12/04/2008 (11:37 am)
Guess it’s no fun being green …
By Charles Slat
As U.S. automakers continue to look for financial help from lawmakers due to the current economy, there’s fresh evidence that rebuts critics who contend the industry is in its present fix because it hasn’t responded to market demand for smaller and more fuel-efficient “green” cars.
Guess what the best-selling vehicle in America was in November? Ford’s F-Series pickup trucks.
No. 2? The Chevy Silverado.
No. 3? Honda Civic.
And here’s the latest news from Ford:
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ford Motor Co. says a second shift will start making F-150 pickups at the automaker’s Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Mo.
That shift of about 1,000 workers had been switched to production of the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner small SUVs this summer.
Wednesday’s announcement comes after Ford announced in October that it planned to restore a third shift at its other F-150 plant in Dearborn, Mich. Those workers had been laid off earlier this year as the automaker cut production.
But gas prices are now less than half what they were this summer, and the redesigned 2009 version of the truck is improving demand.
Ford said Tuesday that F-series truck sales dropped 19 percent in November, which was significantly less than most of the company’s models.
Seems like a lot of buyers figure it’s no fun being green.
