Scott Burgess: 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show

GOING GREEN: Ford charts course for fuel efficiency as carmakers get eco friendly

LOS ANGELES -- Ford Motor Co. CEO Alan Mulally on Wednesday outlined the automaker's strategy to improve fuel economy across its fleet of cars and trucks and to deliver more of the green technologies American consumers are demanding.

Mulally, speaking at the Los Angeles Auto Show, unveiled what he called Ford's "Blueprint for Sustainability," which aims to improve the efficiency of the company's internal combustion engines and a long-term commitment to emerging technologies such as plug-in hybrids and hydrogen.

Specifically, Ford will be rolling out more turbocharged and direct-injection engines that deliver the same power as larger engines with significantly lower fuel consumption.

Ford's announcement came as domestic and foreign automakers used the L.A. show to tout their green plans and display a slew of eco-friendly vehicles. Honda Motor Co. showed off its FCX Clarity powered by hydrogen and General Motors announced plans to begin production of its Chevy Beat mini-car.

"For the first time at any auto show everyone is touting their fuel efficiency," said David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports. "It's amazing."

Carmakers are waging battles on two fronts. They must deal with consumers who are wary of ever-climbing gas prices and are shifting their buying habits from big SUVs to smaller, more efficient crossovers.

And they must follow politicians debating just how much to raise the fuel economy of the nation's cars and trucks to curtail America's dependence on foreign oil and alleviate the impact on global warming.

California is the perfect place to showcase hybrids and efficient vehicles, said Jason Vines, Chrysler LLC vice president of communications.

"Southern California is the car capital of the U.S.," Vines said before Chrysler pulled the wraps off its hybrid versions of the Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen. "It's also the place where there are real concerns about the environment."

The trick, he added, was for all carmakers not to "just build appliances."

Ford looks to lighter materials

Mulally, who was the head of the Boeing Co.'s commercial aircraft division before joining Ford last year, said he wants to borrow a page from the aerospace industry's playbook and begin using more composite materials to reduce the weight of Ford's cars and trucks and increase fuel economy.

With regard to hybrids and other alternative-power vehicles, he said the key is producing them in sufficient volumes to make them affordable.

"We can have all of the wonderful demonstration vehicles, but it really is not going to make a difference until we get volume," he said.

Ford also used its new Lincoln flagship, the MKS, to show its environmentally friendly policies. The MKS will be the first vehicle next year to get Ford's new turbo-charged direct injection engine, which will give more power while being more efficient.

Honda has Clarity

Honda Motor Co. unveiled the hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity fuel-cell car, which it plans to lease next year in limited numbers to customers in southern California.

The Clarity closely resembles the second-generation FCX concept car first shown two years ago and features similar capabilities, including a 270-mile driving range. Honda said its fuel economy was equivalent to 68 miles per gallon -- one and a half times better than a comparable hybrid.

Toyota: Hybrids are mainstream

Bob Carter, Toyota's division vice president and general manager, said hybrids have gone mainstream even though they represent just 1 percent of total U.S. vehicle sales.

Recently, Toyota arranged a 2,300-mile trip for its Highlander FCHV (fuel cell hybrid vehicle) from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Vancouver, Canada, to gauge its driving range, reliability and cold weather performance. The Highlander rode more than 316 miles without refueling, Toyota said in a statement.

Toyota also unveiled its hulking SUV, the Sequoia, talking about the new vehicle while showing pictures of a clean-cut, smiling family riding bikes.

GM: Chevy Beat goes global

After announcing it would make Chevrolet GM's global environmental brand, the automaker said it would begin global production of its Chevy Beat minicar. Executives would not say if the small car, which might achieve 50 mpg, would ever reach North America.

GM also showed off hybrid versions of the Chevy Tahoe and Silverado pickup, Malibu sedan and GMC Denali. The carmaker also announced it would begin a full-scale test of 100 Chevy Equinox hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Cadillac's director of global products John Howell said GM now considers environmentally friendly options for every vehicle.

"This is more than a trend, it's a fundamental change in the way we work," he said.

Staff Writers Bryce G. Hoffman and Christine Tierney contributed to this report.