The vehicle was also used in pulling a 3,500-pound trailer up the severe grades of the Davis Dam in Nevada to prove its towing capabilities as well as performance.
The 2008 version of Escape is scheduled to be introduced at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show on Nov. 29. Said model combines superb off-road performance and the fun of on-road driving. Auto Escape Ford parts will accumulate several styling cues from Edge, Explorer and Expedition. Modifications include new grille with bigger headlamps in the fascia, rounder wheel arches, redesigned sides, and cleaner lines. In addition, the interior of Escape is also redesigned for a more functional and stylish appeal.
As the utility market is changing, we are seeing an increasing number of people who find the small SUV best fits their needs and lifestyles,?said Redler. In 2001, 25 percent of small SUV owners left the segment for larger SUVs. Today were seeing increasing number of large SUV buyers moving into small SUVs like Escape. Were also seeing an increasing number of small SUV owners who replace their vehicle with another small SUV. ?
Source: http://bj-benincjaxii.blogspot.com/2007/08/escape-sales-surged-over-million-mark.html
New Events From Ford: The Escape Hybrid Technology Clinic
Hybrid vehicles are considered as the best cars nowadays. It combines the technical advantages of conventional vehicles and the economical features of electric vehicles. The electric motor of a hybrid vehicle assists the cars engine for a much better performance and reliability. As a result, hybrid vehicles come up with a bunch of benefits such as low emission, less air pollution, fuel efficiency, advanced aerodynamics, as well as cheaper running costs. Yet, these are just a few of the advantages that hybrid vehicles have. But not all of us are aware of these benefits produced by hybrid vehicles.
Most places around the world especially here in our country have the so called clean air program?that has been implemented to save the environment from air pollution. In accordance with this, hybrid engineers of the Ford Motor Company along with some representatives from Portland, Oregon will conduct a technology clinic for the Ford Escape Hybrid and for Ford Escape Hybrid parts. The said technology clinic will present the environmental and economical features and benefits of the Ford Escape Hybrid.
Other events include the consumer clinic, which will carry out forums to answer questions about the hybrid technology, and the Ford Escape Hybrid owner clinic that will discuss the consumer benefits of the Escape Hybrid. Some of these consumer benefits have been successfully accomplished in some areas in the country such as in New York and San Francisco that utilizes the Ford Escape Hybrid as a passenger taxi. It offers more fuel efficiency than conventional vehicles, spacious passenger and cargo capacity, clean emission, and extended gas mileage.
The Ford Technology Clinic will be on Wednesday, July 26 at the Oregon Convention Center, Oregon Ballroom Lobby, 777 Northeast Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd, Portland, Oregon and will start at 10:00 AM. This event from Ford Motor Company will surely help us to be more aware and fully understand the benefits and advanced features of Ford Escape Hybrid and other Ford hybrid vehicles.
Source: http://sex-teenayscpfhtbw.blogspot.com/2007/08/new-events-from-ford-escape-hybrid.html
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