Hybrid cars have come and gone through the years. Ford is looking to produce a line of electric cars that will change this. There are many automobile manufacturers moving into the hybrid electric car market. Ford is just taking things up a level in the finished product.

The first electric car rolled off the Ford assembly line starting in 2004. The premise of an electric car is allowing a driver to plug the battery into a power source to charge overnight so it is ready to go first thing in the morning. This is an attractive feature given the daily rise in gasoline prices each day. Overnight gas prices raise just enough to create a noticeable dent in the pockets of consumers. Ford is looking to provide drivers with options through its electric car line.

One of the first vehicles created was the Ford Ranger electric pickup truck.  One driver sector that received a great portion of this creation was the United States Postal Service. This sector received as many as 600 of the Ranger pick ups once they were first made. After the last 2,000 trucks were made, Ford made the decision to discontinue the line. The first thoughts were to destroy the vehicles. Environmental protesters saw things differently and lead to Ford keeping the vehicles and lowering the price to consumers.

Next up on the assembly block was the Ford Escape. It made a debut in mid-2004 from a Kansas, US assembly plant. The car can switch between using only electric power to using only gasoline power. It is also capable of utilizing both power methods for ultimate results. The Ford Escape hybrid electric car has a gasoline engine that is 133 hp and an electric engine of 94 hp.  When you are using both it is almost like the V6 engine used in a normal Ford Escape.  All of this combines to give the Ford Escape a fuel efficiency rating in the neighborhood of 75%. As if this was not enough, there is a regenerative breaking feature that lets the car recover energy lost whenever the car is not in motion.

Another vehicle in Ford’s electric car line is the Mercury Mariner. This similar version of the Ford Escape electric hybrid made its debut in 2005. The mechanical systems of the two vehicles are similar. The Mercury Mariner just takes things one step higher. A second generation Mercury Mariner made its debut at a car show on October 6, 2006.
Electric cars are a smart idea for those that like to be environmentally friendly.  They emit less pollution than gasoline powered cars do.  Electric cars cut down on noise pollution by being fairly quiet in operation.  The best part is that from the outside the car looks just like any other car. 

The line of Ford electric cars are cars of the future. The manufacturer is constantly looking for ways to improve on the cars currently part of the electric car line.  They are looking into ways to make their electric cars go faster, travel farther per charge and drive smoother.  Ford will continue to look for ways in technology and dependability today that will lead toward consumers driving economical and environmental tomorrow.