Ford Can Get You 65 MPG -- In Europe

If ever there was a car made for the times, this would seem to be it: a sporty subcompact that seats five, offers a navigation system, and gets a whopping 65 miles to the gallon. Oh yes, and the car is made by Ford Motor (F), known widely for lumbering gas hogs.

Ford's 2009 Fiesta ECOnetic goes on sale in November. But here's the catch: Despite the car's potential to transform Ford's image and help it compete with Toyota Motor (TM) and Honda Motor (HMC) in its home market, the company will sell the little fuel sipper only in Europe. "We know it's an awesome vehicle," says Ford America President Mark Fields. "But there are business reasons why we can't sell it in the U.S." The main one: The Fiesta ECOnetic runs on diesel.

Automakers such as Volkswagen (VLKAY) and Mercedes-Benz (DAI) have predicted for years that a technology called "clean diesel" would overcome many Americans' antipathy to a fuel still often thought of as the smelly stuff that powers tractor trailers. Diesel vehicles now hitting the market with pollution-fighting technology are as clean or cleaner than gasoline and at least 30% more fuel-efficient.

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::Read more automotive coverage at the Huffington Post

Comments

[fillou]

Even without a diesel engine, a Ford Fiesta run with a 4 cylinder has an average of 40-45 miles per gallon here in Europe. And the interior quality is 20 years ahead of the American Ford Focus that was sold in Europe 7 years ago.

Wake up america ! you're being economically rap.ed by your own companies

[KillTheMessenger]

True, a Fiesta is a wonderful car if you compare it to a really crappy Ford model like a Focus.

Otherwise... it's just as poorly made a Ford as any.

[RPOC]

I have been a Ford driver all my life (almost). I currently drive a 2006 Superduty Diesel, as a work (towing and snowplowing) vehicle, and recreational (at times). How dare Ford not offer this vehicle in the US. At a time when fuel is at record prices in the states, AND the big three are asking for bailouts, like every other business in America? Here is their chance to capitolize, and they say no to Americans????. Taxpayers will help develop their next vehicle available here with half the mileage for the state side, I guess. SHAME on you Ford, how anti American can you possibly be. Guess the next step is moving overseas. What a disgrace!!!! Will DEFINATELY affect my choice to replace my current Ford.

[bitabingbitabangbitaboom]

That`s Wacked!

[jackpinesavage]

Americans are afraid of change...

[bola47]

while we created suv's, the europeans developed a clean burning, high efficiency diesel that is not only very fuel efficient but also has great performance. these are not the american diesel engines of the late 70's and early 80's. mercedes, bmw, audi, vw, along with ford & gm euro divisions all make these cars as well as some cars you might not remember from the days when they were available here.

[darrell198023]

This shows that something is very wrong here. Why would ppl not think that something is wrong with an American company selling better products in Europe when the better products can help American save money, jobs, and our environment.

[KillTheMessenger]

It's not a "better" product. It's simply a different type of product. It's a type of product that only sells in Europe because regulators do not leave people a choice. Without 100% gas tax and CO2 emission limits these European models would not exist at all.

[coyote4]

we would have to relax our standards to mesh with Euro-standards

[rjmiller]

This is no big new thing. The 4 big American car companies and the DOE once had a project in the 90's called Supercar with the plan to have a 80mpg prototype by 2000. The big 4 starting going the hybrid route and a guy at the DOE, mostly by himself, built a car powered by a deisel engine and regenerative hydraulic brakes (braking pressurizes hydraulic tank, then releases pressure to accelerate) and got around 60 mpg if I remember correctly. This project was killed because US automakers decided profit margins were higher on big SUVs and the Bush administration didn't want to continue funding.

The Chicago Tribune did a huge piece on this back around 2000-2001: http://www.courant.com/topic/chi-super1part1,0,2435085.story

[MyNameMeansRock]

At the end of the day 95% of business decisions are because of one thing-- the almighty dollar. No surprise here.

[EnviroLitigator]

Actually, this is not such a big deal. If I may quote from my own environmental law blog: Hybrids, plug-in hybrids, all electric vehicles, fuel cells, etc., as concern about global warming and energy independence has risen, the internal combustion engine is characterized more and more as antiquated, obsolete, dross. Such may not be the case. There are some interesting technological improvements on the horizon that hold the promise of greatly improved fuel efficiency (think 100 mpg in small cars, driven rationally) with significantly reduced CO2 emissions. An interesting review of the various new technologies that are likely to show up in vehicles in the next several years can be found at http://www.economist.com/science/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=11919344. While many of these technologies could be used standalone, they also hold promise for vastly improving the efficiency and reducing the emissions of the engine-generator component of hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Suddenly, the goals of the energy independence hawks and those seeking to slow down global warming are not only coming together, but they may start marching to the beat of the same drummer.

[SeriousBlack]

Well, all that info is great but... When. Is. It. Going. To. Start. Happening. In. The. United. States?

Can anybody answer THAT question????

[KillTheMessenger]

It all began in 2001 when Japanese car makers began selling hybrids in the US. But we haven't made much progress since then. The same Japanese car makers are selling the same hybrids, everyone else has resorted to printing decals that say "Hybrid" and sticking it on their still gas guzzling vehicles.

[MajorKong]

It looks like it would be a fun little car even without the diesel. Put a nice 4 cylinder gas engine and sell it as a poor man's Golf GTI.

[KillTheMessenger]

POOR man's car? Hardly. The German price (including VAT) starts at 11,500 Euros (which is over $16,000). The smallest diesel is over $21,000. That probably comes down to $14,000 and $18,000 for a US version.

Radio and batteries NOT included.

:-)

[mooph]

In the market for a new car and want to take advantage of price differentials? Then avoid Germany as a shopping destination. Ironically, German automobile prices are the most expensive in Europe even though it's the home of many manufacturers and designers. On a Volkswagon passat the price is 40% higher in Germany than it is is Greece. The second most expensive country for automobile purchases in the EU is the United Kingdom, where cars are considered to be overpriced compared to other EU countries, even after taking the pound/euro exchange rate into account.

A big issue within the European Union is the difference in prosperity among different members. Some of the newly joined countries still have economies less developed than those of the senior members, and as a result car companies will lower their prices to accommodate these poorer consumers.

The Auto Block Exemption law and its fading influence also contributes to the enormous gap. The recently abolished rule allowed car makers to place restrictions on car dealers and hamper free trade and equal pricing across the EU.

Taxes also have a huge influence in creating differences in car prices since a country's tax often gets figured into the price of the car. In a country with high taxes on automobiles, automakers will accept less profit in order to make their car more affordable.

[NoMoreDrama]

You are misdirecting the point. Intentionally I think. There is collusion, whether you admit it or not.

[dtl1218]

This is needed now, just like Subaru's new boxer-diesel, BMW, Merc, and Honda's diesel. I have a '84 Nissan diesel running biodiesel and my neighbors think I'm outside cooking when its running b/c of the good smell. Why is Ford hedging on a buyout when the govt should put those funds to bring these types of cars over?

[SeenItBefore]

We just returned from Europe, where we rented a turbo-charged diesel Citroen. The vehicle was well appointed, comfortable, good looking and surprisingly nimble. It didn't make diesel noise or smell like a diesel. It averaged, city and highway, slightly over 44 mpg. In Europe, diesel fuel is cheaper than gas. I was very impressed and when I returned to the States, I attempted to buy this car. I say attempted because this car, in fact, ALL of Citroen's products, are NOT available in the good old USA.

Go figure... do I smell conspiracy?

[KillTheMessenger]

"Go figure... do I smell conspiracy?"

You might, but the conspiracy factor will evaporate quickly once you look at the price of those vehicles. The smallest gasoline base model of the C1 has an invoice price in Germany of 9.190," Euros. At the current rate that's roughly $13,000. And the cheapest diesel goes for $11,350 or $16,118.

http://www.citroen.de/NR/rdonlyres/25A1A78C-EC9C-4A9F-8D95-95F018B3D88D/0/C1_1J8_07_10.pdf

And for that you get three doors, a 40kW (55hp) engine, 5 gear manual transmission, no power steering, no radio and no AC. You can get those, too, but then we have to add something like $3000 to the price of the base model, if I may gestimate. And now it's a $19k car...

I have a strong feeling the European models are simply not competitive in the US market.

[JBS]

It's not so much the European models aren't competitive, it's the DOLLAR that isn't competitive.

[RobinLandseadel]

The difference in the price of gas over the last gasps of the Bush regime have made these cars competitive at those prices.

The Prius is more expensive. It's also a boni-fied status symbol right now. American Automobile companies are suicidal, that's all.

[SeriousBlack]

You're seriously contending that a $19k car that gets 50-60 mpg wouldn't be competitive in the US market? Seriously????

[gcallaghan]

The fact that the big three car companies designed and successfully marketed fuel efficient cars around the world but not at home is why they should be left to rot on the vine instead of bailed out with tax dollars. It'd be one thing if sudden market changes left them hanging like the airlines after 9/11. But they delivered a product to counter high fuel costs across europe and refused to do the same at home. Screw them.

[NoMoreDrama]

A-Freakin-Men

[dadw5boys]

So they took my 3 cylinder desiel lawn mower engine and put it in a car.

I can do that !

Where can I get an old chevy chevette?????

[MGhamma]

dadw5boys, so why didn't you do that??

[KillTheMessenger]

Because he wouldn't get approval to sell his lawnmower mobile. Neither will Ford without changing the engine so it adheres to clean air regulations in the US.

[MajorKong]

Good luck finding a Chevette. Most of them fell apart before the last payment was made.

[MadeinAmericaProud]

year ago when Joe Montana was the quarterback for San Francisco, a company produced a product called "PROPEL(concentrated) came in a tube size of regular toothpaste. Joe Montana endorsed the product that was put in your gas tank upon fill ups , we would get 32 to 35 mpg. I used it in a V8 cylinder Chev, I got that kind of mileage. Store couldn't keep it on the shelf, people were buying it by the case.

3 months into the startup, An oil company brought them out to not sell the product seal deal.
Same as the electric car only a few got sold.

[EnviroLitigator]

Another urban myth. No additives or devices of any type work. It would be nice if there were such magic brews or devices, but there are not.

[DutchSockPuppet]

Hey I bought everything in J.C Whitney cataglogue and I am getting 1000 percent better mileage :-)