Ford Forced To Face Fuel Efficiency Fiasco Automaker Can't 'Escape' Lowest EPA Ranking For Fifth Consecutive Year

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Ford Forced To Face Fuel Efficiency Fiasco Automaker Can't 'Escape' Lowest EPA Ranking For Fifth Consecutive Year

SAN FRANICSCO, CALIFORNIA, Aug. 2 -/E-Wire/-- Preempting the release of the hybrid Ford Escape, leading grassroots organizations are uniting to send a message to America's flagship automaker that it must chart a new course and produce an entire fleet of fuel efficient, environmentally safe cars and trucks. On August 4, one day before the first token hybrid SUVs roll off Ford's assembly line, a coalition of human rights and environmental groups will collectively call on the automaker to stop driving U.S. oil dependence and climate destruction by committing to clean car technology.

Coalition News Conference:

Who Leading U.S. environmental groups

What Release of hybrid Ford Escape

When Wednesday, August 4, 2004 12:00 noon (Eastern), 9:00 a.m. (Pacific)

Call in (800) 247-5110

Marketed as "the first American hybrid," Ford's so-called 'no compromise' Escape will represent less than one half of one percent of its fleet and have virtually no impact on its last place fuel efficiency ranking. Vigilant citizens see this as a clear sign that Ford is more concerned with greening its image than improving the abysmal fuel economy of its gas-guzzling car and trucks. From subcompacts to SUVs, Ford's current fleet of cars and trucks gets fewer miles per gallon on average than its Model-T did 80 years ago. The coalition will confirm its intention to demonstrate the power of grassroots market pressure through consumer education campaigns until Ford shows measurable and meaningful fleet-wide improvement.

Leading progressive organizations in the coalition including Bluewater Network, Ecopledge, Free the Planet, Global Exchange, Green Century Capital Management, Rainforest Action Network and U.S. Public Interest Research Group represent millions of patriotic Americans who agree that the United States must break its dependence on oil starting with the most environmentally destructive carmaker, Ford.

Rainforest Action Network

Rainforest Action Network,

(415) 398-4404 x319,

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