The lastest from Grist:
Source: http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/07/23/british-motor-show-ford-fiesta-econetic-63-5-mpg-us/
The Ford Fiesta ECOnetic, a small, sporty five-seater that gets an impressive 65 miles per gallon, will the hit the road in November — but only in Europe. “We just don’t think North and South America would buy that many diesel cars,” says Ford America President Mark Fields.
That just seems silly to me. At a time when America is beginning to sort out which methods work best for fighting climate change, Ford is actually removing an option from the table? Wouldn’t unveiling a small, fuel-efficient alternative to the huge SUV actually help to change Ford’s image, thereby boosting sales in the end? Given how much the manufacturer’s market-share has slipped in recent years, it really has little to lose by introducing the Fiesta in the U.S. Sure, the high cost of diesel might turn some away ($4.12/gal as of Sept. 1, says the DOE) — but then they’ll remember that for 63.5 mpg and an average 13-15 gallon tank, they could drive up to 950 miles on a single fill. I don’t know about you, but my family currently racks up about 400 miles a week and spends around $50 at the pump. Filling up the Fiesta would be just $10 more expensive, and we’d be able to go a full week-and-a-half longer between trips to the gas station. Ford’s latest move is yet another example of a short-sighted American corporation letting its country down.
Posted by Brian Fung 
