In the 1990s, the Department of Energy of the United States collaborated with GM, Ford, Chrysler, to challenge the dominance of its Japanese and European in the development of hybrid cars counterparts. Millions of dollars were put into the large development project American hybrid cars.
Ten years later, Ford came up with an entry model in the market, competing against six Japanese hybrid cars. Ford began selling the Escape Hybrid SUV in September 2004. The other two American hybrid car manufacturers are having difficulties in delivering their hybrids to the consumer public.
What happened to the great American dream of hybrid cars can be, nobody knows.
A brief update on the status of American car manufacturers hybrid shown.
Ford
The public launch of the Ford Escape Hybrid he was finally materialized in September 2004. The original program, however, was in 2003. Ford's response to the call for American hybrid cars is a full hybrid electric vehicle, capable of run in your gasoline or electric motor, or both. This is to meet the requirements of the driver demand to optimize performance and limit fuel consumption.
The Ford Escape was first among American hybrid cars. It produces less than one pound of smog-forming pollutants per 15,000 miles. This is most significant when compared with all light trucks average of 105 pounds of smog-forming pollutants per 15,000 miles. The average for passenger cars, with the same number of miles, is 67 pounds.
At present, hybrids, especially American hybrid cars are the hottest topic in the US People are interested in how hybrid will benefit the environment. Including its small and its own budget for fuel. And maybe, consumers are interested if the hybrids would really fuel efficient.
And Ford is smart enough to make the first American hybrid car or SUV. For obvious reasons, SUV is seen as very American, which help Ford to sell hybrid.
Ford Hybrid looks and performance capabilities of a normal car. This allows the American hybrid car to evade the problem of the previous version of Honda hybrid car "image-look". Using improved fuel economy of the Ford Escape has also impressed American buyers.
To show its commitment to environmental issues, it has installed 10.4 acres wide purification plants in its factory in Dearborn. Server plants as building insulation, and is improving water runoff. Ford is also in producing Mercury Mariner Hybrid next year. A smaller size sedan hybrid will follow, and hydrogen-powered Ford Focus is being developed. Daimler-Chrysler
When Evan Boberg, an automotive engineer for Chrysler's hybrid program resigned for alleged incompetence oof official program in the 1990s, many believed that Chrysler hybrid program is almost dead. Last year, however, Daimler-Chrysler announced the launch of its first hybrid offering in the market, named as the special Dodge Ram Contractor. As the model of other hybrid pickups, Dodge Ram will emphasize utility, instead of the fuel system. The hybrid however, it did not meet the promised mass production, and available only to fleet owners.
In a separate German automotive industry for paper in 2004, Thomas Weber, DaimlerChrysler board member, said interview will take five years to reach a Mercedes hybrid. So before the end of the present decade, a new Mercedes will take the path of the main cities worldwide.
General Motors
GM began offering American hybrid cars with Sierra and Silverado for fleet and commercial customers in May 2004. In October of that same year, GM began offering hybrid trucks in six states: Washington, California, Nevada, Alaska, Florid, and Oregon. The limited supply American demand for hybrid cars in those states is based.
GM also produced 2,000 of its Silverado and Sierra hybrid trucks in 2005. For 2006, the availability of hybrid trucks has been expanded to include the entire national demand. Before the current year ends, GM is considering a volume of 3,000 units.
Apart from a new hybrid vehicle Saturn VUE this year, GM is also offering Chevrolet Malibu for next year, 2007. Next year, GM is also set to reach two full hybrid mode. This project is being developed with DaimlerChrysler and BMW. It is expected that the resulting America hybrid car has 25 percent more fuel economy of the popular SUVs, the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon.