Production of the Escape Hybrid is slated for late summer and it will be built by "the thousands" this year, Acho said. "Then, I can expect that you will see it in the tens of thousands."
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| "As we produce more and more of these, the costs will go down. That way it will be even more financially viable." (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada) |
Ford is hoping that the market will demand a lot of Escape Hybrids to be manufactured, Acho said. "Because, as we produce more and more of these, the costs will go down. That way it will be even more financially viable."
Ford has released the prices for the Escape Hybrid, but the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price for the conventional versions range from $21,895-$35,625, so its price is likely to be substantially higher.
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| Ford is expecting environmentally conscious people to order a vehicle that is absolutely the cleanest SUV in the world. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada) |
The problem with hybrid vehicles, including the Toyota Prius and Honda's Insight and Civic Hybrid, is their relatively high cost to make--roughly USD$5,000 more than a conventional gasoline powered vehicle, said David Cole, president of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich.
During the summer, CAR released a white paper on advanced vehicle power technologies, comparing the advantages and disadvantages of advanced gasoline and diesel engines with hybrids and fuel cell vehicles. The basic conclusion of the white paper is that many of these technologies are still evolving and it is too early for any company to start picking winners, despite the popular thinking by some journalists and environmental groups that car companies should abandon IC engines and develop hybrids as a stepping-stone to fuel cell powered vehicles.
Ford, though, is expecting environmentally conscious people to order a vehicle that is absolutely the cleanest SUV in the world, Acho said.