truth about domestics

General Motors has teamed up with The Gas Company in Hawaii to set up a pilot system of hydrogen fueling stations.  Those stations would be used to then move some of the Project Driveway fuel cell powered Chevy Equinoxes to the isalnd of Oahu.  This would mark one of the first ventures of its kind and help Hawaii move towards its goal of 70% clean energy within one generation.  For more details, head on over to Autoblog!

(Image source: Photobucket)

The San Francisco Chronicle has published a piece on how long your modern hybrid will cost you over the long run, or more specifically, how long it will take you to recoup your higher initial cost of buying a hybrid vehicle over a conventional auto.  The winner may shock you, because it’s not the Toyota Prius, or the Honda Insight.  No, it’s none other than the 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid!  A traditional sedan with a stellar hybrid powertrain, it not only won 2010 North American Car of the Year at the Detroit Auto Show, but it also won Motor Trend magazine’s Car of the Year award.  For the full article, head on over to sfgate.com.

(Image source: Ford)

In a move that doesn’t surprise many in the auto industry, Ford has decided to release a hybrid version of the Lincoln MKZ.  The MKZ rides on the same platform as the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan which both feature an impressive hybrid powertrain.  These two cars achieve 41 mpg in the city, 8 mpg more than the Toyota Camry hybrid.  The MKZ hybrid will be a 2011 model and should achieve the best mileage of any luxury car on the market, even beating the Toyota hybrid platform-sharing Lexus HS 250h which gets a rather unimpressive 35 mpg city, 34 highway.  For more details on the MKZ hybrid, head on over to MSNBC.

(Image source: Stephen @ Truth About Domestics)

Ford Motor Company has decided that it will start enforcing a new energy policy designed to help reduce operating costs as well as reduce its carbon footprint in the process.  The program is designed to get employees to turn off their computers for the night and especially the weekends.  Their figures showed some 60% of computers at the company were left on after business hours.  Ford will work with Microsoft Windows’ energy settings to help with the goal of cutting wasted energy down.  They will also schedule updates for select days after hours, at which time the computers will be awake to receive the updates, but won’t allow the updates to interfere with normal business operations.  Estimated carbon reduction of 16,000-25,000 metric tons per year.  For more, head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: Ford)

I have been wondering how long it would take before Ford started to offer a Lincoln MKZ hybrid.  I mean, the MKZ went through a very substantial redesign for 2010 just like the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans, yet it was the only one not available with a hybrid option.  That will change this year, now that Ford has planned to unveil a hybrid version of the MKZ at this year’s New York Auto Show.  Since the MKZ hybrid will most likely feature the exact same powertrain as the Fusion/Milan hybrid, it should hit close to the same 41 city / 36 highway miles per gallon of the less sedans.  This would position it above the Lexus HS 250h as the most fuel efficient luxury car available on the market.  For more details, stay tuned or click on over to The Detroit News or Autoblog.

(Image source: Ford)

The Chevrolet Cruze is a much more appealing car than the current C-sizer from GM (the Cobalt.)  Chevy has decided to show off two trim packages for the Cruze, one being the Eco model and the other a sportier RS package.  The RS package is pretty self explanatory if you have been following the recent Camaro at all.  Checking the box on the options list for the RS package will get you fog lamps, rocker panel extensions and a rear spoiler.  The Eco model will probably grab more attention as automakers fight to show off their fuel economy supremacy.  The Eco model is said to hit 40 mpg on the EPA highway test circuit, but only time will tell if the car can actually hit those numbers.  For more details on both packages, check out Chevrolet’s official press release at Autoblog Green.

(Image source: GM)

In Ford’s push to increase their car’s fuel efficiency, they have decided to start building a dual-clutch, six speed automatic they call PowerShift.  The transmissions went online this week in Mexico where they will be shipped to another plant to be installed in the new 2011 Ford Fiesta.  They are also planned for the 2012 Ford Focus.  For more details, head on over to Autoblog.

In an effort to show off the 2011 Mustang V6, Ford has decided to do something a little different.  Instead of just focusing on the 305 horsepower, they are going to show how fuel efficient it is.  The car is EPA rated at 31 mpg highway, so a team of drivers from Ford will be trying to hit 1,000 laps on one tank of gas at Bristol Motor Speedway.  That equates to more than 500 miles on a single tank.  Ford did something similar to promote the 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid by driving over 1440 miles on a single tank.  For more details, head on over to Autoblog Green.

(Image source: Ford)

Ford Motor Company has another great story to tell about its One Ford transformation plan.  This chapter talks about the 2011 Mustang V6.  The 3.7L V6 will produce 305 horsepower while returning 31 mpg on the highway when equipped with an automatic.  This makes the 2011 Mustang V6 the first car to ever produce more than 300 hp and hit 30 mpg + in EPA testing.  Think about it, the first time ever a car has hit 300 + hp and 30 + mpg.  Kudos to the Mustang team for showing people that performance and fuel efficiency can go hand in hand.  It may not be as frugal as the boring and very homely Toyota Prius, but it wasn’t designed to be.  For the full press release, head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: Ford)

Wish you could drive a fully electric vehicle but don’t want to stick out among the regular gas vehicles around you?  Well Advanced Mechanical Products (AMP) has a solution for you!  Their first products were the Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice.  Aren’t those vehicles GM products you might ask?  Of course they are, but AMP converts them into completely electric vehicles.  Now AMP has announced their newest product, a Chevrolet Equinox electric conversion.  The Equinox will have a top speed of 90 miles per hour and a range of around 150 miles.  The cost of the conversion?  Around $50,000 before tax credits.  For more details, head on over to AutoblogGreen.

(Image source: GM)