Hybrid Car Review

Ford released some interesting facts about their hybrid fleet, which includes the Hybrid Fusion, Hybrid Milan, Hybrid Escape and Hybrid Mariner.   You may already be aware of most of them, if you've been reading my blog for a while ;-), but it's still interesting to see them all laid out.


Fuel Efficiency is the Name of the Game
The first hybrid SUV on the market, Ford Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid, are still the most fuel efficient.  And the new Ford Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrid are number 3 on the list of most fuel efficient cars, right behind the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight.

The Ford Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrid are rated at 41 mpg city/ 36 mpg highway. The front-wheel drive Ford Escape Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrid are rated at 34 mpg in city/ 30 mpg highway.

Fuel Efficiency is Paying Off
With the release of the Fusion and Milan this past year, Ford hybrid vehicle sales are up by 73% through the first three quarters of 2009 over the same period in 2008.  And 60 percent of sales of the Fusion Hybrid are by 'non-Ford owners.'  Half of those previously owned an import brand.

“Hybrid customers increasingly are considering Ford,” said David Finnegan, Ford hybrid marketing manager.  “More than 60 percent of Fusion Hybrid sales have been from non-Ford owners, and more than half of those are customers coming from import brands, mostly from Toyota and Honda.”


Taxis, Government Service, and Lifeguards
Ford hybrid SUVs have been used extensively in taxi services. Each of the 15 Escape Hybrids in San Francisco, in operation since 2005, exceeded the 300,000 mile limit before being retired (by mandate) and replaced with more Escape Hybrids. There are currently almost 200 hybrid Escape taxis on the road in SF.

New York currently has more than 2,000 Escape Hybrids. Again, the first units which began service in 2005 are being forcefully retired after reaching the 300-350,000 mile mark.

In 2009, federal agencies have purchased more than 3,000 hybrids from Ford, more than any other automotive brand. But that last statement is a little misleading since Ford is the only 'domestic brand' that produced full hybrids for the longest time. GM has begun producing mild hybrids and larger hybrid SUVs, but Ford had a big lead time on them. And a government agency that does not purchase a 'domestic brand' vehicle had better have a good reason once word gets out.

Los Angeles has had 45 Escape Hybrids in use on the beaches. The County Lifeguards uses the hybrid SUVs along the 72 miles of Southern California coastline. After the first 11 months of service, lifeguards reported that Escape Hybrids had played a crucial part in thousands of rescues and more than a million rescue preventions at L.A. County beaches. They've also saved 25 percent on their fuel usage, more than 5,000 gallons of gas during the first six months of service.