Skip navigation
Newswire

Ford talks to Toyota on hybrid vehicles-WSJ

NEW YORK, July 30 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co., the world's No. 2 motor vehicle maker, is debating the means to offer Volvo, Land Rover, Mazda and other brands with electric-gasoline "hybrid" engine systems, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

The paper said talks have taken place with Toyota Motor Corp on a possible engine technology collaboration.

Ford plans to start producing a hybrid version of the Escape sport-utility vehicle in late 2003, the paper said.

Currently Toyota and Honda Motor Co make the only hybrid vehicles available in the U.S., with both offering compact cars.

To reduce the cost of this still-developing engine technology, which can show fuel economies of as much as 40 percent over the traditional combustion engine, Ford has been negotiating with Toyota and certain suppliers, a company spokesman said.

The aim would be to create a pool of common hybrid parts, which would cut costs, and potentially make gas-electric hybrid vehicles a growth opportunity for the automaker, the paper said.

Toyota acknowledged the talks to the Journal though offered few details.

Ford owns one-third of Mazda .