LAT: Ford, Honda Unveil Latest Hybrids at Sierra Club Convention [View All]

[DeepModem Mom]

Ford, Honda Unveil Latest Hybrids at Sierra Club Convention
From Associated Press


SAN FRANCISCO — Three major automakers unveiled their latest hybrid cars and technology at an environmental conference today, promoting their most fuel efficient vehicles as gas prices soar in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Ford Motor Co., Honda Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. brought their hybrid vehicles, which run on a combination of gasoline and electricity, to the first national convention of the Sierra Club, the country's largest environmental organization.

Environmentalists have criticized the auto industry for failing to produce more fuel efficient cars, but the Sierra Club wants to help automakers promote hybrid technology by organizing what it called "the world's largest showcase of hybrid cars."...

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At the Sierra Summit, Ford offered consumers their first peek at their latest hybrid sports utility vehicle -- the 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid. The compact, four-wheel-drive SUV can get 33 miles per gallon in the city and 29 miles per gallon on highways.

The Mercury Mariner Hybrid and Ford's first hybrid SUV -- the Ford Escape Hybrid -- are just the latest examples of the Dearborn, Mich.-based company's efforts to produce more environmentally friendly vehicles, said Niel Golightly, Ford's director of sustainable business strategies....


http://www.latimes.com/business/la-090905hybrid_wr,0,7801033.story?coll=la-tot-promo&track=morenews