| In the 1990s, the U.S. Department of Energy | | | | To show its commitment to environment issue, has |
| collaborated with GM, Ford, Chrysler, to challenge the | | | | installed 10.4 acres-wide purifying plants in its factory in |
| dominance of their Japanese and European | | | | Dearborn. The plants server as insulators to the |
| counterparts in the development of hybrid cars. Millions | | | | building, and is improving the water runoff. Ford is also |
| of dollars were put into the huge project of developing | | | | on its for producing Mercury Mariner Hybrid next year. |
| American hybrid cars. | | | | A hybrid smaller-sized sedan will follow, and a |
| Ten years after, Ford came up with one model entry | | | | hydrogen-powered Ford Focus is being developed. |
| into the market, competing against six Japanese hybrid | | | | Daimler-Chrysler |
| cars. Ford started selling the Escape SUV Hybrid in | | | | When Evan Boberg, an automotive engineer for |
| September of 2004. The other two American hybrid | | | | Chrysler's hybrid program resigned over the presumed |
| cars manufacturers are having a hard time in delivering | | | | incompetence oof program officers in the early 1990s, |
| their hybrids to the consumer public. | | | | many believed that the hybrid program of Chrysler is |
| Whatever happened to the big American hybrid | | | | good as dead. Last year however, Daimler-Chrysler |
| dream cars can be anybody's guess. | | | | has announced the release of its first hybrid offering in |
| Below is a short update on the status of American | | | | the market, named as the Dodge Ram Contractor |
| hybrid car manufacturers. | | | | Special. As modeled after other hybrid pickups, Dodge |
| Ford | | | | Ram will emphasize utility, instead of fuel saving |
| The public release of the Ford Escape Hybrid was | | | | system. The hybrid however, failed to meet the |
| finally materialized in September 2004. The original | | | | promised mass production, and available only to fleet |
| schedule however, was in 2003. The Ford's answer to | | | | owners. |
| the call for American hybrid cars is a fully hybrid | | | | In a separate interview by a German auto industry |
| electric vehicle, able to run on its gasoline or its electric | | | | paper in 2004, Thomas Weber, DaimlerChrysler board |
| motor, or both. This is to meet the requirements set by | | | | member, said that it will take five years to come up |
| driver demand to optimize performance and limit fuel | | | | with a Mercedes hybrid. So before the present |
| consumption. | | | | decade ends, a new Mercedes will take the road of |
| The Ford Escape was first ever among American | | | | major cities in the world. |
| hybrid cars. It produces less than one pound of | | | | General Motors |
| smog-forming pollutants for every 15,000 miles. This is | | | | GM began offering American hybrid cars with Sierra |
| more significant when compared with all light trucks | | | | and Silverado, for fleet and commercial customers in |
| average of 105 pounds of smog-forming pollutants for | | | | May 2004. In October of the same year, GM started |
| every 15,000 miles. The average for passenger cars, | | | | offering the hybrid pickups to six states: Washington, |
| with the same number of miles, is 67 pounds. | | | | California, Nevada, Alaska, Florid, and Oregon. The |
| At present, hybrids, particularly, American hybrid cars | | | | limited offering was based consumer demand for |
| are the hottest topic in the U.S. The populace is | | | | American hybrid cars in those States. |
| interested in finding out how hybrid will benefit the | | | | GM also produced 2,000 of their Silverado and Sierra |
| environment. , including their small as well as their own | | | | hybrid trucks for 2005. For the year 2006, the |
| budget for fuel. And perhaps, the consumers are | | | | availability of the hybrid pickup trucks has been |
| interested if the hybrids would really consume small | | | | expanded to include the entire nationwide demand. |
| amount of fuel. | | | | Before the present year ends, GM is contemplating a |
| And Ford is clever enough to make the first American | | | | volume of 3,000 units. |
| hybrid car as SUV. For obvious reason, SUV is | | | | Aside from a new hybrid vehicle Saturn VUE this year, |
| considered as very American, which help the Ford | | | | GM is also offering Chevrolet Malibu for next year, |
| hybrid to sell. | | | | 2007. Next year, GM is also set to come up with |
| The Ford Hybrid has the looks and performance | | | | two-mode full hybrid. This project is being developed |
| capabilities of a normal car. This allows the American | | | | with Daimler Chrysler and BMW. The resulting America |
| hybrid car to evade the "image-look" problem of | | | | hybrid car is expected to have 25 percent more fuel |
| Honda's earlier version of hybrid cars. The improved | | | | economy than the popular SUVs, the Chevrolet Tahoe, |
| fuel economy usage of the Ford Escape has also | | | | and the GMC Yukon. |
| impressed American buyers. | | | | |