David Miller drives his 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid in San Francisco, in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge. The six largest automakers each has a hybrid in the pipeline.New technology
Hybrids shift from a fad to mainstream
Consumers will have more green choices as the lineup of gasoline-electric models grows.
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WASHINGTON -- For years, energy-conscious consumers have had few options when it comes to buying vehicles powered by thrifty engines or alternative fuels. The electric car came and went. Diesel is staging only a small comeback in the United States. And affordable fuel cell-powered vehicles are years away.
But the gasoline-electric hybrid engine is gaining acceptance and is now available in some popular models such as the Honda Accord, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic and Ford Escape SUV.
While the wait can be up to six months for some of the models, auto executives have taken notice of the small but growing demand. By 2009, Asian, European and U.S. automakers are planning to produce some 600,000 gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles a year, up from 200,000 last year, according to a forecast by CSM Worldwide of Farmington Hills.
The choices will include hybrid sedans, luxury crossovers and even pickup trucks and midsize SUVs.
David Miller, a 32-year-old real estate manager, traded in a Jeep Grand Cherokee -- which eked out 9 miles per gallon in hilly San Francisco -- for a Ford Escape hybrid that gets 23 mpg on the same terrain.
Miller worked for a time in Washington analyzing foreign policy and was keenly aware of the high price the United States pays for importing oil.
"I viewed each trip to the pump as a partial beheading for myself, my country and the Americans who make a career out of defending the United States," Miller said.
But Miller had limits. He spends a lot of time in the mountains with his large dog, a chocolate Lab. He wanted something more than a "golf-cart-sized vehicle." After learning he would have to wait for a year or more to purchase a Toyota Highlander hybrid, he settled on the Ford Escape. Later this year, Toyota customers will be able to buy hybrid versions of the Lexus RX and Highlander SUVs.
Detroit automakers may be late to the hybrid dance, but they are beginning to come out. Ford's hybrid Escape SUV is selling well. And a deal between General Motors Corp. and DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group to share hybrid technology is a sign that the market is maturing.
Within the next few years, Nissan Motor Co. will offer a hybrid Altima, and GM will offer hybrid pickups and a hybrid Saturn Vue and Chevy Malibu. A hybrid Dodge Durango is in Chrysler's plans.
GM is showcasing two new hybrid concept cars at the 2005 North American International Auto Show: the GMC Graphyte, a full-size SUV, and the Opel Astra, a compact diesel hybrid.
Both use a scaled-down version of the gasoline-electric powertrain featured in the GM-Allison hybrid buses at work in 18 U.S. cities.
GM's promotion of its next-generation hybrid system also shows that it is upping the ante in a marketing game.
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The Detroit News.
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