AFSCME 3357-HOF'S BLOG

A 40 MPG Ford Taurus?

Could Ford be selling a Ford Taurus right now that gets a real-world 40 MPG? Well, they could, but they aren't.

In the European markets, the Ford Mondeo (just slightly smaller than the Taurus -- a little larger than the Ford Contour that was sold here in the 1990s) is getting a new direct injection gasoline engine. The tester for Yahoo cars got 39 mpg consistently in real world driving conditions.

The Mondeo is based upon the world car platform that gave us the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique in the 1990s. Ford cancelled the Contour and Mystique to use the plant for the Ford Escape SUV. In doing so, Ford replaced a car that got up to 34 mpg with a truck that topped out at 28. As the new Mondeo shows, using current technology, and automatic-transmission family-sized car can get 40 mpg without resorting to hybrid technology. At the same time Ford (and other carmakers) lobbied Congress saying they couldn't meet tougher fuel economy standards.

The Engine of the Mondeo 1.8 SCi is a direct injected 1.8 liter gasoline engine. Direct injection gasoline engines (modern ones anyway) were introduced in Japan in the mid 1990s. They have not made it to the U.S. yet because of emissions concerns and the fact that they don't get along with our gasoline standards. Similar issues regarding the quality of our diesel fuel have kept high performance turbo-diesels out of our market as well. If the automakers would have spent have the time lobbying for cleaner fuel as they have spent lobbying against higher CAFE standards, we never would have had to invade Iraq.