Ford Motor Company Hybrid Sales Up 115 Percent as April Sets Best-Ever Sales Record

PRNewswire ^ | 5/2/2006 | Ford Motor Company

[eraser2005]

* Ford Motor Company hybrid sales have seen three months of double-digit sales increases, fueled by increasing consumer awareness, gas prices, and company and government incentives * Sales success shows there is a strong demand for affordable, fuel- efficient hybrid vehicles that deliver both economic and environmental benefits * Ford Motor Company remains the only domestic automaker with a hybrid on the road and will produce up to 250,000 hybrid vehicles globally by 2010

[eraser2005]

Well, it looks like gas prices may be affecting some sales... but then Ford also added some regional incentives on the hybrid - so it just goes to prove that you need to know your market as well. Honda's getting a harsh lesson on this with their Accord hybrid that no one seems to want.

[eraser2005]

*ping*

Thought you might be interested since you have one of these, iirc...

[Eric in the Ozarks]

5 or 6 years from now, we'll be wondering what to do with a lot of great big batteries.

[mpreston]

115 percent of a small number is still a small number. The big numbers are the incentives, financing and tax, to sell a total of 3420 vehicles, 1% of Fords monthly sales volume.

[RichardW]

Just for the record, I have one of these and I average 30.2 mpg over 4,500 miles. Pretty close to the posted mileage sticker. About a 50% improvement over the conventional Escape.

[kabar]

LOL. They produced 3,420 in the month of April up from the 1,590 in March and the 1,341 in February. Percentages can be misleading.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

How long do you plan to keep it ? What will you get for it when you trade ?

[MaDeuce]

"Just for the record, I have one of these and I average 30.2 mpg over 4,500 miles. Pretty close to the posted mileage sticker. About a 50% improvement over the conventional Escape."

I get between 19 and 21 mpg in my 7300 lb. Dodge Cummins 3/4 ton diesel 4X4 ... and do a LOT MORE work with my truck than you can do with an Escape. Also, my VW Jetta TDI (Turbo Diesel) gets between 51 and 55mpg constantly.

GO DIESEL .... go out and get a new 2006 VW TDI 5-speed before there all gone ... VW won't be selling any more turbo diesels till 2009.

[oyez]

How often do you have to change the hamsters?

[joesnuffy]

I wouldn't buy a pair of tube socks if they were made by Ford
let alone a new car or truck...

-Push off your sodomite marriage agenda in some other country
Ford

[RayChuang88]

You can forget about diesels for automobiles until they fix the problem of removing higher NOx output and diesel particulates from the exhaust gases. Mercedes-Benz's BlueTec does work but that is a very expensive solution.

[RichardW]

I have no idea how long I will keep it. I was intrigued with the technology. What I do know is that the fuel mileage increase is real.

[JeffersonRepublic.com]

"5 or 6 years from now, we'll be wondering what to do with a lot of great big batteries."

Come on, put the environment first. We must stop CO2! The batteries can alway be dumped into the ocean... France dumps nuclear waste in the ocean why not a few batteries. /sar

[DonaldC]

"Just for the record, I have one of these and I average 30.2 mpg over 4,500 miles. Pretty close to the posted mileage sticker. About a 50% improvement over the conventional Escape."

That is all you get with a hybrid? I have a Chevy Aveo and get mid twenties. Heck, my 1980 volvo gets 20. I like the hybrid concept but it does not sound like much bang for the buck.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

My local Ford salesman (I have two 2004 Fords) says the resale might not be so good. I agree, the mileage is there. I'd get a newer one as soon as they are available tho.

[Sweetjustusnow]

I find the hybrid cars amusing. My husbands folks recently went in to a retirement home and left us their old Honda Civic (can't remember what year it is, but it's pretty old), It has 90,000 miles on it and runs beautifully. It also gets 37 miles to the gallon. You'd think after 25 years or more that these hybrids would be cheap and plentiful, not to mention get twice the mileage as the old Honda Civic!

[EQAndyBuzz]

"How often do you have to change the hamsters?"

ROFLMAO. I was going to ask how long does it take to wind up the rubber band.

[L98Fiero]

"That is all you get with a hybrid?"

I guess that's pretty good for an SUV, I don't know. My new Pontiac with a pushrod 240hp V6 is showing 27.7 MPG right now. Granted, that 6th gear helps a lot.

[EQAndyBuzz]

"I wouldn't buy a pair of tube socks if they were made by Ford let alone a new car or truck..."

An Expedition saved my life. When I buy a truck, that will be the truck I buy.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Just for the record, I have one of these and I average 30.2 mpg over 4,500 miles.

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My wife's Mercedes E320 averages about 29 MPG. My friend's new Corvette gets 30 MPG on the highway.