DEARBORN, Mich., June 4 (UPI) -- Ford says it will have new fuel-efficient vehicles ready if high gasoline prices drive consumers to end their love affair with big SUVs and pickups.
Chairman and CEO Bill Ford said he believes $2 a gallon regular may be permanent, but the price of fuel has not been high long enough to change buying habits. Sales of the Ford Expedition, Excursion and Lincoln Navigator declined last month but the Ford Explorer remains the world's best-selling sport-utility vehicle.
Ford told the Detroit News he expects consumers to gobble up all the new Escape Hybrid SUVs that reach showrooms this summer. The small sport-ute -- powered by a four-cylinder engine and a battery pack -- is Ford's first gas-electric vehicle. Ford plans hybrid versions of the new Mercury Mariner SUV and a new midsize sedan.
Toyota's hybrid Prius sedan has been a runaway hit with waiting lists up to a year.
J.D. Power and Associates forecasts hybrid vehicle sales will reach 440,000 units annually by 2008.
