Clinton receives first presidential hybrid
President Clinton will be the first U.S. president ever to use a hybrid outfitted for presidential service thanks to Ford, who will be presenting our 42nd president with a Mercury Mariner Hybrid "Presidential Edition" at the Clinton Global Initiative conference later this month in New York City. The Mariner Hybrid has been modified to include LED interior lighting, a 110-volt outlet and a writing table. Everything else on the vehicle, including the hybrid powertrain that delivers 32 mpg in the city, is supposedly stock.
We say supposedly because most presidential vehicles are heavily modified with armor and other technologies to thwart assassination attempts. The LED interior lighting installed in Clinton's Mariner Hybrid suggests the window glass is either heavily tinted for privacy or has been replaced with a transparent armor similar to the kind used on President Bush's armored Cadillac DTS limo that's so thick it blocks natural sunlight.
Speaking of presidential vehicles, did you know that the presidential motorcade is typically 35 cars long? A lot of gas could be saved by switching that fleet over to a next generation powertrain. Follow the jump to see what vehicles follow the president when he's out on the town and in what order.
[Source: Ford]
(via Wikipedia) Since 2001, when the President travels out-of-town, his motorcade consists of about 35 vehicles. Listed here is the approximate order of a typical presidential motorcade, and indicates the vehicle number, occupants and purpose:
- Car #1: Local police car (maintains integrity of motorcade)
- Car #2: Local police car (maintains integrity of motorcade)
- Car #3: Marked police car (bomb sweep)
- Car #4: Route Car, marked police car (intersection control)
- Car #5: Pilot Car, marked police car (coordinator)
- Car #6: Lead Car, marked police car (command police personnel)
- Car #7: Lead SUV (Secret Service)
- Car #8: Lead SUV (Secret Service)
- Car #9: Lead SUV (Secret Service)
- Car #10: Armored Limo, Spare Limo (Secret Service)
- Car #11: Armored Limo, The President and First Family (Secret Service)
- Car #12: Follow-Up SUV (Secret Service)
- Car #13: Follow-Up SUV (Secret Service)
- Car #14: Follow-Up SUV (Secret Service)
- Car #15: Control Car (staff personnel)
- Car #16: Swat Car (Secret Service Swat Team)
- Car #17: Support Vehicle (staff personnel)
- Car #18: Staff 1 (staff personnel)
- Car #19: Staff 2 (staff personnel)
- Car #20: Staff 3 (staff personnel)
- Car #21: ID Car (ID team, Secret Service)
- Car #22: White House Personnel (staff personnel)
- Car #23: Camera 1 (photographers)
- Car #24: Wire 1 (writing press)
- Car #25: Camera 2 (photographers)
- Car #26: Camera 3 (photographers)
- Car #27: Camera 4 (photographers)
- Car #28: Press Pool Van (press pool staff)
- Car #29: Press Van (press staff)
- Car #30: Guest Van (VIP guest, staff)
- Car #31: Swat Car (local police SWAT)
- Car #32: Ambulance (Fire Department personnel)
- Car #33: Press Bus (press staff)
- Car #34: Local Police Car (maintains integrity of motorcade)
- Car #35: Local Police Car (maintains integrity of motorcade)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
joe kelly 5:34PM (1/25/2008)
The Mariner fits Slick Willy personality.
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Dr. Joe 5:37PM (1/25/2008)
change of name
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joke 5:40PM (1/25/2008)
bill needs a solar powered RV.
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Dr. Joe 5:43PM (1/25/2008)
The worlds problems were caused by clinton not Bush, wake up!!!!!
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Hernan 5:08PM (9/07/2006)
God damn 22nd amendment.
Bush will probably get a Hummer limo that runs on solient gree.
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Justin 9:09PM (9/07/2006)
Clinton isn't president anymore. So what presidential uses does he have?
Is that thing on the roof a tv tuner?
Also, is there anyway to comment and not have to acivate my comments thru my email?
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felonious.monk 5:49PM (9/07/2006)
Does it have armor? Don't see how it can have armor and still get 30+ mpg.
Bush's limo: runs on an alternative fuel distilled from the blood of our inner city kids serving in the military.
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rwdmtparkingonly 5:20PM (9/07/2006)
I think that is part of his Social Security reform package. At least good 'ol Bill can show support for US owned automakers.
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JC Whitless 5:20PM (9/07/2006)
Actually, I thought Clinton would have asked for the Hummer....
/zing
//pow
///tip your waitresses
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Ryan 5:23PM (9/07/2006)
#1
What do presidential term limits have to do with anything?
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Ryan 5:25PM (9/07/2006)
"3. Actually, I thought Clinton would have asked for the Hummer...."
-LMAO
-Yeah, good ol' Bill could never refuse a good hummer! :-)
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rwdmtparkingonly 5:28PM (9/07/2006)
The glass is heavily tinted for privacy.
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Hernan 5:47PM (9/07/2006)
#4 The world would be a better place if Clinton were still president. He ended his administration with higher approval ratings than Reagan.
The world would be a better place if Newt had not killed the 1996 Omnibus Anti-terror bill also, but hey, what is the worst that could happen...
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Ryan 5:54PM (9/07/2006)
"Bush's limo: runs on an alternative fuel distilled from the blood of our inner city kids serving in the military."
-Would that slogan be "live dead go red"
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Carlton 6:34PM (9/07/2006)
Great. A Mercury Mariner that'll have astro turf in the back.
Monica, isn't that astro turf a little rough on your backside?
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Illan 6:39PM (9/07/2006)
GEE i didnt know William "Bill" Clinton was still on the Oval Office...donty you Guys mean George Walker Bush???
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G. Snyder 6:54PM (9/07/2006)
"#4 The world would be a better place if Clinton were still president. He ended his administration with higher approval ratings than Reagan.
The world would be a better place if Newt had not killed the 1996 Omnibus Anti-terror bill also, but hey, what is the worst that could happen..."
This is drivel.
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felonious.monk 6:50PM (9/07/2006)
#9: LOL. Good one.
#10: Monica?? Just thawed off of deep freeze? C'mon, how old is she now? The "big one" as she called him have surely moved on to greener (younger) turf. Mmmm... turf.
#11: You're either not from the U.S. or need a refresher on the constitution. Once a president, always a president. The difference between them all: there can only be one idiot in the white house.
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Mal Fuller 6:58PM (9/07/2006)
I hear it's equipped with a jump seat for Monica!
Just the same, the Clinton years were better for our country than the fine mess we're in now.
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Ryan 7:05PM (9/07/2006)
"15. I hear it's equipped with a jump seat for Monica!"
-Don't forget that fine honey of a woman Paula Jones.
uhhhhcuk, Hillary, Paula, Monica, he sure does like the "blow job bettys"
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