The American hybrid carmakers: racing against time


Defined Tag: gm hybrid car.

Trying to break the dominance of the Japanese and Europeans in the development of Hybrid cars, the U.S. Department of Energy collaborated with GM, Ford, Chrysler , in the 1990s in the development of hybrid cars. This collaboration resulted in millions of dollars being put into the huge project of developing American hybrid cars.

After ten years, Ford came produced one model entry into the market, competing against six Japanese hybrid cars. Ford started selling the Escape SUV Hybrid in September of 2004. The other two American hybrid cars manufacturers are finding it difficult delivering their hybrids to the market.
What about Toyota hybrid car
Seen below is a short update on the position of American hybrid car manufacturers.

Ford hybrid car

Ford Escape Hybrid was finally presented to the public in September 2004 even though the original schedule was in 2003. The Ford’s answer to the call for American hybrid cars is a fully hybrid electric vehicle, able to run on its gasoline or electric motor, or both. This is to meet the requirements set by driver demand to optimize performance and limit fuel consumption.

The Ford Escape was the first among American hybrid cars. This hybrid car produces less than one pound of smog-forming pollutants for every 15,000 miles. This is more important when compared with all light trucks average of 105 pounds of smog-forming pollutants for every 15,000 miles. The average for passenger cars, with same number of miles, is 67 pounds.

Presently, hybrids, especially, American hybrid cars are the newest topic in the U.S. People are interested in knowing how hybrid will benefit the environment, as well as their own budget for fuel. The main interest must have been whether the hybrids would really consume small amount of fuel.

And Ford is smart enough to have made the first American hybrid car as SUV. This is for obvious reason. SUV is regarded as very American and this has helped the Ford hybrid car to sell.

The Ford Hybrid has the style and performance capabilities of a normal car. This has made it possible for the American hybrid car to avoid the “image-look” problem of Honda’s earlier version of hybrid cars. The enhanced fuel economy usage of the Ford Escape has also impressed American buyers.

Ford showed its commitment to environment issue by installing 10.4 acres-wide purifying plants in its factory in Dearborn. The plants serve as insulators to the building, and is improving the water runoff. Ford is also on track to produce Mercury Mariner Hybrid next year. A hybrid smaller-sized sedan will follow, and a hydrogen-powered Ford Focus is being developed.

The Daimler-Chrysler

When Evan Boberg, an automotive engineer for Chrysler’s hybrid program resigned over the presumed ineffectiveness of program officers in the early 1990s, many believed that the hybrid program of Chrysler is good as dead. Last year though, Daimler-Chrysler announced the release of its first hybrid production in the market. This is called the Dodge Ram Contractor Special. Modeled after other hybrid pickups, Dodge Ram emphasis is on utility, instead of fuel saving system. The hybrid though, did not to meet the promised mass production, and was available only to fleet owners.

In a separate interview in a German auto industry paper in 2004, Thomas Weber, DaimlerChrysler board member, said that it will take five years to come about with a Mercedes hybrid. So before this decade ends, a new kind of Mercedes will take the road of major cities in the world.

General Motors

GM began presenting American hybrid cars with Sierra and Silverado, for fleet and commercial customers in May 2004. GM started offering the hybrid pickups to six states: Washington, California, Nevada, Alaska, Florid, and Oregon, in October of the same year. The limited offering was determined by consumer demand for American hybrid cars in those States.

2,000 of Silverado and Sierra hybrid trucks were produced by GM in 2005. In 2006, the distribution of the hybrid pickup trucks has been extended to include the entire country. Before 2006 ends, GM is looking at a volume of 3,000 units.

Apart from a new hybrid vehicle Saturn VUE this year, GM is also presenting Chevrolet Malibu for next year, 2007. Next year, GM is also due to present a two-mode full hybrid. The development of this project is being done in conjunction with Daimler Chrysler and BMW. The resultant America hybrid car is likely to have 25 percent more fuel economy than the popular SUVs, the Chevrolet Tahoe, and the GMC Yukon.