Autoblog

Ford confirms hybrid and PHEV C-Max will be built in Spain

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 10 May 2010 16:01:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Minivan/Van, Europe, Hatchback, Ford

2011 Ford C-Max - Click above for high-res image gallery

Ford has just provided more details about its first European market hybrid models. The company's plant in Valencia, Spain will be building both regular and plug-in hybrid versions of the new five-seat C-Max MPV starting in 2013. The plant will receive $36 million in upgrades to accommodate hybrid vehicle production of the C-Max, which will be exclusively for the European market.

The new C-Max is the first vehicle being launched this year off of Ford's new global compact car platform that will also spawn the new 2012 Focus. The C-Max is essentially a tall wagon version of the Focus. The hybrid version will use Ford's next-generation hybrid system that will launch in North America in 2012, though no other details about the powertrain are available at this time. The C-Max is also the first application of Ford's new 1.6-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, which could be paired with the hybrid system.

The new C-Segment platform has been designed to support the installation of conventional, hybrid and full battery electric powertrains. A BEV version of the C-Max is also possible, though Ford has only confirmed plans for the Focus Electric at this time.

Gallery: 2011 Ford C-Max

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford confirms hybrid and PHEV C-Max will be built in Spain

Ford confirms hybrid and PHEV C-Max will be built in Spain originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 May 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford to expand electric and hybrid offerings to Europe from 2011

Sam Abuelsamid — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:50:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Geneva Motor Show, Technology, Ford, Electric

Ford Transit Connect Electric - Click above for high-res image gallery

Ford has big plans for electrification of its fleet over the next decade, and while most of the emphasis has been on North America so far, Europe will be joining in on the party starting in 2011. Nancy Gioia has announced that between 2011 and 2013, Ford of Europe will get five new hybrid and battery electric models added to its lineup. About six to nine months after each of the new models rolls out in North America, they will be introduced in Europe.

Ford's first new battery-powered vehicle, the Transit Connect Electric goes on sale this fall in North America followed by a European launch in the middle of 2011. The battery powered van is just the beginning of Ford's global electrification plan. Read more about it after the jump.

Gallery: Ford Transit Connect Eletric at Chicago Auto Show

Photos by Drew Phillips, Sebastian Blanco / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford to expand electric and hybrid offerings to Europe from 2011

Ford to expand electric and hybrid offerings to Europe from 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looking Way Up: Ford posts 33% sales gain in 2009, 15% market share

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:28:00 EST

Filed under: Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Earnings/Financials

We'll have our monthly By the Numbers post ready lickity split, but here's a little tidbit worth sharing ahead of the full data download. While automotive sales have been almost universally down in 2009 compared to 2008, Ford has a legitimate reason to crow about its December figures, which are up a third over December of '08 and an impressive 50 percent over November.

Ford boasts that its market share is up to 15 percent - one full percentage point higher than in 2008 and the first time since 1995 that the Blue Oval has gained on its competitors. Ford, Lincoln and even Mercury sales were improved in December. Here are a few of the highlights:

Ford Fusion: Posted a December sales increase of 83 percent and set new December (18,852) and full-year (180,671) sales records.
Ford Taurus: Sales totaled 7,256 for the month, up 110 percent versus a year ago. Since the introduction of the 2010 model in August, Taurus sales are nearly 90 percent higher than a year ago.
Ford Escape: Set a December sales record (19,156), up 75 percent versus a year ago. For the full year, Escape sales totaled 173,044, the second-best sales year ever.
Ford F-Series: America's best-selling truck for 33 years in a row. Best sales month since March 2008. F-Series sales in December were 48,209 (up 16 percent), bringing the full-year total to 413,625. In 2009, F-Series increased its leadership position among full-size pickups with a 4 percentage-point gain in segment share.
Ford Hybrids: December sales of hybrid vehicles totaled 2,843, up 147 percent versus a year ago. Sales totaled 33,502 in 2009, a new record and up 72 percent versus a year ago.

Ford's full-year sales totaled 1.62 million vehicles, down 15 percent from 2008. Even that, though, is a mild ray of sunshine considering that the industry was down about 20 percent overall. In the mood to crunch the numbers even more? Feel free to hit the jump for the full press release.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Looking Way Up: Ford posts 33% sales gain in 2009, 15% market share

Looking Way Up: Ford posts 33% sales gain in 2009, 15% market share originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford may pass Honda as second best hybrid seller in U.S.

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:33:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Ford, Honda, Toyota

2009 Ford Escape Hybrid - Click above for high-res image gallery

There's no doubt about which automaker leads the hybrid vehicle race. Toyota - and particularly the Japanese automaker's Prius hybrid - outsells all other manufacturers combined. In total, Automotive News calculates that Toyota sold 144,351 hybrid vehicles in the first nine months of 2009, which actually represents a 28-percent drop from the previous year.

So far this year, Honda has come in second with its new Insight, but that position is currently in jeopardy. The 26,016 hybrid vehicles sold by Ford in the first nine months of the year represents an impressive 73-percent gain from last year. Honda has sold 29,958 hybrids so far in '09, representing a much smaller eight-percent increase. In both July and September, Ford actually sold more hybrids than Honda.

In other words, Ford, led by its Escape Hybrid and new-for-2010 Fusion Hybrid, is gaining on Honda at a very rapid pace. Moving on down the line, General Motors slots in at number four with 12,556 total hybrid so far this year and Nissan's 7,713 units make it the number five hybrid seller in the U.S.

Gallery: ABG Garage: 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid Limited

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req'd]

Ford may pass Honda as second best hybrid seller in U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Act silly, get a Ford Fusion Hybrid [w/VIDEO]

Sebastian Blanco — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:39:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Ford

Mark Malkoff lurves the Fusion Hybrid - Click above to watch the video after the jump

Ford has already demonstrated strong, puppetmaster-like abilities with the whole Fiesta Agent thing. In exchange for agreeing to go on secretive "missions," a few dozen people were given a Ford Fiesta for six months this year (they're about due to give them back). Building from of that idea, comedian Mark Malkoff - yes, the guy who slept in an IKEA store for a week - is trying to collect the "Keys to the City" from as many cities as possible this month. Malkoff has convinced Ford to loan him a new Fusion hybrid while he travels around and performs a few stunts to earn those keys - including collecting all of the coins from a fountain in Fairfax, VA and cleaning up after the police horses in Harrisburg, PA.

We're not quite sure who's pulling who's strings here, but it seems someone's getting played. At least it's all in good fun. There's a video of Malkoff figuring out what the keys to the city are all about after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Act silly, get a Ford Fusion Hybrid [w/VIDEO]

Act silly, get a Ford Fusion Hybrid [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Ford's Mark Fields implies company makes no money on hybrids

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Ford, Earnings/Financials, Electric, Diesel

2009 Ford Escape Hybrid - Click above for high-res image gallery

Last week, our friends from Consumer Reports got the chance to sit down with Mark Fields, Ford's vice president of North American operations, and some interesting information was gleaned. For instance, CR says Fields "implied the company isn't making money on the hybrids it sells today, and it is looking at ways to "enhance revenue" from them." Not surprising, really, but an interesting admission nonetheless.

There are a few ways Ford could try and recoup some of its hybrid powertrain R&D costs, most logically being to extend the technology across its line and into more expensive products - possibly from Lincoln, mimicking the strategy Toyota uses with its Lexus division. In addition to hybrid and electric cars, Fields says Ford is also interested in diesels but isn't currently planning to sell any oil burners in passenger cars. Instead, Ford's diesel efforts are likely to continue focused on pickups.

Speaking of which, Ford's light duty diesel engine for the F-150 is apparently still somewhat on the agenda. Earlier reports, says Fields, that said the program had been canceled aren't entirely accurate. Instead, the smaller diesel was merely "delayed," though we have no idea for how long.

Gallery: ABG Garage: 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid Limited

[Source: Consumer Reports]

REPORT: Ford's Mark Fields implies company makes no money on hybrids originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hybrid sales slide 9.9% in 2008

Dan Roth — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 16:37:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GM, GMC, Honda, Nissan, Toyota

Despite all the clamor about how hybrids are going to save the planet, cure cancer, facilitate the second coming, etc., sales of battery-pack-mobiles are down nearly ten percent for 2008. At the beginning of 2008, it looked like hybrids were going to have their best year ever, driven by high fuel prices and a recessive economy. That recession, however,has caused consumers to cut way back, leading to dramatic drop in fuel prices, killing much of the argument for a hybrid's price premium. Consumers shy away from hybrids when fuel dips below $3.50 per gallon, and the incessant clang of news stories about expensive fuel also dries up, causing the issue of fuel efficiency to fall from consciousness.

Toyota is still the hybrid sales king, with 241,000 units shifted in 2008. Honda managed to ring up 31,000 sales, and Ford came in third with nearly 20,000 vehicles sold. While nearly every automaker offering hybrids is down (Nissan actually saw a 5 percent increase, and General Motors garnered a whopping 179 percent jump thanks to its 2008 introductions), Ford was hardest hit, with a 22 percent drop. Some might say "we told you so" about the way things have played out - by the time everyone got on board with more efficient offerings, the bottom has fallen out of the price of fuel - and others might use the sales figures to agitate for a gas tax to stimulate the purchase of fuel efficient vehicles.

[Source: Auto News - sub req]

Hybrid sales slide 9.9% in 2008 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Jan 2009 16:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford's Mark Fields calls plug-in hybrids a "national priority"

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 08:26:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Green, Ford, Earnings/Financials

In these days of nearly nonexistent profits for every one of Detroit's Big Three automakers, R&D funds must be allocated very carefully. In contrast, Japanese manufacturers such as Toyota and Honda have been earning profits on a yearly basis. Not long ago, a mild spat arose regarding whether or not the Japanese government helped fund the development of Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive. Even if they didn't do it in the past, Ford's President of the Americas Mark Fields indicated that they are doing it now at a conference held today in Washington, D.C. by Brookings and Google.org titled Plug-In Electric Vehicles 2008: What Role for Washington?

Fields called on the U.S. government to step up to the plate, mentioning tax breaks and incentives as one option to aid consumers who'd like to purchase these ultimately expensive vehicles one day. On the manufacturing side, Fields suggests that plug-in hybrids should be a "national priority", with Washington needing to allocate funds for research and development. Another area singled out is a domestic supply of batteries, since most of the units used in today's hybrids are being manufactured overseas.

It should be noted that General Motors already has a head start towards PHEVs with its upcoming Chevy Volt. As far as we're aware, the development costs for this vehicle and its batteries has been moving forward without direct assistance from the government. Feel free to read Field's entire speech after the break.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford's Mark Fields calls plug-in hybrids a "national priority"

Ford's Mark Fields calls plug-in hybrids a "national priority" originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 08:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Escort may return as 100mpg hybrid

Chris Tutor — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 18:02:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Ford

What would it take for Ford to get you interested in a new Escort? In its heyday, the Escort was quite popular, but managed to build up a bundle of negative brand equity. In less than three years, Ford reportedly hopes to woo Escort buyers back with a 100 mpg plug-in hybrid model. Numbers like that would certainly get some interest, and give competitors like GM's Volt and Toyota's Prius plenty to think about. And if the 2011 Escort looks anything like the renderings on Next Energy News, it should be able to make lots of money for Ford.

According to the report at Next Energy, the new Escort would be a single mode hybrid more like Toyota's drivetrain instead of the dual-mode system GM and Chrysler are developing. But the new car would be a brand new platform for Ford, and wouldn't be built using another company's proven hybrid system.

Ford's hybrid would likely utilize A123 Systems nanophosphate lithium-Ion batteries, which are also being used by the Saturn Aura and Chevy Volt.

[Source: Next Energy News via GM Inside News]

Ford Escort may return as 100mpg hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Sep 2007 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Kermit the Frog caught moonlighting for BMW

Chris Paukert — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 13:06:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, SUV, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hatchback, BMW, Ford

It appears that 'being green' is a bit easier than originally thought. How else to explain Kermit sawing away at the helm of a BMW 1-Series, kickin' up dust in a South African desert and having a gay old time with the not-for-U.S. consumption five door? This, when he's under contract in the States to plug Ford's Escape Hybrid.

Apparently, Henson's pig-lovin' Fröschlein has himself a solid agent... or at least Steve Whitmire (the guy with his hand up Kermie's posterior) does. Autoblog had dinner with SW (and Kermit) in Chicago this year at a private pre-show Ford function, but would seem that the man pulling the strings has found himself some better representation.

Check out the link for both the final BMW advert and a 'making-of' featurette.

[Source: Fresh Creation]

Video: Kermit the Frog caught moonlighting for BMW originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Jun 2006 13:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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