Archive for April, 2010
Report: Ford Fusion Hybrid pays off quickest
Posted by: | CommentsFiled under: Car Buying, Hybrid, Sedan, Ford
For about the first 110 years of the automobile, the gold standard of eco-thriftiness was a car’s miles-per-gallon rating. With the rise of hybrids, plug-ins, biofuels and the like, cost-per-mile might be the better measurement of road-going value. The idea is simple: if a car is powered by a Mr. Fusion or Dilithium crystals or the laughter of children and only costs $.01 per mile to operate but it carries a sticker price of $500,000, its efficiency is never going to balance out its initial cost.
Well, the San Francisco Chronicle has compiled a list of seven popular hybrids along with estimates of how long it would take for each car to pay for its higher cost compared to non-hybrid models in gasoline savings. The winner by a long shot is the Ford Fusion Hybrid at a mere 5.6 years. Which car fared worst? The Nissan Altima Hybrid at a whopping 21 years. We have to wonder, 21 years from now, will they still be making batteries for a 2010 Altima Hybrid?
In short, if you’re going by gas savings alone, hybrids don’t really pay in the short term. Then again, if gasoline taxes shoot up or peak oil really is right around the corner, the cost per mile of these vehicles could very quickly tip in their favor. Read the full article here.
[Source: San Francisco Chronicle]
Report: Ford Fusion Hybrid pays off quickest originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Autoblog Podcast #176 – Beijing, Bailout and Bucks (profits, that is)
Posted by: | CommentsFiled under: Podcasts, Government/Legal, BMW, Ford, GM, Kia, Lincoln, Earnings/Financials, Beijing Motor Show
Chris Shunk, Dan Roth, Chris Paukert and Jonny Lieberman mull over what we just saw at the Beijing Motor Show, the general public’s changing opinion of which nations make quality automobiles, General Motors‘ loan repayment, and Kia’s profits. Of course there’s the Autoblog Garage and your questions bookending those topics, and we’re done at the hour and sixteen minute mark. See you next week!
Autoblog Podcast #176: Beijing, Bailout and Bucks
In the Autoblog Garage:
Long-term Subaru Legacy 2.5GT
BMW X5M
Lincoln MKT
Hosts:
Chris Shunk, Chris Paukert, Dan Roth, Jonny Lieberman
Runtime: 1:13:46
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Autoblog Podcast #176 – Beijing, Bailout and Bucks (profits, that is) originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Hurst debuts Ford Racing Mustang Challenge pace car at VIR
Posted by: | CommentsFiled under: Convertible, Performance, Ford, Specialty
Ford and Hurst have a long and illustrious history of working together to create special edition Mustangs, and the latest fruits of their labor can be seen in our high-res image gallery below. The 2010 Hurst Mustang Pace Car will make its first official appearance during the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge race that will be held at Virginia International Raceway on April 25, 2010.
There will only be one 2010 Hurst Mustang Pace Car, and it will make appearances at the Hot Rod Power Tour, a slew of Larry H. Miller dealerships and finally at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas before being auctioned off next January. Proceeds from the car’s sale will benefit the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer. A hot Mustang convertible for a worthy cause… what’s not to like?
Though you won’t be able to march into your local Ford dealership and drive off in a new Hurst ‘Stang, you will be able to get “promotional items” inspired by the car… including ’skins’ for pinewood derby racers. Sadly, the miniature version won’t be sporting the full-size car’s polished 20-inch wheels, Hurst shifter or 550-horsepower supercharged V8 engine. What they will have in common, though, is the iconic black and gold Hurst color scheme. See below for images and click past the break for the press release.
[Source: Hurst Performance Vehicles]
Continue reading Hurst debuts Ford Racing Mustang Challenge pace car at VIR
Hurst debuts Ford Racing Mustang Challenge pace car at VIR originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Report: Ford earns $2.1B profit in Q1
Posted by: | CommentsFiled under: Ford, Earnings/Financials
According to The Detroit News, Ford has officially announced its fourth straight profitable quarter in a row. The company managed to make $2.1 billion in profits over the first three months of 2010, thanks largely to a rapid increase in sales during the first part of the year. The company saw North American sales increase by around 39 percent compared to a year ago. At the same time, business is booming in China, where the Blue Oval managed to move around 84 percent more vehicles.
All of this is good news for stock holders, as the company was trading at $14.57 per share on Monday – its highest price in a year. As a result, Ford is planning on upping production in our neck of the woods. Dearborn would like to crank out 625,000 vehicles in the second quarter – a nine percent increase over the first three months of the year – though it isn’t ready to say whether or not that means adding any more workers.
Despite the boom, Ford is careful to point out that the rest of the year probably won’t look as sharp as the first quarter. Though the Fiesta is scheduled to hit the market soon, the threat of higher interest rates is looming on the horizon and Ford still has a heady $34.3 billion in debt to deal with. The company hasn’t said what its plans are concerning paying off the rest of its debt load.
[Source: The Detroit News | Image: Bill Pugliano/Getty]
Report: Ford earns $2.1B profit in Q1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.