Ford Rolls out 100,000th Hybrid Car at Kansas City
The times may be tough but finding out you have produced the 100,000th vehicle under your wing is already an achievement in itself. Apparently that is what Ford is celebrating today as it has reportedly rolled off its 100,000th hybrid SUV and reinforced its commitment to ramping up production of hybrid vehicles this year.
Ford launched the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrids five years ago and the vehicles remain the most fuel-efficient SUVs on the market. At the same time as workers at Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant celebrated the hybrid milestone, Ford dealers are preparing to begin selling the all-new 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids, which will be America’s most fuel-efficient midsize sedans.
Today, the Ford Escape Hybrid SUV and Mercury Mariner Hybrid SUV deliver 34 mpg city driving, 31 mpg highway. The newest entries to Ford’s hybrid lineup, the Fusion Hybrid and Milan Hybrid deliver 41 mpg city driving, 36 mpg highway, the most fuel-efficient midsize sedans on the market today.
The Kansas City Assembly Plant, which employs 4,100 people, has been the hub for Ford’s hybrid SUV production since 2004 when the first Ford Escape Hybrid rolled off the line. Lean, flexible manufacturing processes and specially-trained employees at the plant allow the hybrids to be built on the same production line as conventional Escape and Mariner SUVs.
(Source) Press
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