Volvo to lead Ford's diesel charge

Late last week, several media reports indicated Ford CEO Bill Ford Jr. was backing away from his much-publicized commitment to produce 250,000 hybrid vehicles a year by the end of the decade in favor of more diesel and ethanol fuel vehicles. Today, Automotive News reports that subsidiary Volvo will lead the charge into North America with with passenger-car diesel engines. Volvo will sell diesels in the United States in the next three years, the report said. Recently, Volvo announced a Multi-Fuel prototype capable of running on five different fuels. Volvo also recently invested $1 billion to establish a hybrid and alternative-fuels facility. Auto News also noted other reasons for had backed off its hybrid commitment. Ford doesn't have a rear-wheel-drive hybrid transmission, meaning many of its trucks could not be offered with the technology. Another consideration is the exterior design of hybrid vehicles, which many automakers are beginning to realize play a role in selling the cars. "People who drive hybrids want to make a statement that they are driving a hybrid," Ford's hybrid director said. That means unique exterior styling to differentiate hybrids from standard gasoline or diesel cars.