In 2005, Dearborn automaker FoMoCo delivered 33 units of Ford Escape Hybrid units in New York and California to be used by cab drivers. This action was taken as part of the company's testing of the Escape Hybrid, the first SUV to have a gas-electric hybrid powertrain.

During that time, there were doubts whether the Ford Escape Hybrid's nickel-metal hydride battery units will be able to stand up the challenges faced by an ordinary cab day in and day out. There have those who predicted that the battery packs of the hybrid SUVs will not be really efficient and it will soon burn itself out quite prematurely.

But the battery packs of the vehicles stood up to the challenge and today, the 33 hybrid SUVs used for cabs still have their original battery packs in place. That means the Ni-MH batteries are really that good. Apart from the Ni-MH batteries lasting three long years, the hybrid powertrain of the Ford Escape Hybrid helped cab drivers and operators save thousands of dollars in fuel consumption.

Damien Tedone, section supervisor of HEV Controls Applications at Ford, said: "We're pleased especially with the battery life - regular Escape Hybrid owners should be, too." The dependability of the Ni-MH batteries can even be compared to that of Acura belts.

Gil Portalatin, Ford manager for Hybrid Applications, said: "If you think about it, taxi drivers put more stop-and-go into one vehicle in a day than regular customers will ever do. And what vehicle has its doors opened and shut - or flung open and slammed shut - more than a taxi?" That's really a good point and hopefully, this would attract more people to Ford dealerships asking about the Ford Escape Hybrid.

My friend is a Johnny Depp fanatic. And I really mean a total fanatic. She has quite a collection of his movies. She has ordered via eBay items signed by Johnny Depp himself. She is currently planning on moving to Wisconsin so that she could be there when Johnny starts filming his new movie Public Enemy.

This friend of mine just recently told me that the people behind the movie with Michael Mann as the director and the person at the helm are looking for some props for the movie. And guess what they are looking for? Not really people as extras. I’m talking props here guys. Okay, I really do need to tell you. They are looking for Toyota truck parts. Nah. Just joking.

The real deal? Public Enemy needs classic cars. A report even said that the director was looking for quite a number of classic units. The vehicles have to be those roaming the streets in the 1930s for that would be the setting of the movie. There has also been news that the production team is searching for Ford V8s that came after the Ford Model A that was manufactured in the 1930s. You may have one in your garage and that could bring you money, you know.

Mann is looking at around 60 units which they would rent from the owner. Or the production team may also buy the unit.

I think my friend is now scouring for a classic car. Good thing she has the resources or her Johnny Depp habit may not be satisfied. If she does procure a classic and the unit gets chosen, she may be sending the car over. She won’t need cash as payment. All she’ll ask would be the access to where Johnny Depp is.

Not because it's quiet doesn't mean it's not fatal. Though colorless, odorless and tasteless, carbon monoxide exhausted by car vehicles is one primary pollutant that puts the health of humans and other living things at risk. According to reports from World Health Organization, about 2.4 million people die each year due to air pollution. Throwing ALL cars around the globe into junk would have been the BEST solution to the world's emergent problem on air pollution (Scavengers and junk shop owners would have been the richest people in the world, I tell you!) if not for some reduction efforts initiated by mobile companies like Ford.

Since 1998, the Ford Motor Company had been sharing the responsibility of protecting the earth's atmosphere by producing flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs). FFVs, or commonly called flex-fuels, are automobiles that can run by using either regular gasoline or natural gas like bioethanol. In a press release, Ford announced today that three additional FFVs namely Ford Expedition and Lincoln sports utility vehicles and Ford E-Series full size vans and wagons will be included in its 2009 car models line-up.

"The expansion of our FFV line up to include Expedition, Navigator and E-Series provides a great alternative for customers who are committed to becoming more environmentally conscious and seek alternative fuel vehicles either for their business or for personal use. This includes government and business customers that are mandated by the Energy Policy Act (EPACT) to purchase alternative fuel vehicles," said Ford's Fleet Marketing Manager Gerald Koss.

In addition, Koss assured its customers that these new FFV offerings will give them the E-85 or as its name signifies, 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent additives like gasoline capability in vehicles with attributes similar to that of a full size van or large sports utility vehicle.

Steps in converting one's car into an E85 can be found in an article in which details were provided like in an Acura Integra repair manual.

Ours is a finite earth. And yes, it's safe to say that we are mere stewards of everything therein. Stewards not masters. Do you want to be a hero? Here's an easy rule: Get your car converted or choose Ford FFVs. 'Coz not because the carbon monoxide your car emits is quiet doesn't mean it ain't fatal.

Ford, the Dearborn automaker which gave the world the first ever mass produced gas electric hybrid SUV, is proud to once again introduce a powerful, spacious, and green auto in the form of the 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid. These two vehicles are both on display at the ongoing Washington Auto Show and Automotive News World Congress.

Apart from the said vehicles, the automaker also announced that they will be expanding their work on the development of alternative fuel technologies. The automaker announced that three additional models will be given a powertrain that can be powered by E85.

During the announcement, Ford President and Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally had this to say: "This year, we make good on our commitment to freshen our showrooms. We just introduced the new 2009 Ford F-150 last week, and it was a hit. We also have Lincoln MKS and Ford Flex coming, as well as a new Mustang early next year."

Sue Cischke, Ford senior vice president for Sustainability, Environment, and Safety Engineering, meanwhile added: "Ford Motor Company is increasing fuel economy and cutting greenhouse gas emissions with affordable technologies for millions of customers. In the near term, we will leverage existing technologies to achieve those goals, including advanced engines and multi-speed transmissions. The 2009 Escape and Mariner are great examples of how we're delivering today."

During the announcement, the automaker highlighted the improvements made on the hybrid vehicles which are obviously much more valuable than an Acura radiator. Here are some of those improvements:

• Aerodynamic improvements, including a new front fascia chin spoiler and rear tire spoilers also play a role in the fuel economy story.
• A new 16-inch Michelin tire design offers improved rolling resistance that contributes to fuel efficiency, while also bringing improvements in quiet operation, steering and handling, and stopping distance.

Ford may be seeing its market share and sales decline in the United States but it does not mean that it is not doing well in other markets across the world. The Auto Channel recently reported that the automaker broke its record for sales in Europe last year.

The reason for this is the increased demand for the automaker's new line of stylish vehicles. The Ford Fiesta and the Ford Focus are the best selling vehicles for the automaker in Europe. Sales for the Focus increased to 496,600 in 2007. For the Fiesta, sales have reached 378,220. These two vehicles with their auto parts as reliable as tough radiators are expected to bring more customers to Ford's dealerships in Europe.

Stephen Odell, the vice president for marketing, sales, and service at Ford of Europe is obviously thrilled with their performance. "I am delighted with our performance in 2007," said Odell. "Including sales from our European Direct Markets, we sold close to 1.9 million vehicles last year. That's about 110,000 vehicles more than we sold in 2006. In 2006 we sold some 80,000 vehicles more than we did in 2005, so in the past two years we have added some 200,000 sales to our bottom-line."

"Selling over 100,000 more vehicles was a spectacular performance. Transit was up by 30,000 vehicles, Mondeo increased by 17,000 as we started to get full production of that model, S-MAX was up by 33,000 and Galaxy by more than 41 per cent to 10,000 units," he continued.

Odell also named the markets in Europe where they have seen significant growth saying: "Our share in France was up to 5 per cent, which is a great recovery for us. Products like the C-MAX did very well, as did S-MAX and Galaxy. We also had a great year in Italy, selling 23,900 vehicles more than in prior year and increasing our share. We also did very well in Spain, especially with Mondeo and Fiesta. Turkey sold over 100,000 units, despite a lower industry in the first eight months of the year."

The SYNC made a great impression to the worldwide automotive market since the time Ford introduced this magnificent product a few months ago. According to my source, Ford Motor Company’s prized SYNC™ system is one of the industry’s rising stars in the automotive world at present. The company announced that they will carry out and expect to sell 1 million units of the SYNC in 2009.

The Ford SYNC™ is enhanced with the help of Microsoft. The end product is one that connects people and their preferred convenient gadgets while their inside the vehicles - devices like media players and Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones. This technology is as hot as a smoking radiator and it is exclusive to Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles. The SYNC reached 10,000 units sales in the last quarter of 2007.

Ford has already announced that several new features are coming this 2008. Almost each new Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicle will be offered with Ford’s award-winning SYNC system by the end of the year.

Furthermore, it will direct in-car connectivity even beyond the limits with the launch of a future navigation system available in the SIRIUS Travel Link for the first time ever. The system links vehicle passengers to their needed information - right when they need it.

“SYNC is already a hit among customers for its exceptional Bluetooth-connectivity for mobile phones and full voice control of media devices including MP3 players on the road, but we’re not stopping there,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president of Global Product Development.

“Ford is answering customers’ calls for even greater connectivity with the best technology solutions from companies like Microsoft and SIRIUS, connecting customers with mobile devices, important information they need on the road and bringing the experience to life with the latest in navigation technology and branded audio,” Kuzak said.

Dearborn based automaker Ford is currently implementing its turnaround plan after years of being beaten by Japanese automakers in the United States auto market. Although the company is known for its large vehicles such as the Ford F-150, it is slowly making a name for itself in smaller car classes. And to make their products more enticing to consumers, the automaker has teamed up with Microsoft to create an advanced in-car technology we known today as the Ford Sync.

Gary Jablonski, manager, Vehicle Telematics at Ford had this to say: "It was a very small, passionate group that took a great idea and pushed it to production in a very short amount of time."

According to Ford's newsletter: "Sync allows users to integrate their Bluetooth-enabled phones and most digital music players, including Apple iPods, Microsoft Zunes, and other MP3 players, and most USB storage devices into their Ford vehicles for hands-free, voice-activated use."

"We want Sync to be as widely available as possible," said Jablonski. "We’re putting it into Ford Focus first. We believe that younger customers tend to use cell phones and iPods more, and we are targeting them. They represent a huge audience that will want this in their cars. We’re offering Sync at a price (U.S. $395) that we feel will get Focus on their shopping lists," he added.

Velle Kolde, product manager for Microsoft's Automotive Business Unit had this to say: "Ford and Microsoft worked closely together to design and engineer Sync, which is based on state-of-the-art Microsoft Auto software. Using software that bridges the automotive and consumer electronics industries, Ford Sync will help revolutionize the driving experience by providing a simple system that intelligently connects mobile phones, music players, and more." This in-car technology is as reliable as Acura engine parts.