Ford began making Escape hybrids in 2004 and has delivered the 100,000th SUV unit at its Kansas City Assembly Plant. The SUV hybrid remains the best in fuel economy above all other hybrid SUVs, with the current model providing 31mpg on the highway and 34mpg within city limits. By way of introducing the fuel economical model, Ford had one model drive through Manhattan for 37 straight hours attaining 576 miles on one full tank of gas.

San Francisco and New York began employing Escape hybrids as taxicabs in 2005. Currently, there are 250 Ford hybrids taxis in San Francisco and New York has 1,400 units. There are also 45 bespoke Escape hybrids in San Francisco utilized as rescue vehicles for the LA County Ocean Lifeguards. The Ford plant in Kansas City also manufactures the Mercury Mariner and Mazda Tribute hybrids, the non-hybrid versions of those SUVs, and the Ford F-150. Beginning this summer, Ford will be vending its most current hybrid technology (an evolved version of the Escape hybrid) that will come in the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans.

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Due to the recession being experienced by the auto industry, an amazing buyer’s market was consequently created especially for those who want to purchase performance cars at a bargain. Some amazing deals have been observed such as a brand new Mustang GT with a sticker price of only $18,995.

GM and Chrysler are likewise offering attractive incentives for the Pontiac G8 GXP and Dodge Charger SRT8, correspondingly. The G8 GXP is already a bargain at $37,610 but it is still available at $3,000 less in some outlets. Including a $1,700 gas guzzler tax, the final tag is only $36,310. With a tag of $41,120, which already includes gas guzzler tax and destination fee, the Charger SRT8 is even a more attractive deal when it dropped its tag down to $34,516 minus Employee Pricing and $3,000 in cash-back bonuses. Although the bonuses are regional or that some are only for brand loyalists or the outlet requires the buyer to utilize the carmaker’s financial service for their loan, so that not all dealers may be giving these prices, the fact still remains that they will do everything just to help you get their cars.

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The automotive show season has begun and countless of attention-grabbing and fresh concept cars together with the latest production models have come for enthusiasts to hungrily eyeball. It is easy to overlook the presence of high-ranking execs of the major car manufacturer in the car-focused show like the Geneva Motor Show. But when these are cornered, one discovers that they have loads of interesting information to share with the public.

Take for instance VW boss Martin Witnerkorn who said that EVs are an important part of the solution when it come to the eco-friendliness of the auto industry, although it may take some time for this to be realized. Although VW has recently partnered with Toshiba to develop electric drivetrains, currently though it is still focused on making the internal combustion engine as efficient as it could possibly get. The projection of Winterkorn, as well as other executives, that EVs will not constitute the majority share in the auto market, at least not for the next 15 to 20 years. Of course, coming from VW, the leader of modern diesel technology, this is understandable. The point is well taken though, considering that the percentage of EVs in the overall auto market is not significant at the current moment. Whether Winterkorn’s projection is accurate or not, what is definite is that the Electric Vehicle is going to be the future.

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It was confirmed by a senior official that Daimler has no intention of buying Opel. The Daimler agenda does not provide for the takeover of Opel as well as Volvo and Saab, the official said. A report was recently published by Max Warburton, an analyst for the auto industry of Bernstein Research, implying that the purchase of Opel would be a good way for Daimler to expand its expertise in small car production.

He has estimated that the high-end car manufacturer has lost in excess than 7 billion Euros (6.2 billion Pounds) on the A-class and Smart. Chief selling vehicles like premium saloons and trucks have also experienced significant decline in the past months, but the carmaker has been sluggish in announcing plans to lower costs and restructure. Since the Government of Germany has no intention of taking Opel from GM but welcomes a third-party owner and it would help in facilitating the transfer. Among the potential saviors of Opel, BMW was also named. The move of the carmaker toward economical saloons and diminutives has provided it with significant experience in the diminutive range that it would not like to replicate. The cost structure of the Mini, according to analysts, is currently scarcely viable. The Mini is BMW’s lowest-volume platform but it is also the company’s lowest-priced vehicle. Adopting a genuinely low-cost, mass-market production system could very well benefit BMW.

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The first US-bound 2010 Audi R8 V10 was sold at an auction at the Boca Raton Concours d’ Elegance last weekend to raise funds for a charitable cause. The R8 fetched half a million dollars for the benefit of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County. The R8 has an MSRP in the neighborhood of $150,000.

Due to the interest shown toward the supercar, Audi of America followed up the sale with another R8 V10 which was also sold that same evening. The first Ferrari California was also auctioned with the R8s fetching for itself $350,000. The winning bidder for the first R8 V10 was also given an official certificate of authenticity. The R8 will be made at Audi’s facility in Nackarsulm, Germany. The first deliveries of the R8 V10 are set for dealerships early next year. Photo gallery after the jump!

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The American group, USF1, headed by Peter Windsor and Ken Anderson, who have been assembling an F1 team made an official announcement last Tuesday that they will be joining the circuit by 2010 with two cars designed and made in the U.S.

The Charlotte-based organization has been utilizing the Anderson-designed Windshear wind tunnel located at the airport of Concord, North Carolina, which has also been utilized by both F1 and NASCAR. Details about the company are scarce except that, according to Anderson and Windsor, they sold “a small portion of the team” to start the process. Now, they have the capital to get on with it. The annual budget for over 100 employees, and vendors, is envisioned to reach $62 million. The recent recession has in fact aided the fundraising attempt. They pointed out that in Europe skilled labor were more expensive and scarce in contrast to the Charlotte area where the company is based.

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A new invention of the Czech tire maker Coda Development called the Self Inflating Tire (SIT) has won the prestigious title of Tire Technology of the Year Awards for Innovation and Excellence 2009 last February 18 in Hamburg, Germany at the Tire Technology Expo. The new tire was originally intended to help both car safety and economy. It comes with some amazing features including automatic maintenance of correct tire pressure relieving the driver of the inconvenience of pressure checks and tire inflation. The high-tech tire utilizes atmospheric air to inflate itself automatically when the car is moving, compensating for natural air loss and guaranteeing a maintenance-free, constant tire pressure for the duration of the tire’s useable life. It’s a wonderful and economical solution to numerous automotive needs. The company, based in Prague, says that the product is manufacturer-friendly and incorporating it will raise production costs only marginally, but the advantages it brings are tremendous. Coda plans to improve the system into a viable production model with the aid of partners in the industry.

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The restructuring plan presented to the US government recently by GM shows a truly global character as the company is deliberating a workforce cut and selling a portion of its stake holdings in its well-known European division Opel. The firm is considering as part of their restructuring strategy the possibility of third-party partnerships, alliances and equity stakes whichever will be most beneficial for GM Europe and Opel’s survival.

The state of Thuringia in Germany, where an Opel plant operates, is offering to take part in the buy off of Opel’s stakes but they require a clear plan for Opel’s future before they can be specific about their assistance. There were talks between Thuringia and GM Europe of a guarantee amounting to 20 million Euros to 40 million Euros. The plan of GM is to reduce costs in its European arm by $1.2 billion, a plan that has resulted in an outrage in Europe as they foresee job cuts and factory close downs resulting from such a move. GM is presently having discussions with labor reps trying to forge a plan that will exclude job cuts and factory close downs as much as possible. However, plunging demands for cars in Europe may force GM to go ahead with the plan. Forecasts say that GM Europe will regain a status of profitability in 2011. It was recently announced by GM that it will be cutting 26,000 jobs outside the US in proportion to the regional market performance. Opel workers were outraged that their jobs were also put in the line. They said that Opel performed profitably well last year as well as this year.

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With the future in mind, Silverstone is looking beyond the intention of British GP to switch to Donington beginning 2010 and made some changes to the circuit to make it friendlier for both bike racers and viewers. Shown on the plans running from the approach at Abbey and on the inside of Becketts is an addition of an infield track called the Arrowhead.

Providing good positions for viewing two parts of the track is the addition of new spectator areas to the existing grandstand at Becketts. Other revisions consist of the elimination of the grandstands and the Woodcote safety barriers substituting instead a new run-off area to enhance safety for the intended MotoGP and British Superbike competitions. The latest arrangement will also effect the elimination of the chicane at Woodcote, providing opportunities for overtaking along the pit straight. British Racing Drivers’ Club, owner of Silverstone, anticipates the ￡5 million improvement of the circuit to begin this November. The 2010 MotoGP season will begin in March next year and the renovations are expected to have been finished long before that.

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The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, and Transport for London (TfL) chose two new designs late last year for a current-day Routemaster double-decker bus for the transport service of London. There were in excess of 700 designs submitted for evaluation and two were chosen, one is by Aston Martin and Foster and Partners, and the other is by Capoco Design.

Although the design by Aston Martin comes nowhere as interesting in contrast to the cars it produces, nevertheless by bus standards it was pretty much interesting. It envisions a bus that is completely maneuverable with a zero emissions rating complete with drive-by-wire technology and solar panels integrated into the glass roofing. Numerous international buse makers have also been invited lately to provide their plans for the latest Routemaster bus and the race is expected to intensify once more. The ultimate design for the new bus will be derived from the winning designs and the first model will be ready by the end of 2009. The bus will be available for service in 2011 so Londoners won’t be able to ride the bus until then.

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