Hydrogen-powered cars and hybrids are in Ford’s future

• Introducing a briefing for financial analysts today in New York, Bill Ford, CEO of Ford Motor, outlined a product strategy that explicitly relies on hybrids and hydrogen as strategic differentiatorsâ¬"even in the short term.
• One of the ways we plan to differentiate ourselves is to become a leader in offering innovation to make a difference for our customers, and the world in which they live.
• What we are really known for is being a company that successfully applies new technology to a mass market.
• We were the first to offer breakthrough innovations such as the V8 engine...
• The Escape Hybridâ¬"the worldâ¬(TM)s first hybrid SUVâ¬"is a great example of successful product innovation for the mass market.
• We did not build our results by cutting our product programs.
• So the Escape is sold out, and while it is great to be trendy and fashionable, it was also named North American Truck of the Year.
• We are the only auto company doing serious development work with all four fuel technologies: clean diesel, gasoline-electric hybrids, hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines and hydrogen fuel cells.
• But if the company wants to take ground back from Toyota, it will have to do more than be reactive.
• In other words, they need to try to lead the broader clean platform market, in the way that Toyota seized leadership of the hybrid market.
• For that to happen, Ford will need to pick up the product and marketing pace.
• Ford is 4â¬"5 years behind in getting hybrids out in the market, and its competition in that space is moving on to their next-generation systems.
• Having seriously researched and having just now bought an Escape Hybrid, it seems that Ford's product design, initiative, and quality control are real and the word on this should spread quickly.