Ford Hybrids in the News

"Hybridmania" continues to build momentum, with fuel prices still in flux and more auto manufacturers rolling out hybrid vehicle offerings. Here's a capsule report on some of the hybrid happenings this month.    

THE GAS GETS GREENER ... OR MAYBE LEANER -- Ford Motor Company is unveiling a hybrid research vehicle that runs on a combination of electric power and E85 ethanol, which is a formula of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. The Ford Escape Hybrid E85 is the world's first hybrid capable of operating on E85, a renewable fuel that can be produced from American-grown corn. Ethanol also releases no fossil-based CO2, so its use as a fuel in place of gasoline reduces greenhouse emissions. Experts say that if 5 percent of the U.S. vehicle fleet were powered by hybrids operating on E85 fuel, imports of foreign oil could be reduced by at least 200 million barrels of oil a year.

HYBRIDS GET ALL THE BREAKS -- From federal legislators and state governors to insurance companies, lots of people are recognizing the importance of increasing the number of hybrids on American roads. Starting this month, hybrid buyers qualify for a federal tax credit that will replace a tax deduction. The credit is a more bottom-line benefit for consumers because it directly reduces a buyer's tax bill instead of simply reducing a buyer's taxable income. A Ford Escape Hybrid or Mercury Mariner Hybrid buyer, for instance, could get a $2,600 credit for a two-wheel-drive model, and $1,950 for the four-wheel-drive version. Meanwhile, New York Gov. George Pataki says he wants to renew the $2,000 personal income tax credit for buying a hybrid vehicle, and Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has proposed a $500 sales tax credit for the purchase of any of nine brands of fuel-efficient vehicles, including Ford, Toyota and Honda hybrids. Other states are considering allowing single-occupant hybrid drivers to get out of the rush-hour crunch and into their high-occupancy vehicle lanes. Hybrid rewards are also extending to the private sector. Next month, Travelers Insurance will offer 10 percent discounts to hybrid vehicle owners in the United States. The company cited research that indicated hybrid owners fall into the "preferred insured category." Translated, that means they're lower-risk drivers.

MARINER IS HYBRID MVP ... NOT BAD FOR A ROOKIE -- Just two months after it went on sale, the 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid became the first vehicle to be awarded Green Car Journal's "Green Car of the Year" at the 2006 Greater Los Angeles Auto Show. The purpose of the award is to recognize environmental leadership in the auto industry. The jury, which included Journal staffers and auto industry and environmental experts, considered gasoline-electric hybrids, near-zero emission gasoline models, advanced diesels and vehicles capable of operating on alternative fuels. The jury selected five finalists based on research and driving experience, with an emphasis on vehicles that advance overall efficiency and functionality while decreasing environmental impact, before choosing the Mercury Mariner Hybrid as the winner.

POWERING UP HYBRIDS -- J.D. Power and Associates released a new hybrid sales forecast this month that predicts gas-electric vehicle sales will hit 780,000 by 2012, up from 212,000 vehicles in 2005, an increase of 268 percent. Market share will go to 4.2 percent by 2012, from 1.3 percent last year. Biggest reason cited by Power: a greater number of offerings -- 52 models in nearly all segments, including full-size pickups, minivans and luxury cars, vs. 11 currently.  

HYBRIDS: 'BEST VALUE,' SAYS VINCENTRIC -- The best car deal in the industry runs on gas-electric power, according to Vincentric, a Bloomfield Hills, Mich., company that analyzes automotive value. Vincentric named its "Best Value in America" awards this month, with hybrid vehicles leading the way. The Ford Escape Hybrid, as well as hybrid vehicles from Toyota and Honda, won the "Best Value in America" award in their respective segments. Vincentric says it analyzed more than 1,800 vehicle configurations and computed the cost to own and operate each vehicle. Eight cost factors were calculated to determine the overall cost of ownership: depreciation, fuel, insurance, opportunity cost, financing, maintenance, taxes and state fees, and repairs. Hybrids benefited from three main factors, said Vincentric President David Wurster, who cited their strong fuel-economy ratings, strong residual values due to high demand and the federal tax credit that went into effect this year.

HYBRID HOUSES? -- The keen interest in hybrid vehicles and their well-chronicled energy-saving benefits means it's high time for the United States to "go hybrid" with homes, says The Christian Science Monitor in an editorial this month. The Monitor advocated that the Energy Star program promoted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is a good step, but the next generation in home building should be transitioning to zero-energy homes (ZEH). "Like a hybrid, the ZEH, as it's called, 'drives' and looks like a normal house," The Monitor wrote. "Flat, unobtrusive solar tiles cover the roof and augment power. Tankless, heat-as-you-use water heaters and super-efficient windows reduce demand. The result is a wash -- 'zero' net energy consumption once the house is built."The Monitor also cites the biggest problem with zero-energy homes: The cost-saving components can add a premium (as high as $25,000) to the initial house price. But they pay for themselves over several years, something that will sound familiar to hybrid vehicle buyers.

HITTING HIS NUMBERS -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has come under fire for overestimating the mileage figures for vehicles -- particularly hybrids -- in its reports. Warren Woomer of Fort Hill, W.V., figured he was in good shape averaging 28 miles per gallon in his Ford Escape Hybrid -- 3 mpg below EPA highway estimates -- until he went to school on it. Woomer, an engineer who reads manuals and tracks mileage numbers, along with his wife, Betty, and other hybrid drivers, were invited to bring their Escapes to Ford Motor Company's Dearborn, Mich., headquarters. There they met the design and engineering team, who, among other tips, gave advice on maximizing fuel economies. After Woomer raised his tire pressure as advised, used cruise control as much as possible and drove at more consistent speeds on his hilly home roads, his mileage jumped to the EPA's 31 mpg highway. "I think people were really pleased that Ford took the time and effort to educate us," Woomer told The Charleston Gazette.