Ford Promises More Hybrids In (wait for it . . . ) 2007!!

[hatrack]

NEW YORK -- "Even before its first gas-electric hybrid is sold, Ford Motor Co. plans to build on the momentum it hopes to gain as the first domestic automaker to sell the fuel-efficient vehicles by offering the technology on an upcoming Mercury model.

The 2007 Mercury Mariner would be Ford's third gas-and-electric powered vehicle, and the first outside the Ford brand.

Ford is expected to make the announcement today at the New York International Auto Show, where chairman and CEO Bill Ford and other executives are touting Ford's hybrid technology as gas prices hit record highs and interest rises in alternatives to gas-guzzling sport-utilities. A hybrid Ford Escape compact SUV is to launch late this summer.

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Ford is also eager to refute the notion that it is simply buying hybrid technology from Toyota. Yes, Ford pays royalties on Toyota patents. But those are just fees for using patents on ideas, such as driving backward in a hybrid, Ford spokespeople say. "We will continue to develop all of our hybrid in-house, including core research," Jim Padilla, Fords executive vice president in charge of North and South America, said in a statement."

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http://www.evworld.com/view.cfm?section=communique&newsid=5387