Escape Hybrid

Saudis Spend 250K; Overturn Brown v. Board of Education

2005-08-23T04:10:00.000-07:00

Old Uncle Oil, Saudi Arabia, has used a miniscule amount of cash, in this case $246,000, to sidestep the historical civil rights decision, Brown v. Board of Education. When Brown was handed in down in 1954, it was a watershed moment that ended segregation in public education and other areas of American life. No longer was "separate, but equal" (schools, water fountains, etc.) the law of the land -- as set by Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896.

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/11604
This summer Virginia Tech University, a public university, played teacher/host to Saudi Arabian academics from King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah. The 60 Saudi Academics (30 men and 30 women) requested two sections of the web design and internet technology course they had contracted to take. Some how when classes began, they were segregated based on gender. VT Marketing Professor Eloise Coupey filed a formal complaint. "Suppose we have a situation at Virginia Tech where students said we didn't want to be [racially] integrated. Would we allow them to segregate into white classes and black classes?" asked Coupey.

While VT officials argue they had nothing to do with the class rolls (the Saudi's created them), they have admitted their discomfort with the situation and have stated that they will not host any more delegation where the students are segregated.

We all know that equal rights and civil rights do not exist in Saudi Arabia and much of the oil world. As you read this, Iraqis are fighting over the role of women in the Iraqi Constitution. If major institutions in the US will take less than 250K and ignore the laws of our land on our land, is there any chance we can ever cut ourselves free from toxic international oil entanglements.

http://www.now.org/nnt/summer-2002/gender.html

NY Times Crashes Toyota's Hybrid Party

2005-08-01T15:55:00.000-07:00

Any goodwill that Toyota and Honda built with their hybrids over the last few years has been exhausted in the editorial offices of the NY Times. For the second week in a row, the once forward thinking paper has taken a swipe at hybrids, targetting the newer, "performance" models: the Highlander Hybrid, the Lexus 400h SUV, and the Honda Accord.

Last week's Times' slam job on hybrids via criticism of the Accord Hybrid was misleading given the limited number of cars produced and sold when compared to the Civic Hybrid and the Toyota Prius. The piece fell short on a few other items, which I discussed in a post last week.

On July 31st, in the obnoxiously priced Sunday Edition, the NY Times used 4 writers in order to tear apart Toyota's new Hybrid SUVs. The main review, with the title "2006 Lexus RX 400h: The Hybrid Emperor's New Clothes", is incredibly negative. Then, as if to really drive home the Times' displeasure with Toyota's new hybrids, three other test drivers take shots at the 400h and the Highlander Hybrid. The titles of their short reviews were, "More Thirsty Than You'd Think", "Take The Four Cylinder Instead", and "Unmet Expectations" and each offered an alternative car choice; ranging from a Subaru to an Avalon.

I checked other recent "Behind The Wheel Reviews" on the NY Times website and neither of the reviews posted (Infiniti and Mercedes) offered four different writers ripping apart the car and car maker in question.

Is the NY Times correct about the new hybrids from Toyota and Honda? Or is the paper trying to avoid the fate of the LA Times? (GM pulled $10 million in advertising earlier this year b/c they didn't like what the paper was writing about GM cars) Or, is it possible, that just maybe the NY Times editorial board now hates hybrids b/c they are going mainstream and are no longer the exclusive province of Uber-Greenies and Hollywood morons?

Sunday Night TV, Hybrids, and the Decline of Toyota?

2005-03-21T12:46:00.000-08:00

When it comes to the world of television, no show has been as hot over the last year as Desperate Housewives. Though the sexy/violent content of the show has been protested and Time Magazine (with the help of Super hot Teri Hatcher) asks, "Has TV Gone Too Far?" its a ratings bonanza and a highlights a strategic shift in the television industry.

For much of history, Sunday was the Lord's Day. Enter HBO. By creating new expectations about Sunday night and winning boatloads of awards, HBO became a new church in America. Hits like Sex and the City, the Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The Larry David Show, Da Ali G Show, and Deadwood captured market share and watercoolers.

That was then. Desperate Housewives is now. ABC's current lineup of the heartwarming Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Boston Legal has become a juggernaut. So much so that the network is letting Boston Legal take a breather and bringing up a promising new medical drama called Grey's Anatomoy -- ER is tired, accept it.

Why and how HBO fell can be summed up by one word: ARROGRANCE. They took their viewers for granted and screwed with the schedule, when was Sopranos last on and when will it be back? Anyone? Bueller? When will Larry David be back?

As I considered HBO's demise and loss of Sundays, I wondered if this fate might await Toyota's humongous stranglehold on hybrid marketshare and mindshare in the US. It is possible given the early stage of the auto industry's transition towards more efficient technologies. Far more people have never been in a hybrid than have been in one, just as far more people had not seen Sex and the City than had seen it. The viewership of Desperate Housewives dwarfs the viewership Carrie Bradshaw commanded -- 20 odd million versus a few million. Business history is riddled with leaders and innovators who failed to succeed in the mass market over the long run -- IBM's PC, Netscape's browsers, Sears (now merged with KMart), etc..

Is it likely that Toyota will give up its lead anytime in the near future? No, probably not. Are they getting arrogant? Probably not, but in a recent interview, Toyota's David Hermance, the executive engineer for environmental engineering at Toyota Technical Centre USA, sounded pretty confident and not very Japanese.

INTERVIEWER: By number of hybrid vehicles sold, Toyota's far ahead. You have sold more hybrid vehicles than all other manufacturers combined. But now all your competitors are getting into hybrids. Who worries you the most?

HERMANCE: Worries us? None. We appreciate the competition because it expands the market and the awareness.

Does this one statement mean anything? No, but arrogance before a fall is commonplace. And given the massive raves and coverage the Prius has gotten and the forthcoming release of the Highlander Hybrid and the Lexus 400h are getting, there can be no doubt Toyota will continue to be crowned the King of Hybrids.

Only time will tell if Toyota's hybrid domination will end, but last Sunday, as I again accepted that the irrascible Larry David and his Prius Zippy were not on, I watched ABC. As Extreme Makeover Home Edition wrapped up, with the Leomoti-Higgins family getting a much need home makeover, Ty Pennington gave them one last gift -- a 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid. Over 16 million people (according to Nielsen) watched, though the more actually saw it because the Escape moment occurred just a few minutes before Desperate Housewives began. DH drew over 26 million viewers. Thats a lot of people potentially learning about hybrids courtesy of the Blue Oval. And yes Oprah, Ford did pick up the sales tax and license fee on the car.

Lutz Has a Blog, Does He Have A Clue?

2005-01-20T13:26:00.000-08:00

It has been widely noted that GM Vice-Chairman Bob Lutz now has a blog online. Detroit News writer Mike Hudson opines that this once again proves Lutz is "the coolest man in Detroit." The blog, along with his other recent actions and statements are supposed to represent openness and change in Detroit.

Some have even given him credit for admitting that GM "missed the boat" on using hybrids to market itself as a tech savvy company. In a statement during last weeks auto show, Lutz said,

"We business-cased it, took a hard, analytical look and thought the engineering and investment were irresponsible vis-a-vis our shareholders. We failed to appreciate what Toyota has basically treated as an advertising expense...."

"We should have said, 'We'll lose $100 million a year on hybrids, but we'll take our advertising budget of $3 billion, make it $2.9 billion and treat it as an advertising expense.'Toyota very cleverly has used hybrids to gain an improved perception of the brand."

MARKETING EXPENSE? PERCEPTION? Is he kidding? Does he know about Toyota's Earth Charter of 1992 where they laid out aggressive goals for a low emission 21st Century car? Does he know that Takeshi Uchiyamada, an engineer, not a marketer, took over the project in early 1994 and oversaw the development and commercialization of the Prius? Over 13 years in the works Mr. Lutz.

The money spent on hybrids will be earned back over time as substanstial research and development often is. Lutz apparently doesn't get it. His comments sound like he's talking to the guys on Wall Street or CNBC, trying to prove that the higher valued company (Toyota in this case) really shouldn't be valued that highly b/c they just dumped money into advertising to increase market share. I wonder if he thinks the 1,000,000 hybrids a year Toyota plans to sell in 5 years is just a marketing ploy? (Thanks Walter)

Bob Lutz may be Auto Royalty and he may have a blog, but from where I sit (in the driver's seat of a Ford Escape Hybrid), he doesn't seem to have a clue.

American Gas Money at Work in Iraq

2005-01-18T10:36:00.000-08:00

A televised interview on Iraqi TV with the captured leader of Saddam Hussein's "Army of Muhammad" makes it clear that oil rich Iran is financing the resistance.

According to Muayed Al-Nasseri, who led the 800 man group for most of 2004, "The truth is that Iran has played a significant role in supporting the Army of Muhammad and many factions of the resistance. I have some units, especially in southern Iraq, which receive Iranian aid in the form of arms and equipment.”

Al-Nasseri then goes on to state, "According to my information, they met with him [Ayatollah Khamenei]personally, and they were given one million dollars and two cars full of weapons. They still have a very close relationship with Iran. They receive money, cars, weapons, and many things. According to my information, they even got car bombs.”

Was this guy lying to interrogators? Does anyone doubt that Iran would pay for the killing of US Troops? Did you know 50% of the Iranian Government's revenue comes from oil sold on world markets! The US consumes 25% of the world's oil.

So, as you sit in the Burger King drive thru with your combustion engine idling, wasting gas, think for a moment about the US soldier sitting at a checkpoint outside of Mosul. What paid for the RPG that is going to be fired at him or her? Don't you think its time we do something about that?

OPEC flips us the bird, as trade deficit soars...

2005-01-12T18:22:00.000-08:00

In news that should surprise no one, OPEC is leaning towards cutting production at its January 30th meeting.

"At this moment we have a price that is comfortable, both to consumers and to us," said Venezuelan Energy and Mining Minister Rafael Ramirez. Ramirez also happens to be the President of the state run oil firm.

In related news, the US trade deficit reached a record level in November 2004. Many economists argue that running persistent and large trade deficits negatively impacts on an economy.

Much of our November trade imbalance is made up of cheap things that Walmart ordered XMAS and another large component is made up of oil.

"This caught a lot of us by surprise. We had been anticipating a pull back in the November deficit because of a decline in the price of oil," said Jason Schenker, an economist at Wachovia Bank in Charlotte, N.C.

Oddly, (or not so oddly) the consumption of oil went up in the U.S. and the overall amount of money spent on imported oil and other fossil fuels went up.

Does this mean the US is scaling back from the panic we saw over the summer? Was it all just rhetoric to throw Bush out of office?

The reality is, an economy as large as the US economy takes years to adjust structurally. As I was born in the 70s, I don't remember the oil shortages that well, but I do know that by the 80s there were fuel efficient Japanese cars everywher. So many in fact that we had ask the Japanese for voluntary export restraints on their autos and Michael Crichton wrote a best seller that was turned into a movie starring Sean Connery.

What I think is different today is that hybrids and other alternative fuels are going to be independent of body type. In the past, with just a traditional engine, super efficient cars were too small for most American consumers and business users. Ideally, we will be seeing Hummer hybrids in the next 20 years or so.

And on that day, when oil is sitting at 10 bucks a barrel, one wonders what the Venezuelan Minister will be muttering about consumer and producer comfort?

OPEC is afraid of Bill Ford Jr...

2005-01-10T13:24:00.000-08:00

Look at this news item from the Middle East North Africa Financial Network....

US auto giant Ford expects to have five hybrid gasoline-electric vehicles on the market within three years, chairman Bill Ford said Sunday at the North American International Auto Show.

"It's only the start and it's only one of the fuel efficient technologies we're working seriously on," the company chairman, great-grandson of founder Henry Ford, said as he presented his plans to the premier US auto show.

"Our commitment is clear. We're going to be a leader in bringing our customers technologies that makes a difference in their life and in their world."

This kind of 'crazy talk' is very much discouraged in most Middle East and North African capitals. One can be sure Riyadh is making plenty of phone calls and wire transfers this very minute.

Escape Hybrid wins Truck of Year!!!

2005-01-09T18:07:00.000-08:00

Just announced today... The 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid has won the award for North America's top truck at the North American International Auto Show.

Beyond just winning the category with its industry first hybrid SUV, the company has announced that it will expand its line of hybrids and will speed up the launch of a hybrid Mercury Mariner.

Where are all the Ford protestors -- Jumpstartford.com? Will this announcement cause them to change the focus of their attacks? So far no press release responding to Fords latest actions.

Most likely they will claim credit for forcing Ford to alter its strategies. As far as I can tell, the credit belongs to Bill Ford Jr. and his team and to consumers like me for buying hybrids.

At the end of the day car manufacturers will produce what people want and for the forseable future the peops want hybrids.

Now that the Peterson Trial is Over...

2005-01-05T16:02:00.000-08:00

Sure Amber Frey is hustling a book and Scott's appeal will drag on, American is ready for a new court case to follow!, even thoughAmber Frey is hustling a book and Scott's appeal will drag on,

How about the "Leyla M." case in Tehran, Iran?

Yes they have 'courts' in Iran and some of the cases are talked about in the West. Here is a synopsis of Leyla's case (from the Taipei Times):

The 19-year-old, known as "Leyla M," was a prostitute by the age of eight and was raped repeatedly, according to a Tehran newspaper report. She gave birth when aged nine and was sentenced to 100 lashes for prostitution at about the same time. When she was 12 her family sold her to an Afghan to be his "temporary wife," while her mother became her new pimp, "selling her body without her consent," the report said.

At 14 she became pregnant again, receiving a further 100 lashes before going into a maternity ward to give birth to twins. When her temporary marriage ended, her family sold her again, to a 55-year-old man who was married with two children and did not object to Leyla's clients coming to his house.

Last month Leyla, appearing at a court in the central city of Arak, was sentenced to death on charges of "acts contrary to chastity" by controlling a brothel, having intercourse with blood relatives and giving birth to an illegitimate child.

The sentence has now been passed to Iran's Supreme Court for confirmation. She apparently "confessed" and faces being flogged before hanging.

Of course the Iranian legal system is an extension of the corrupt theocracy which depends on oil exports (at least 50% of the government budget) to control thru terror within and export terror abroad.

How many other Leyla M.s have there been? How many more will there be?

No one can know, but the Iranian Mullahs global reign of terror and abuse will contiue as long as oil demand grows. Less oil demand will save lives in the long run, though I doubt Layla M. stands much of a chance.

Want to help? Amnesty International (who I do not endorse) has ideas & some info that you can use.

The Amnesty page even has emails of Ayatollahs? BTW, does anyone have Kim Jong Il's instant messenger address?

Green XMas shopping options...

2004-12-23T15:59:00.000-08:00

Our friend's at the Christian Science Monitor have made it clear that hybrid's are hot for this Christmas.

If anyone out there gets a hybrid for christmas, count yourself as lucky and know that you owe the giver big time.

Also on their list is the retirement of pollution (through buying and retiring pollution certificates sold on the free market), the adoption of a whale, and purses made out of recycled tires.

Have a green christmas.

Ford Escape Certified by IRS....

2004-12-20T15:57:00.000-08:00

Yes, thats right. "The Internal Revenue Service has certified the model year 2005 Ford Escape as being eligible for the clean-burning fuel deduction. The certification means taxpayers who purchase this vehicle new may claim a tax deduction of $2,000 on Form 1040."

Want more information? The full article from Nags Head, NC.

For crazy details check out the IRS and their Clean-Fuel Vehicle Deduction information. It includes information for Hondas, Toyotas and now Fords and covers the years 2000-2005.

From Kalamazoo with love...

2004-12-07T16:00:00.000-08:00

Next month in Detroit, the North American International Auto Show is on! I can hear Eminem's 'Lose Yourself' playing in marketing offices throughout metropolitan Detroit.

During this grandaddy of them all type of gathering for the Auto Industry, the awards for 2005 Car and Truck of the Year will be handed out.

According to our friends at The Kalamazoo Gazette "Domestic brands also dominated the truck category. The Ford Escape Hybrid sport-utility vehicle, the Ford Freestyle crossover and Land Rover LR3 SUV were selected as finalists for North American Truck of the Year. Land Rover, a British company, is owned by Ford."

Wow, thats impressive. And btw, the 2004 Ford F-150 won truck of the year at last year's show.

Is Ford a company on the move? Is the stock worth buying? Are the trucks that good? Lotsa questions.

Insight from the heartland....

2004-11-28T08:17:00.000-08:00

Great piece from the Fort Wayne Gazette (thats in Indiana for those of you who use the term flyover country).

A local writer, Stacey Stumpf, gives a great overview of oil consumption, supply and demand, and local behavior with regard to fuel efficiency.

Do you think the NY Times would ever print a piece like this? Rational, factual, and inquisitive without hammering specific politicians and their supporters.

Local media and the internet... a great antidote in a world of corporate media battles.

Stacey personifies why Bobby loved Indiana so much..

Hyrbid, there is no substitute...

2004-11-24T07:02:00.000-08:00

After being chased and escaping Guido the killer pimp, Joel (played by Tom Cruise) the boy turned man in Risky Business, claims "Porsche, there is not substitute."

Well, it seems that the German management of Porsche has realized there may be a substitute. Hybrid technology.

According to a Detroit paper, "German luxury carmaker Porsche has asked Japan's Toyota, the world's second-largest auto maker, to share the hybrid technology used in its popular Prius model, a Japanese newspaper said on Tuesday."

Time Mag... The Gas SIPPING SUV....

2004-11-20T17:13:00.000-08:00

According to the November 8th issue of Time Magazine,

"You know the car you are driving is something special when the parking valet compliments you on it. After all, this guy sees and drives everything. So even though the Manhattan garage where I parked for an hour last Thursday afternoon was packed with Lexuses, BMWs and other luxury vehicles, I knew the attendant was right on when he commented that the $30,000 Ford Escape Hybrid I was driving was a 'nice car.'

"It's much more than nice, though. The first hybrid SUV sold in the U.S. and the first American hybrid car, it is also a technological breakthrough at a fair price."

Is Ford stock a good buy?

2004-11-18T08:18:00.000-08:00

Last week while watching The O.C. on Fox - don't act like I am the only one as it beats NBC's Friendsless Thursday nights among 18-34 year olds - I noticed heavy advertising for Ford.

The commercials show the lineup of new cars - redesigned Mustang, Escape Hybrid, the 500, the crossover Freestyle, some crazy huge pickup, and a sports car that looks like its just off the race track.

I have seen the ads elsewhere and have watched the Steve McQueen commercials for the Mustang, though I am too young to really know his movies or bad ass attitude. Whats the point here?

Well, I am not a stock picker professionally, but it looks like Ford is pushing its new products hard. Moreover, whenever I buy new technology the stocks of the firms typically do well afterward. This is just being an early adopter. Recent examples include Blackberry, Tivo, and Apple (iPod).

This approach is less than technical (ie looking at growth rates, liabilities, etc..), but I find that the market's behavior is often less than correlated to the nuts and bolts of a company's behavior. Now, Ford is obviously different b/c its has tons of other products and can't wip out Escape Hybrids like Tivo made boxes and Apple made iPods, but we're talking hype and the potential market reaction to lots of it.

Just so you know, I took delivery of my Ford Escape Hybrid on October 6, 2004. Ford (F-NYSE) was trading at $14.18, with a 3% dividend. Today F is trading at $14.31.... Lets keep an eye on this. I will admit I bought some stock in the $13.30 range during the month.

They don't drive Ford, but they might put it in their trust funds.

Black Hills hybrid club....

2004-11-16T09:43:00.000-08:00

It took me a few minutes to find where the Black Hills are (in South Dakota), but I have learned they have a hybrid car club.

Curtis Finnegan (by way of Dublin I imagine) is the head of the Black Hills Hybrid Car Club. Finnegan explains "I basically wanted to get a group together to talk hybrids/share tech info and to drive our special cars. After getting mine (2004 Prius) and after learning so much online, I wanted to get together with others that have discovered the next step in auto technology. It's been great to talk with other's hybrid experiences, and to help others that are interested in getting a hybrid car. I think more than one person whom I've showed my car to (and let drive!) have gone on to order one."

26 Saudi Clerics underscore the importance of hybrids..

2004-11-13T09:58:00.001-08:00

A week or so ago, 26 Saudi clerics and academics called for full resistance to the US in Iraq in a published letter. Many of these same people were against the Gulf War in 1991 and one is even said to be a close associate of UBL. Shocking huh...

They also said that inter-Iraqi fighting would cause "great damage to the Iraqis and give a free service to the Jews who are infiltrating into Iraq and to the coalition forces which exploit differences to consolidate their domination."

The point of course is... LETS GET OFF MIDDLE EAST OIL. Hybrids are the right place to start.

He needs our oil money to terrorize

Win an Escape Hybrid....

2004-11-10T05:23:00.000-08:00

This November 15th is America Recycles Day. Sure, you and I have never heard of it, but it is a day to educate the US about recycling.

Each year, in celebration of recycling, corporate sponsors give away a prize... this year one of the prizes is an Escape Hybrid!

Check out the details at this contest site and please recycle.

Expensive gas leads to changed drivers...

2004-11-09T08:15:00.000-08:00

This US Today article claims that demand for gas is down from last year as consumers react to higher prices. According to the article some people are changing their driving habits (non-rush hour driving etc.) while others are changing their car choices.

"General Motors' full-size Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe and Ford Motor's full-size Ford Expedition all report sales declines this year from a year ago. Among those enjoying significant sales gains this year are smaller models such as the Ford Escape, Jeep Liberty, Saturn Vue and the Hyundai Santa Fe, according to industry sales tracker Autodata."

Buy an Escape Hybrid Today!!!!

2004-11-07T10:03:00.000-08:00

Where do you think they are????... thats right.... Ebay. As of this update their are two available.

Check em out, there are lots of pictures... Serioulsy, does not Ebay prove the value of the internet every minute of every day?

Escape's twin to go Hybrid... Zoom Zoom...

2004-11-07T09:49:00.000-08:00

Almost immediately after I became interested in the Escape Hybrid, I noticed that the Mazda Tribute looks the same. Often times I would notice an Escape, only to realize as I got closer, that it was a Tribute. Ford, btw, owns a 33% stake in Mazda.

Well, given that the cars share the same base, Mazda has announced plans for a Tribute Hybrid.

Unlike other twins, we know who was born first.

Senator Jim Jeffords gets an EscapeHybrid....

2004-11-04T17:18:00.000-08:00

Political junkies out there may know Jeffords as the guy who left the Republican party a few years back. He just took delivery of an Escape Hybrid...

"We can no longer afford the consequences of burning 170 billion gallons of gasoline each year," said Jeffords while talking to some reporters at the dealership in his home state of Vermont.

Does the IRS accept the Escape Hybrid?

2004-11-02T13:31:00.000-08:00

While reading an article about tax incentives on hybrids, I noticed that the author writes, "congress revived the $2,000 deduction for hybrid gas-electric cars for conservation-minded taxpayers. Thats the same amount as last year. The Internal Revenue Service has certified the Toyota Prius, Honda Insight, and Honda Civic Hybrid."

An October 14th press release from the IRS only mentions the automobiles the author writes about.

I called my local IRS office to inquire about this, their voice promps sent me to 800-829-1040 (cute huh?). Their operator had no clue and sent me to their 'technical' department. Their technical department was excellent. The guy knew all about it. Bottom line: the Escape Hybrid has not be certified. I am not sure if this is Ford's fault or something in Washington D.C.

This is the second call on hybrid policy I have made in the last week (the other went to California Governor Schwarzenegger and will be explained when the issue is resolved with his office) and in this case, the IRS was able to provide me an answer on the issue.

When the Escape Hybrid is certified I will update.

Those IRS folks are sticklers on certification

Rent a hybrid.....

2004-10-30T08:21:00.000-07:00

Yep. Here is a company -- Manaca -- that lets you rent hybrids in select cities. Not a bad way to try one out if you have the chance. It doesn't look like they have the Escape Hybrid yet.

Their whole pitch is environmental, which I think is the wrong way to go. I would pitch it is a premium. Try the latest technology etc.... Different strokes.

2 More Escape Hybrids in San Francisco

2004-10-27T11:17:00.000-07:00

Apparently, my neighbors at the Presidio Park Service, have received Escape Hybrids as donations from the good folks at Ford.

Locals will argue its just another example of Corporate PR hiding greed and corruption, though I bet the Park Rangers lucky enough to drive the Hybrids will beg to differ.

If you're ever in SF, check out the Presidio, truly one of the great public spaces in America. George Lucas liked it so much he is moving there.

Lots of green, edible stuff at the Presidio

Rubber Ducky wants a Hybrid too

2004-10-19T13:29:00.000-07:00

Breaker 1-9, this here is Rubber Ducky and we got a convoy of Hybrids on their way.

Thats right... the big boys have seen the light and are demanding their Hybrids. International Truck and Engine and Eaton are teaming up to make Hybrid-Diesel engines that will use 50% less fuel than standard truck engines.

Sing with me... "Cause we got a little 'o convoy/rockin' through the night. We got a little 'o convoy/ain't she a beautiful sight? Come on and join our convoy/ain't nothin' gonna get in our way/we gonna roll this HYBRID truckin' convoy/across the USA. HYBRID Convoy!" (FULL LYRICS)

10-4 Good Buddies

BusinessWeek Article on Ford's Marketing Efforts

2004-10-16T22:24:00.000-07:00

Really interesting article, How to Market a Groundbreaking SUV, explaining Ford's approach to marketing the Escape Hybrid.

I fit the market that they were targeting, though they don't mention energy independence-minded consumers as a market they have gone after.

According to Brian Moody, road test editor at Edmunds.com, the Hyrbid Escape is "the automotive equivalent of the iPod. You can show it off, but it's also practical."

Furthermore, the article quotes Escape Marketing Manager Sheri Shapiro describing the first profile of their customers, "It's someone supermainstream, not the 'stereotype' of the die-hard environmentalist who was the early hybrid customer.

No Hybrid Escape for you tree-hugger!

Some Peops are Never Happy...

2004-10-16T02:45:00.001-07:00

Even though the Escape Hybrid is the most fuel efficient SUV on the market (see previous post) and the first hybrid from Detroit, environmental activists are pissed.

According to the EV World website,"Grassroots organizations are uniting to send a message to America’s flagship automaker that it must chart a new course and produce a fleet of fuel efficient, environmentally safe cars and trucks."

Chart a new course? Is that not what the Escape Hybrid is? These 'green activists,' who make some legitimate claims, would be wise to give Ford some credit and acknowledge Ford, like all companies, has to make a profit and successful long lasting companies, that provide jobs, do this by anticipating and meeting customer demand. The desire to do good (whatever that means) is within most companies as it is within most people, but bankrupt firms can do no good at all.

"Ford needs to escape ALL gas guzzlers by producing a fuel efficient fleet, not just 20,000 token hybrid SUVs," says Sarah Connolly, an organizer with the Zero Emissions Campaign at Rainforest Action Network.

Sure, theoretically Sarah is right, but her reference to "20,000 token hybrid SUVs," shows her ignorance of the real world. Does she think Bill Ford just woke up on October 1st, the week before I got my Escape Hybrid, and pulled the cars out of thin air.

The development of this car was costly, time consuming, and full of risk (read Fast Company's article) and Ford seems to have done well. Judging by the success of the car -- many people are paying well above sticker price and waiting lists at some dealers are over 1,000 people -- Ford will be producing many more of these cars.

I wonder if Sarah Connolly, sitting in her tree house, has noticed that Toyota will be selling 200,000 Prius sedans in 2005. Toyota will end up selling 50,000 this year (47% higher than their pre-year goal of 34,000) and the company wants to start production in the US. Is Rainforest Action Network against jobs?

Will Sarah concede that Ford sales could follow a similar or greater trajectory? I doubt it, because Ford is a great target. A giant of global industry that changed manufacturing and daily life in America in profound ways. I mean if the Crocodile Hunter had been the Ant Hunter, I doubt we would know who he is today.

Hey green mates, attack something powerful, then you'll be famous. G'Day

The Koreans are coming.....

2004-10-08T15:31:00.000-07:00

Hyundai unveiled its first hybrid vehicle - the Click.

The car should be out in 2006. No word on whether that includes the US. I think they should send them to North Korea -- they are short on fuel every year. Maybe Kim Jong Il will buy some for the North Korean Army?

What's better than a hybrid? A hybrid full of hotties!!!

#1 MOST EFFICIENT SUV in US, #12 OVERALL !!!!!

2004-10-07T13:56:00.000-07:00

Is this the highest ranking ever for an SUV? I don't know, but I find it damn impressive. I also find it a little frightening that 36 MPG makes the top 12 -- no wonder the terrorists have so much cash.

From the story, "Topping out at an estimated 61 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city, hybrids again lead the list of fuel-efficient vehicles for the new model year. Debuting at 12th in overall mileage this year is the Ford Escape hybrid two-wheel drive sport-utility vehicle (SUV), which at 36 mpg in the city leads the SUV class."

The FULL RELEASE

BTW, there is a list of 10 worst -- HUMMERS are not on there b/c vehicles over 8500 lbs. are exempt from publishing fuel efficiency #s. Nice law.

Does this mean I don't get a kidney?????

2004-10-07T13:39:00.000-07:00

According to a recent Sierra Club report, "Right now, in many America cities, the waiting list to get a hybrid vehicle is longer than waiting to get an organ transplant."

The article doesn't specify what cities, but my hunch is if you are in Appalachia, you probably aren't getting either

SUUUUUUUEEEEE! SUUUUUUEEEEE!

TOOK DELIVERY......

2004-10-07T11:38:00.001-07:00

Yesterday afternoon I took delivery of the first Escape Hybrid in San Francisco!!!!

Drove it home the long way -- 6 miles vs. 3 miles -- and I must admit it is easy to get transfixed with the display giving instant MPG numbers and the graph of average MPG for the previous 15 minutes. It is the center screen on the image below. (I am trying to find a better image)

Today I will take it out for more of a ride, read the manual a bit, and play with it. One thing I learned in my first 6 miles is that hills are a killer on fuel efficiency. People in the Midwest don't know what a good deal they get compared to those of us who fight gravity when we go about our daily business. Guess thats why my '99 Grand Cherokee was only getting 9.1 MPG when I traded it in.

Fast Company on the business planning behind the Escape Hybrid

2004-10-06T09:54:00.000-07:00

Great article about the development and marketing of the Escape Hybrid by Chuck Salter in Fast Company.

Any one into new product development and technology will enjoy it. Support innovation!

As the teaser states, "The new Escape Hybrid was the most complex project in Ford's history -- and maybe its most important product since the Model T. To pull it off, the company had to act in some very un-Ford-like ways."

Why I am buying an Escape Hybrid

2004-10-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

I will try to keep this brief.

1) Islamo-facist Terror. Besides an ideology and a willingness to sacrifice young people, these terrorist need money and state support. Oil producing states in the Middle East provide money and support for terrorist. Less oil consumed (and corresponding drops in price) will mean less money diverted to our greatest enemy.

2) Innovation and Efficiency. The heart of America's economy is innovation and efficiency. Why would anyone not support an endeavor that strives to achieve more with less? My gas bills should drop by 40-60% when I get my Escape.

3) Environment. Why not leave less of a footprint while achieving the aforementioned efficiencies and cost savings?

Here is a link to Ford's Escape Hybrid Page.