Hybrid Engines

Rival automakers Ford Motor Company and Toyota Motor announced Monday an agreement to work together to develop new hybrid engine systems for use in light trucks.

The agreement will bring together the leading hybrid technology engineers behind Toyota with Ford's leading market share of light trucks and SUVs. The leading hybrid companies will share research and innovation in order to speed up the creation of these hybrid technologies for rear-wheel drive pickups and SUVs that will hit the roads later this decade.

Ford motor company is a leader in Hyrbid technology, but has yet been unable to implant this technology into vehicles like trucks and SUVs--which take home a larger market share than compact fuel efficiency vehicles. With the agreement, the two companies can advance the technology quicker, and make hybrid engines and powertrains that are fuel efficient, yet powerful enough for larger vehicles.

“By working together, we will be able to serve our customers with the very best affordable, advanced powertrains, delivering even better fuel economy,” said Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally. “This is the kind of collaborative effort that is required to address the big global challenges of energy independence and environmental sustainability.”

Toyota has been a leading manufacturer of hybrid vehicles,and since 1997 they have sold more than 3.3 Million hybrid vehicles. The agreement for them is a win, and the partnership will further make the company an important force in the hybrid market.

  “Toyota is extremely proud to join Ford in developing a hybrid system for pickup trucks and SUVs. Not only is this tie-up clearly one aimed at making automobiles ever better, it should also become an important building block for future mobility in the U.S. By building a global, long-term relationship with Ford, our desire is to be able to continue to provide people in America automobiles that exceed their expectations, ” said Toyota President Akio Toyoda.

Under the agreement, titled "Memorandum of Understanding," or MOU, the two companies will:

•Jointly develop as equal partners a new rear-wheel drive hybrid system and component technology for light trucks and SUVs

•Independently integrate the new hybrid system in their future vehicles separately

“This agreement brings together the capability of two global leaders in hybrid vehicles and hybrid technology to develop a better solution more quickly and affordably for our customers,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. “Ford achieved a breakthrough with the Ford Fusion Hybrid, and we intend to do this again for a new group of truck and SUV buyers – customers we know very well.”

[sources: CNN, Ford Press Release]