New Fiesta Gets 73 MPG, But Ford Says It’s Not For The U.S.
Back in July, Ford released the details of a new Fiesta it plans to begin selling this November. The new car is based on Ford’s ECOnetic platform and can get 63 mpg in the city and 73 mpg on the highway. So why is it only available in Europe? It’s a diesel, and Ford doesn’t think Americans will ever adopt diesel cars.
According to Businessweek, Ford lists a littany of excuses why they could never market this car in the US. Chief among these excuses is that they don’t think they could ever sell enough of them to make a profit. Ford says that in order to produce them for the US market they’d have to build a new plant and then make at least 350,000 of them a year.
If there’s no way to make a profit on these cars and Americans won’t buy them, why are so many European and Asian car makers bringing these new “clean diesels” to the U.S. starting next year? When I see news that Mercedes, Nissan, Volkswagen and even Honda are all building clean diesel cars with excellent fuel economy for the US market, Ford’s excuses start to seem pretty hollow.
- » See also: Teenage-Built Diesel Hybrid Does 0-60 in 4 Seconds, Soon to Break 100 MPG
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Why is it that in the face of going bankrupt, U.S. car makers are so willing to maintain the status quo and slowly die a painful and agonizing death? Look, I understand some basic economics and that a company that is doing its shareholders right won’t take unnecessary risks, but the time for trepidation has past. Get on board or risk losing everything.
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Meanwhile, all I can do is hang my head and shake it. I want to be able to buy American cars again. In fact, every time one of the top U.S. car makers has some crazy desperation sale, I go online and take a look at the line-up… but I can never find a car I’d actually buy.
It’s not that the cars are ugly, or that I don’t trust their reliability — it’s that what I’m looking for is a fuel efficient vehicle that won’t break the bank and looks nice. And when I say “fuel efficient,” I don’t mean 30 mpg. I don’t even mean 40 mpg (my puny Yaris can already pull that one off). I want something with a drastic fuel economy improvement.
I want a car that in some way shows I care about the planet and understand that our future and our childrens’ future depends on drastically changing our habits now. But I also want a car that shows I support buying locally (in this case domestically) and that supports the economy of my own country.
And I know there are millions of other people like me. That’s why I want US car makers to wake up and start selling the cars people want.
You see, in my world I have a fantasy in which I purchase a nice little chunk of farmable land — say 10 acres — grow my own oilseed (like Camelina), crush it and make all of the biodiesel I would ever need (plus some to give my friends). In my fantasy, my operation would be powered completely off of wind, solar and geothermal and I could continue to make my own fuel even if the rest of the world went to hell in a handbasket.
So please Ford (or GM or Chrysler), make my dream a possibility. Take some chances. Stop applying band-aids in a last ditch defense of crusty old shareholders and go on the offensive. That’s how you built the company in the first place, and that’s how you can save it.
Posts Related to the Re-tooling of the US Auto Industry and Clean Diesels:
- “Producible” Chrysler Plug-In Hybrid: 0-60 in 4 Seconds
- VW Clean Diesels Get $1,300 Federal Tax Credit
- Clean Diesel Cars Coming to US This Fall: 2008-2010 Timeline
- Like GM, Ford Decides They’d Better Start Producing Smaller, More Fuel-Efficient Cars
- How to Build an Electric Car Charging Infrastructure: Smart Grids, Fast Charging and Universal Access
- Prototype Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid: 88 MPG on 85% Ethanol
- Camelina - The Next Generation Biofuel?
- Japan Finally Gets a Clean Diesel Car
Image Credit: Ford
Source: Businessweek
I don’t want to break your euphoria, but as a German currently driving a VW Lupo (which was advertised as a “3-Liter-Auto”, meaning it uses 3 litres on 100 km, or - using the US Scale - around 80 MPG), I just want to point out that diesel engines have problems of their own…
For example, the exhaust fumes are more toxic than those of Otto motors, and this bars us from driving our merry diesel engine to several city centers (introduced this year, it’s called “Umweltzone”). Additionally, diesel cars are subject to a much higher taxation.
BTW: Don’t try to look for a VW Lupo - it was discontinued in 2005 because of low interest. VW is about to create a 1-Liter-Auto (or 240 MPG car) in 2009, tough.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Lupo
I fully agree with you.
However, the American buyer is also part of the problem. Take for instance my mother. Always going on about environmental issues, but when it came to buy a new car she goes and buys a huge “mini”-van (less than 20mpg). One woman driving 30mins up and down US1 each week, and she buys a tank to do it in. Why? She says she feels safer. In America, as much a people might talk about doing the right thing, when the tires hit the road they think only their own little world.
Diesel Engines aren’t cost effective according to this:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/services/newspaper/printedition/tuesday/orl-a2gaswatch0908sep09,0,3942697.story
“Gunnar Harmann, Ford’s executive engineer in charge of compact cars such as the Focus, argues that the big advantages of diesel — fuel efficiency and low cost of ownership; are disappearing. Advanced gasoline engines using turbocharging and direct fuel injection are about to become real competitors to diesel.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080905.WBdriving20080905101828/WBStory/WBdriving
Ford thinks more efficient gas engines, which can also virtually turn off when stopped are the way to go. Also, oil companies have no incentive to build more diesel refineries…car companies are handcuffed to gasoline $ vs. diesel.
It will be interesting to see if Ford will truly deliver more efficient gas engines.
Sorry to burst your 10 acre bio-diesel bubble, but no car manufacturer that I know of warrant their Direct Injection Diesel engines for 100% bio-fuel. VW used to, but ran into problems with the high pressure injection pumps clogging; VW now only allow up to 5% bio-diesel content if you want to keep your engine warranty.
Now, getting an old Diesel Volvo or something - that would be a good choice, those things run for years and can accept 100% bio-diesel from what I have heard.
Please remember that this car will not achieve 63mpg in the US. It can’t - but for any reason you imagined.
We in Europe use the proper imperial gallon of 4.55 litres (Give or take a little). You guys use 3.8 Litre Gallons. So you will only get 54mpg.
Sorry its been so long since Europe got one over on you so I can’t resist:
HA HA HA We’ll get 63 mpg, you’ll only get 54mpg - IF Ford ever launch the car in the US that is.
oh… ok. So I suppose this is the reason behind the 50 billion dollar bail-out that Ford was allow to doctor into the last energy bill???
You’ve got to be kidding me! Ford execs are a bunch of crooks. Stop trying to sell your garbage to people. Your company is finished. You can’t compete with any one else any more, and… now that we are getting great American Electric Vehicles from Goss132, and Tesla I see no point in even humoring Ford with any press space at all.
There is a US market for these cars. I can’t believe Ford (and others) are not bringing these cars here.
Keep the Mustang GT and the SUVs, but give us something we can drive to work.
“Funny–I guess that’s why we drive different cars. I want a care that says: Fuck you. Don’t bother me. I’m rich, and you’re not.”
Happily (I guess) for you, you have plenty of those cars.
For those of us who, regardless of our income, want something a little more responsible, the choices are slimmer.
LOL, imagine that! Not for the US. Of course not because big oil has the right people in their back pocket. Profit is king!
Jiff
http://www.FireMe.To/udi
The number one reason behind why they wont sell it in America is because the American Government wont allow it . The American Government doesn’t give a care in the world on whats better for the earth all they care about is money. This car would be a hit in America with its “green movement” but the government would loose so much money if a tiny percent of the population drove this car. Plain and simple I’m American and I think my government doesn’t have a care in the world for anything but money.