Steve’s Restorations propane-powered 1956 Ford F-100 pickup drew plenty of attention in SEMA’s Making Green Cool Zone, with an abundance of custom copper work, suicide doors, a slick tilt bed, and dazzling pearl metallic paint. While the 460 cubic inch Ford engine delivers the equivalent of nine miles per gallon or so, it doesn’t use a drop of gasoline. How many big bad hot rods can say that?

With propane prices significantly lower than conventional fuels, propane conversion offers hot rod enthusiasts the opportunity to maintain an investment in existing vehicles and drive trains.

The AMP=D ‘33 garnered plenty of attention. The E Hot Rod wasn’t in the “Making Green Cool Zone” at the back of the second floor of the Las Vegas Convention Center’s South hall … it was front and center in Factory Five’s booth in the middle of Hot Rod Alley. This placement allowed the maximum number of show attendees to get a good long look at what just might be the future of hot rodding.

While the 0-60 time is projected as a mere three seconds and the driving range at 100 miles, the car has yet to be put to the test.

Many thanks to Mike at AMP=D and Jeremy at Factory Five for their help in shooting this segment and to CNN’s iReport for airing the clip.

The 2010 Mustang V6 is fitted with a 4.0-liter SOHC engine that can be mated to either a five-speed manual or automatic transmission. The Mustang’s V6 produces 210 horsepower (HP) and 240 foot pounds of torque. Although the Mustang V6 gives up a bunch of HP to both the Camaro and Challenger V6s, Ford’s pony car is significantly lighter than the competition.

The EPA’s fuel economy estimates for the 2010 Ford Mustang V6 are 18 city / 26 highway miles per gallon (MPG) with the manual transmission and 16 city / 24 highway with the automatic.

When driven conscientiously, the V6 Mustang can easily exceed its fuel economy ratings. We put over six hundred and fifty hundred miles on the odometer of our automatic-equipped Sterling Gray review unit and slipped past the official mileage estimates with an average of 27.9 MPG on the Interstate highway and 21.3 MPG combined.

Overall test period temperatures ranged from the fifties through the seventies, with Interstate highway testing temperatures in the sixty degree range.

The 2010 Mustang V6 rolls in at approximately 4,300 3,400 pounds with the manual transmission (tack on another fifty pounds or so for the automatic). The Camaro is more than 400 300 pounds heavier, while the Challenger weighs in at the heaviest of the bunch at over 3800 pounds. While the Mustang’s 4.0-liter V6 delivers adequate punch on the roll, off the line performance falls behind the Camaro’s 300 HP direct-injected V6.

In the battle between Chevy, Dodge, and Ford, the Mustang V6’s weight advantage allows its less powerful engine to deliver middle-of-the-pack acceleration.

Fuel economy displays include both average mile per gallon and real-time fuel-efficiency. We always recommend light-footed driving and the use of a real-time fuel economy display as a means to improve gas mileage.

The Mustang’s 16.0 gallon gas tank provides a good amount of highway range. The 4.0-liter engine is designed to run on regular unleaded fuel. The Easy Fuel capless fuel-filler system ensures that you’ll never leave a gas cap behind at the service station.

Top up or down, this one’s a joy to drive.

Out in the twisties, the V6 Mustang out-handles the competition. Never mind that it’s still sporting a coil spring 3-link solid-axle rear suspension setup. A 33.4 foot curb-to-curb turning circle bests the competition. Four-wheel anti-lock power disc brakes are standard.

Our V6 Convertible Premium review unit was equipped with the V6 Pony Package, fog lights, fender badges, pony tape stripe, rear decklid spoiler, and 18-inch polished aluminum wheels. Sequential LED tail lamps are standard.

The 2010 Mustang’s interior sets a high mark, with excellent fit and finish. Our Mustang featured leather-trimmed upholstery, with the Comfort package adding heated driver and passenger seats and six-way power adjustment. Power lumbar support hits the spot.

This little pony delivers the tunes, with an eight-speaker, 500-watt Shaker Audio System, voice-activated Microsoft SYNC, SIRUS satellite radio, and steering wheel controls. SYNC’s USB iPod support and Bluetooth cellphone support earn high marks. There are two power outlets, one on the dash and one in the console. A standard audio input jack is also provided.

Convertible top operation was smooth and easy, although not exceptionally speedy. The Mustang was relatively quiet with the convertible top up. SYNC voice-operation was challenged with the top down, but functional. Although rearward visible isn’t too bad for a convertible (with the top up), a rear view camera is available.

The 2010 Mustang has two gotchas.

Rear seating is rather tight, especially with the top up. Needless to say, it’s much easier to climb into the back seats with the convertible top down.

The Mustang’s trunk is relatively small. The Mustang coupe’s cargo area is rated at 13.4 cubic feet (larger than the Camaro, but significantly smaller than the Challenger), while the Mustang convertible’s cargo area is rated at just 9.6 cubic feet. While the rear seat folds down in the coupe (allowing for more flexible cargo arrangement), the rear seat does not fold down in the convertible.

All-in-all, the 2010 Ford Mustang V6 represents a significant step up over previous years. While a bit down on power, the Mustang V6’s solid handling, sweet interior, rocking sound system, and convertible model earn it a slot at the top of the pack. Rest assured, the ante will be upped as Ford switches over to the EcoBoost engines in upcoming models, with higher fuel economy and improved performance.

The Smart Gauge is highly configurable. For example: while the spiffy green efficiency leaves appeal to some folks, we prefer the time bar graph.

There are four basic configurations, from Inform (with just the basics), to Enlighten, Engage, and Empower (which provides the greatest amount of detail).

In order to maximize gas mileage, you’ll need to develop a disciplined right foot. Once you’ve learned how to lighten up on the accelerator pedal, you’ll increase the frequency and duration of driving segments that deliver 60 MPG or more.

With that in mind, here are some ways to boost your gas mileage:

Accelerate at a Crawl

We’re going to start with perhaps the most difficult technique, accelerating at a crawl under purely electric power.

Lift your foot off the brake pedal and press the accelerator as lightly as possible. Watch the green EV bracket in the Power monitor. Do not exceed the top of the bracket … if you do, the gasoline engine will spring to life. This takes a good bit of patience. As the red needle approaches the top of the EV bracket, let off the gas.

You only want to use this tactic if there’s no traffic behind you. It works best when heading downhill or on a level surface. Attempting to accelerating from a stop in EV mode while heading up a hill can be futile.

Accelerate and Glide

Under most situations, you’ll need to accelerate from a stop using the gasoline engine. When you head off from a stop, the Power monitor will show an orange sweep as the red needle moves upward.

Accelerate past your target speed, then take your foot completely off the accelerator pedal. The red needle will drop to the bottom of the Power monitor and the green EV bracket will expand. Now you can lightly reapply your foot to the throttle … you’re gliding under EV power. The MPG gauge will display 60+.

As you approach the next intersection, let off the gas and apply the brakes as necessary. Three circular arrows will appear to indicate that the system is charging the batteries by regenerating electric power.

Inertia and a Light Foot

The Fusion Hybrid’s ability to glide under electric power at speeds up to 47 miles per hour is one of its strongest features. In day-to-day driving, the efficient use of vehicle inertia and a light-footed technique will save a remarkable amount of fuel.

By keeping the Power display’s needle in the green EV bracket, you won’t be using any gasoline during those segments. The trick is to maximize those segments.

Keep Track of MPGs

The Smart Gauge presents a Trip Summary screen each time you turn off the ignition. This feedback provides positive reinforcement for conscientious driving techniques. The more you practice these techniques, the more efficient you’ll become. Before long, you’ll be producing 50 and 60 MPG segments under optimum conditions.

Think that the American auto industry isn’t capable of producing a world-class hybrid? Think again. The Ford Fusion Hybrid takes the crown among the current crop of stealthy hybrid sedans.

The Fusion Hybrid is fitted with a 2.5-liter Atkinson-Cycle Hybrid inline four that produces 191 horsepower (HP) and 136 foot pounds of torque, along with a permanent magnet AC synchronous electric motor and 275-volt Nickel-Metal-Hydride (NiMH) battery pack. An electronic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) transfers the power to the front wheels.

The EPA’s fuel economy estimates for the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid are 41 city / 36 highway miles per gallon (MPG).

We put roughly four hundred miles on the odometer of our Light Ice Blue Metallic review unit, easily rolling past the official mileage estimates with an average of 42.7 MPG on the Interstate highway and 44.5 MPG combined. There’s little doubt that we would have scored much higher in town and on the back roads, given the time to implement the right strategies.

Test period temperatures ranged through the seventies to eighty degrees. Due to time constraints, we did not highway test with the air conditioning running. However, the combined numbers do reflect use of A/C, overall.

• Cruise control set to 68 MPH, A/C off, windows up, roof partially open : 41.8 MPG
• Cruise control off, target speed 60-72 MPH, A/C off, windows up, roof partially open: 43.5 MPG

The Fusion Hybrid’s generous 17.5 gallon gas tank allows a remarkable amount of range.

While there’s enough punch to deal with the day, it’s the way cool LCD dash display that allows the driver to actively tap into all the power and efficiency under the hood. (In the second part of the review, we’ll show you how to use the display to cruise effortlessly at speeds up to 47 MPH in electric mode.)

Out on the road, the Fusion Hybrid rides and drives like a perfectly normal sedan. It doesn’t stand out or wave flags about your EcoConsciousness. It just does what a competent modern car should do, only far more fuel-efficiently.

There’s a certain weight to the wheel, with a solid and reassuring ride. 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes (ABS) are standard.

The Fusion Hybrid’s cabin is both high-tech and familiar. You needn’t be NASA-certified to glide this bird.

Our test unit was equipped with optional leather-trimmed and heated front seats, along with dual-zone climate controls. An 8-way power driver’s seat is standard, as is lumbar support.

There’s a 12-volt outlet at the base of the dash, a 110-volt outlet at the back of the center console, and another 12-volt outlet inside the console. Auxiliary audio and USB iPod inputs are tucked away inside the center console, as well.

Although Microsoft’s Sync is standard, the 12-speaker Sony audio system is included with the Moon and Tune option package. The leather-wrapped steering wheel and voice controls ensure that your attention stays on the road, whether you’re placing a Bluetooth call or picking a playlist.

The Driver’s Vision Group option package includes blind-spot sensor side mirrors and a slick rearview mirror mounted camera display.

Ford’s signature color-adjustable LED lighting sets the mood with tasteful accents throughout the cabin.

Passengers will appreciate the Fusion Hybrid’s spacious and comfortable rear seat, with 37.8 inches of headroom, 56.5 inches of shoulder room, 53.3 inches of hip room, and 37.1 inches of leg room.

There are 16.5 cubic feet of cargo space in the trunk. The backseat does not fold down (due to the placement of the battery pack). If there’s one downside to the Fusion Hybrid, it’s the limited cargo capacity.

All-in-all, the Ford Fusion Hybrid is a standout performer and a shining example of America’s competitiveness in these challenging times. This car should be standard issue for energy-conscious consumers, municipalities, and corporate fleets.

Eric Trytko can tell you first hand. He had the opportunity to spend time with Wayne Gerdes, pilot a Fusion Hybrid on one of the two Washington DC-area routes that the record setting team followed, and drive one of the Fusion Hybrid media cars back to Ford’s headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan.

The experience (and all that time behind the wheel) provided Eric with some interesting insight on the Fusion Hybrid and how it operates in the real world. While he wasn’t able to come anywhere close to the 81.5 mile per gallon (MPG) mark on his one attempt on the event route, Eric was able to easily break the 50 MPG mark. Eric’s real world highway mileage results on the drive back to Michigan provide tangible proof of the Fusion Hybrid’s fuel efficiency while at speed.

In his Ford Fusion Hybrid review, Eric gets down to the details on the car’s interior and delivers unbiased driving impressions. If you’re thinking about buying a new fuel efficient four door sedan, this is a must read.

We’re hoping to put a 2010 Fusion Hybrid to a week long test drive at some point this summer …

The team set out on Sunday morning with a goal of breaking the 1000 mile mark, in an effort to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The Fusion Hybrid was a standard production model, running on 87 octane gas. It was not modified for the event. After driving for 69 hours continuously, the tank finally ran dry early this morning.

Edwards was at the wheel at the 1000 mile point. He was flown up to the Washington DC area shortly after crashing out of Sunday’s Talladega NASCAR race.

In order to achieve the remarkable results, the Fusion Hybrid was driven at speeds between 20 and 45 miles per hour (MPH), with cruise control off. (The Fusion Hybrid has the ability to glide under electric power at speeds under 47 MPH.)

When asked (during a Twitter session) what special techniques he used during his high-MPG driving stint, Edwards replied, “Special Driving style today? Took off my right shoe and hardly used the brakes.”

Driving techniques used by the team included:

• Slowing down and maintaining even throttle pressure;
• Gradually accelerating and smoothly braking;
• Maintaining a safe distance between vehicles and anticipating traffic conditions;
• Coasting up to red lights and stop signs to avoid fuel waste and brake wear;
• Minimize use of heater and air conditioning to reduce the load on the engine;
• Close windows at high speeds to reduce aerodynamic drag;
• Applying the “Pulse and Glide” technique while maintaining the flow of traffic;
• Minimize excessive engine workload by using the vehicle’s kinetic forward motion to climb hills, and use downhill momentum to build speed; and
• Avoiding bumps and potholes that can reduce momentum

MPGomatic: Can you tell us a little bit about where Ford is going with full electric vehicles?

Nancy: We have our Escape hybrid in production today. That’s our full hybrid and we’re really proud of it. The most fuel efficient SUV in the planet. We’ve added our Fusion/Milan Hybrid and they will be in the showrooms later this spring. We’re very excited about that. It’s the most fuel efficient 4-door sedan in the market that you can get in North America. That’s just bringing our hybrid technology to the next level. Ford has an electrified background. Many years ago we had a Ford Electric Ranger, but at that time it was lead-acid batteries and the technology of the battery really wasn’t ready for electric vehicles.

With lithium ion, and we have quite a bit of confidence now our supplier partners, we think we’re ready for the next step. We’re moving forward and in 2010 we’re going to have a full-battery electric compact van that is based off of our global C-car platform and that will be available as a battery electric vehicle only.

In 2011, we follow shortly with this (Nancy points to electric car display), which is a demo or an example of a C-sized car that is a full-battery electric vehicle with our goal of a 100 mile range. Think of it like a Focus that can go 100 miles on electric power only, battery recharged overnight.

By 2012 we’re continuing to progress our fantastic hybrid technology. We’re going to further improve that system and bring out plug-in hybrids which you can plug in overnight and get range. They will run as a regular hybrid and you’re not range limited.

I think there’s a market for all of this, and the customers are different.

MPGomatic: So the very first thing will be a small van, the Transit Connect? Is that correct?

Nancy: Well, we haven’t announced the exact vehicle. It’s a Transit Connect-like size. It’s off of the global C-car platform. I keep saying that global platform and some folks will say, “So what?” It’s a big deal because the toughest thing about electrification is affordability. The batteries are very expensive as well as the other components. By using our global platforms which serve millions of customers, that whole base vehicle is getting the benefit, if you will, of that volume and scale. That helps us on the affordability element. Working with partners like Magma which is what we’re doing on our C-car itself; Magna International, the largest component supplier in the world. They have power train, they have electronics, they have instrument clusters, they have sheet metal. They are a great system integrator and they have been a partner with Ford for a long time.

So we’re working with a high-volume, high-quality automotive supplier. This is great because electric components need that quality, reliability, and durability. They are a great partner for us to work with to integrate that into the vehicle, and we want them to be successful selling their components to others, again, helping us to address the cost equation of this.

Working together, leveraging each other’s investment, and then bringing the component as well as systems together on a vehicle that is going to go on a platform used by million, this is pretty exciting. Affordable transportation is what we want. Transportation that is sustainable in every sense of the word: economically, environmentally, and socially. Bringing our supplier partners along with us, investing jointly, and developing that electrified transport solution for the future, well, we think it makes sense to do it collaboratively.

MPGomatic: So it’s a bit of an open source solution in that you’re able to share the technology through the suppliers. They’ll be able to take what they have and let other manufacturers use similar pieces?

Nancy: Yes. We think that’s going to be fundamental to making this affordable technology; for electrification in all aspects. As soon as you start plugging in we have our other partnerships like we have with Southern California Edison and The Electric Power Research Institute. I’m delighted to say we’ve had many other utilities join the Ford Plug-In Project. They’re going to be a partner along the way as well, right? Because as soon as you plug in, the auto industry and the utility industry now connect through a common fuel to a common customer.

We have to figure out how to communicate the billings, all of the interfaces and enable the customer to do this seamlessly so you take away that barrier, the fear factor if you will, or just, “Oh, gosh. It’s different and I don’t want to deal with it.”

We make it as easy as possible so we’re collaborating there, on the infrastructure side, and we’re collaborating here, on components, and we’re doing this with other suppliers as well.

By the way, it’s billions of dollars, billions, to get to the electrified future and I’m including in that investment for domestic battery cell manufacture, the raw materials, and the equipment that assembles those. Then there are the systems, the components, the vehicles that can house these elements and bring them forward to customers, service, all of these things.

There is a lot of transition to make. We recognize we can’t do it alone and we’re trying to find the best partners in the world to work with.

MPGomatic: This is, in large part, about a resurgence in the economy through creating an entirely new industry, or pumping up what’s already there. We don’t have enough battery plants right now. While we will shortly, we must make the commitment to make it happen.

Nancy: The key in every region around the world; in our collaboration with the utilities, between the utilities and the transport section, and I think, rightly so, we’re saying that energy storage, the battery, is revolutionary. It’s a reinvention of some things. It’s revolutionizing a lot of what we do and how we do it. Think about how our own business models interfaced with the customer changes, what customers need to do to change, and all sorts of things.

As we work on that, energy storage manufacturing capability in every region around the world becomes important. Our goal, long-term – and we have a sustainability blueprint – is our plan for our sustainable products, that is really focused on making sure we have the technologies and the elements.

Electrification is a bit part of our sustainability footprint, and going forward you need battery cells made in every region around the world to enable that. That means you have to have the raw material access, you have to have the processing of that raw material, you have to be able to make the equipment that then makes the cells, you then have to have the research and the new chemistries coming in the development of the future of those cells so that you do it, you get better, you do some more, you get better. You have to bring that virtue of the circle.

Then you have to have component manufacturers, OEMs to put them in cars, customers willing to buy and know how to interface.

This is going to be a journey, and our plan is our global C-car which is like the Focus size or Transit Connect van size, and our C/D-cars which are like our Fusion and Milan.

That we will have the capability on those global platforms, and those are the largest vehicle platforms bought in the world, meaning the highest volume in the world. You can have a battery electric, you can have a plug-in hybrid, you can have a regular hybrid, or a very efficient petrol or diesel power-pack. We think making that suite available on global platforms helps on affordability.

MPGomatic: So you start with a roller and you give the owner, or future customer, complete choice in the method of propulsion?

Nancy: Absolutely. Then based on policy, their needs, their driving cycle, they can pick the right vehicle for them.

MPGomatic: Barb, can you tell us a little bit about where Ford’s going with regard to gasoline technology and electrification?

Barb Samardzich: Sure. If I had to sum it up real succinctly, I’d say it’s not a one-size-fits-all strategy.

I think we’re going to see various propulsion systems available in a given platform so that consumers can make a choice that’s right for their driving needs, their driving styles and where they sit with respect to environmental conscientiousness.

From our perspective at Ford, the way we see that vision is a global platform so we have the body, various bodies on a given chassis, and then our job in the power train arena is to make sure that we provide those power train options.

So, whether it’s a traditional gasoline engine, an EcoBoost engine, a diesel engine or the various forms of hybridization that we’ve announced as well as those that we have already in the marketplace, from a full hybrid to micro-hybrids to plug-in hybrids and then our recent announcement on the battery electric vehicle.

So, if you think about a consumer coming into a showroom having a variety of top hats off of a given size platform, and then being able to choose a power train or propulsion system that’s right for them, I think that’s where things are going to be for awhile as we transition from the state we’re in now, which is heavily fossil fuel-dependent, to one that is electrified.

MPGomatic: So, in Europe, for example, it’s 50 percent or more diesel, and they look at what we’re doing with hybrids here and they think, “Why would you want to do that when diesel is already there?”

You do quite well with diesels in Europe, but it’s going to take awhile before it happens here.

Barb Samardzich: It’s interesting, the answer to that question isn’t a technology answer, it’s a public policy answer.

In Europe, the European nations made a decision to drive an energy policy to drive CO2 down. To do that, they taxed petrol and they kept the price of diesel below petrol.

Consumers will always make; at the end of the day, they are rational and they make a rational decision. So, it didn’t take consumers long to figure out that from a pocketbook perspective, diesel was the better solution for them.

And diesels took off, fulfilling the energy policy that was set in place. And today it’s about 65 percent diesel engines, and they are great engines, as you said.

In the U.S., we haven’t had that type of an energy policy. Diesel fuel, over the past year, has been anywhere from 30-40 cents more a gallon than gasoline, up to over a dollar, I’ve seen it.

At that price delta, regardless of the absolute value of the fuel, at that price delta, it’s a hard value equation for consumers to make in the U.S., because they’re going to be paying a premium for the diesel engine in the dealership to begin with, because the diesel’s more expensive both as an engine as well as to emissionize it.

And then every time they go to the filling station, they pay a premium. And when they look at that and just do the simple calculations, they can see that the payback from that diesel engine just isn’t going to be there for them.

MPGomatic: So, EcoBoost is intended to provide many of the same benefits that diesel does, with a higher level of energy out of every gallon of gas ñ better mileage.

From the start, it’s been targeted at the higher, the larger engines, higher horsepower. It seems more of a horsepower issue. You know, we’re putting this in the V6s and the V8s?

Barb Samardzich: Well, let me give you our strategy. The start of our strategy was, it’s still fuel economy as well as performance, and the concept is: no compromise here to consumers.

First of all, just so everyone knows what we’re talking about here with an EcoBoost: It’s a gasoline engine with direct injection as well as turbo charging.

The direct injection, combined with the turbo charging, enables you to not sacrifice any kind of fuel economy, with respect to a compression ratio, and the turbo charging gives you great, great improvements in horsepower and torque.

So you get diesel-like torque curves.

One of the things that makes diesel so fun to drive is that you hit that peak torque the minute you step on the throttle. It just goes straight up.

Same with the turbo-charged gasoline engine. So, we’ve got the “fun to drive.”

Now, our strategy is, given that huge increase in the horsepower and the torque associated with the turbos, we can downsize the engine and take the displacement down, provide the customer with as-good or better performance feel, and get the benefits of a smaller displacement engine.

In the engine world, the biggest lever you can pull for fuel economy improvement is downsizing displacement.

So, for example, in our Flex and in our Lincoln MKS, where we’re introducing EcoBoost engines, instead of having V8 engines, which would be traditional larger horsepower and torque displacement engines for consumers that perhaps have a lot of towing needs or they like a performance feel; they want to, you know, they enjoy that.

They would traditionally have bought V8 engines. And most of the competitors to our products would have V8 engine offerings for that consumer.

We have a V6 offering, so no delta in fuel here ñ same fuel you’re gonna get in your naturally aspirated, what people would think as entry-level V6, but you get all the performance feel of a V8.

So, it is an environmentally conscientious strategy, and we’re taking that same strategy and very shortly we’ll be seeing those announcements coming.

And taking a V6 and displacing it with an I4 and doing exactly the same thing: getting I4 fuel economy, V6 performance.

So, it’s really a no-compromise strategy.

Now, it doesn’t hit the absolute fuel economy of a diesel engine, but it does come close ñ especially when we combine it with technologies like stop-start where, you know, you pull up to a light, your engine shuts off, then when you take off again it keeps going.

And other technologies that we have around in our full line of six-speed transmissions.

But again, in the U.S., where diesel is priced, always, at a premium to petrol, it’s the right strategy to really make a substantial difference in our CO2 footprint.

MPGomatic: So, with stop-start, and with the six-speed automatic transmissions, you can gain a lot of the benefits that hybrids presently have? In town, one of the ways that a hybrid is ahead in mileage is because of stop-start.

Barb Samardzich: Well, the ability to run on the electric motor is what gives the hybrids their advantage. And no conventional engine is going to approach that.

You have to have a battery to store the energy and a motor to drive the vehicle, and once you do that it allows you to completely wean yourself off the gasoline and provide electric power.

MPGomatic: But, I’ve driven a couple of diesels that have stop-start technology, so the BMW 123d, the Mini D, you pull up to a lightóit’s disconcerting at first.

Barb Samardzich: It is.

MPGomatic: You throw it in neutral and the engine stops. It takes a little while to get used to it. But that’s going to start to happen with gasoline engines here.

Barb Samardzich: Absolutely. But that’s maybe an incremental 3 percent or so fuel economy, versus a hybrid, which are substantial fuel economy improvement.

Again, with the hybrid you shut the engine off not just when you’ve stopped the car, but you shut the engine off when you’re driving around at, you know, 30 miles per hour in a medium torque situation for quite a range.

MPGomatic: And with the six-speed transmission, the ability, at highway speeds, to drop down to a close-to-idle speed with enough torque is where you really gain the benefits for highway.

Barb Samardzich: That’s the benefits of having an increasing number of gear ratios in your transmission, is you allow the engine to run at its optimum RPM, right. You can keep taking the engine speed down, because you have different gear ratios to choose from, and keep optimizing that relationship.

MPGomatic: Well, Barb, I want to thank you very much for taking time to speak with us.

Barb Samardzich: My pleasure. Thank you. It was a pleasure to talk to you.

All in my best attempt to summon inspiration from the late great Hunter S. Thompson.

As the outsider not knowing a soul, I felt a bit uneasy as I eased into my spot at the corner of the table. I was only guy not wearing a tie (although I did have a proper navy jacket). My non-corporate arrangement of facial hair du jour couldn’t have helped.

The evening’s format provided a non-stop question-and-answer period that circled the table. I often choke in situations like this on the first pitch, and I proceeded to swing like Goofy – twisting myself into a pretzel – the first time I stepped to the plate. I likely invoked the ire of half the journalists in the room. Lets blame it on spontaneous pineapple-infused combustion.

Alan immediately put me at ease, and from that moment on, I truly began to understand the source of the fantastic turnaround at Ford. The man emanates a remarkable positive energy.

Feeling bolstered by Alan’s reassurance, I swung for the fence, questioning Ford group vice president Derrick Kuzak regarding a statement he made back in December, 2007. At that time, I recalled Derek saying something along the line of, “I didn’t understand why the Europeans loved diesel engines so much, until after I had spent a number of years in Europe.”

I asked Derek if the acclaimed Ford Fiesta would be available with a fuel-efficient diesel engine when it reached our shores.

Now here’s where I’m kicking myself for not summoning the spirit of Jimmy Olsen (rather than HST). I didn’t run a voice recorder, much less take written notes. (My cousin Sammy the journalism professor would give me a failing grade for the evening for not being properly prepared. Oh well.)

Regardless of that, the answer was in short: not at first, if at all.

Ford is committed to their investment in their EcoBoost direct injection gasoline technology, which will be available first in larger displacement engines. The initial goal is to deliver V8-like power in a V6.

EcoBoost will eventually move into the inline four cylinder engines.

Derek made the usual suspect (and perhaps hollow) arguments against small displacement clean diesel adoption in America: engine expense and consumer resistance in the face of the price differential between diesel fuel and gasoline.

Here’s what I didn’t get to say at dinner, but I need to share now …

Inadequate diesel fuel production is a public policy issue that no one seems to be willing to face. Conventional media doesn’t touch the topic. Our elected officials make no attempt to remedy the situation. And yet, this is one of the most crucial steps we must take to turn things around in this country. Energy independence will never come about until we address the issue of the method of production used in our refineries.

We’ve nationalized our banks. We’ve nationalized GM and Chrysler.

If we had nationalized the oil companies first, to do what’s best for this country, crisis would not have spread. Not that I’m suggesting nationalizing the oil companies … just that they put this country first, before their profits.

Never mind the Monday morning quarterbacking (even though it’s Wednesday afternoon).

It’s time we get tough on the companies that are running our refineries.

Small displacement diesel engine costs are currently offset by federal subsidies. Buy a Volkswagen Jetta TDI, and you can expect to get back $1300 from Uncle Sam. The same can and will work for Ford once the issue of fuel costs are addressed at a federal level and internal corporate barriers are removed.