Hybrid Car Production Not Fast Enough

NEW YORK -- The production pace of gas-electric hybrid vehicles is not fast enough for U.S. consumers who want better fuel economy as gas prices rise or environmentalists who complain the industry could do more to conserve resources, reported Reuters.

Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday said it will add a second hybrid, powered by both a gas engine and electric batteries, to its lineup in late 2006 or early 2007.

The 2007 Mercury Mariner hybrid sport utility vehicle will build on the lessons learned from the Ford Escape hybrid SUV, which goes on sale later this summer, Ford officials said at the New York Auto Show. Ford is also planning a hybrid version of a midsize sedan beyond 2007.

Despite what Ford described as "stepping up its commitment" to hybrids, a coalition of environmental and human rights groups singled out the second-largest U.S. automaker for not offering the fuel-saving technology across its vehicle lineup.

The coalition, including the Sierra Club, said it planned to demonstrate outside the New York Auto Show on Saturday, where the industry is displaying many of its new models, to inform the public that Ford and the industry could do more to cut emissions and the U.S. dependence on oil imports, according to Reuters.

"Ford has shown that they can make a 35 mpg SUV -- now they need to use this technology throughout their fleet to clean up the environment and cut our oil dependence," Dan Becker, director of the Sierra Club's global warming and energy program, said in a statement.

Although U.S. gas prices have recently hit record highs, unadjusted for inflation, SUVs and large pickup trucks have been the fastest-growing segments of the market this year.

But demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles such as hybrids could grow if gas prices continue to steadily climb. Consumers in some parts of the country are already on waiting lists for hybrids, according to Reuters.