Posted on 02/11/2006 8:17:49 PM PST by T Ruth
Jefferson City, MO – Ford Motor Company today announced a research project that can help significantly decrease foreign oil imports -- the first E85 compatible hybrid. The flexible-fuel hybrid Escape was unveiled at today’s Washington Auto Show.
“As a leader in both hybrid vehicles and in vehicles capable of operating on ethanol-based fuels, Ford is the ideal company to bring both technologies together for the first time,” says Anne Stevens, executive vice president, Ford Motor Company, and chief operating officer, The Americas.
Ford currently manufactures two additional hybrid vehicles: the gasoline powered Escape and Mercury Mariner. The company expects to introduce more hybrid vehicles in years to come including a Mazda Tribute Hybrid, Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Ford Five Hundred, Mercury Montego, Ford Edge and Mercury MKX.
“We are extremely pleased to see Ford take on this endeavor,” said Phil Lampert, Executive Director of the NEVC. “This is a leap forward in the E85 industry and will help the nation even further reduce our dependency on foreign oil as well as reduce smog forming pollutants in the air.”
In model year 2006, Ford offers: the E85 compatible Ford F-150 pick-up truck, which began production in December of 2005, the Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and the Lincoln Town Car. The company expects to manufacture 250,000 of E85 compatible vehicles this year.
At this time, there are nearly 600 E85 fueling stations across the United States. For a complete listing along with a listing of all E85 compatible vehicles, visit www.E85Fuel.com.
said Phil Lampert, Executive Director of the NEVC. “This is a leap forward in the E85 industry and will help the nation even further reduce our dependency on foreign oil . . ."
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Did you know that it takes more energy to produce a gallon of ethanol than it produces? That ethanol is just a plot by Archer Daniels, the corn cartel, and the Saucer People to legitimize Iowa? That government subsidies to support ethanol come from the sale of harvested infant organs and puppy pate?
Well, if the Archer Daniels Midland people can use the corn for ethanol, maybe we can drop the sugar tariffs and go back to real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.
Can the energy used to make ethanol come from coal or nukes? If so, then it still reduces our dependence on oil.
Hybrid gas/electric vehicles will result in a lot of dead batteries full of toxic metals that will have to be dealt with.
The best way to reduce our dependence on foreign oil with available technology is to promote the development of direct-injected turbo-Diesel vehicles that will run on biodiesel fuel.
Unfortunately, this does not fit in with the plans of the envirowhacko bureaucrats in the EPA who have made it next to impossible to produce vehicles with this technology. They claim it is because of "particulate emissions".
Anyone want to speculate on the real reasons because it makes no sense to me.
At least it's a start.
"(I do not work for Ford.)"
Neither do I, but wished I did.
I'll bet E85 compatible just means that the fuel system materials won't be attacked by Ethanol, and the flow rate can be jacked up the the required 2X relative to gasoline. Ethanol has an Octane rating of about 113. An Ethanol optimized engine has a higher compression ratio and runs more timing advance than a gas engine. A production engine that must run on straight pump gas doesn't take advantage of these optimizing factors, and so energy in the Ethanol is wasted.
Then too, there is still a lively debate as to whether Ethanol is a net energy positive of negative. IMHO, the only plus to Ethanol is that one could produce the fuel themselves.
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My 3 ton Dodge Quad Cab Cummins TDI 4x4 pickup gets 17 mpg at 75mph on the Interstate. My neighbor's VW Jetta TDI gets over 50 mpg. Another neighbor gets 26mpg from her Jeep Liberty CRD.
Hybrid vehicles - who needs them with results like these - and no dead, toxic batteries?
Ethanol is a scam. Too bad you've been brainwashed by envirowacko propaganda.
Do you mean that it will self-destruct at the most inopportune times or what?
Hybrid vehicles are part of the problem - NOT the solution.
Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese: 730 calories
Large Coke: 310 calories
Large Diet Coke: 0 calories
So if you order a Diet Coke instead, you cut out 30% of the meal's calories. That seems to make quite a lot of sense.
What's with the hostility toward hybrids? It seemed like a decent vehicle. A very nice first generation of a concept.
Really the most important point.
There are three filling stations in WA. One in PA. None open to the public. There are a grand total of 11 filling stations in Senator Ethanol's (Dole) state of Kansas.
I wonder how many Tauruses which I've seen with that Sign of The Leaf have actually run ANY ethanol?
Ethanol appears to be a genuflect to the God of Environmentalism.
>>>Ethanol is a scam. Too bad you've been brainwashed by envirowacko propaganda.<<<
Too bad you've been brainwashed by oil industry propoganda.
Heh heh, Everclear is E95. Racing fuel. Gotta program my chip for that.
There's a station near me which sells E-85 for about $0.30 cheaper than "real" [well 90% real, anyway] gasoline. Of course, since a gallon of E-85 won't move a car as far as a gallon of real gasoline, the gasoline is still cheaper per mile.
Environmentalists don't want a solution. Therefore they must oppose anything that could actually work.
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