The future of Ford's hybrid vehicles

Even Ford didn't really buy the concept of hybrid cars when the first Toyota Prius and Honda Insight hit the streets, but they are much more serious now.

Bill Ford has become a very vocal proponent of Ford's hybrid vehicle program and has been lobbying media and Congress to create more tax incentives to develop these vehicles. Hybrids represent automotive innovation, and Bill Ford wants Ford to be the industry's most innovative auto company.

How serious is he? While some skeptics might think it's all just talk, Ford appears to be very serious.

"Anyone who thinks or attempts to convince you that it's business as usual at Ford is wrong and would best serve us all by pursuing their interests elsewhere," Bill Ford said in an audio message e-mailed to workers Monday afternoon. "Our heritage of innovation must be reclaimed and renewed or the greatness of our company will become part of our past. It's that simple."(DetroitNews)

And according to AutoWeek, Ford is pushing far into the hybrid future, already working on its third generation hybrid drive, even though their second generation hybrid drive is still years from reality. Because, "We are not going to be rolling on a very long technology cycle. It's going to be much shorter," states Ford's hybrid head, Nancy Gioia, "Once you get it out there and you have proof of concept that things work, you can miniaturize and take advantage of the things technology can bring. We already have an idea of what Gen III will look like, and we even have ideas for what comes after that."(AutoWeek)

In the short term, Ford is focusing on developing a supply network for hybrid parts, while also finding partners for battery development, or even powertrain development.

One thing is clear; however, it isn't business as usual at Ford. Complacency can no longer survive in the auto industry, and the Ford Escape hybrid and the Mercury Mariner hybrid are just the beginning of the new Ford.