Ford's Strong Hybrid Sales Buck Industry Trend

DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

-- Ford Motor Company's (NYSE: F) year-to-date hybrid sales are 73
percent
higher than the same period in 2008, fueled by the introduction of
hybrid versions of the 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan

-- More than 60 percent of the sales of Fusion Hybrid are by non-Ford
owners - with more than 52 percent of those customers coming from
import
brands

-- Numbers of Ford Escape Hybrid taxis growing on streets of San
Francisco
and New York where vehicles in service have exceeded 300,000 miles
since
their introduction

-- Ford hybrids help "green" federal government fleets

Ford Motor Company's hybrid vehicle sales have risen 73 percent this year in
sharp contrast to a 14-percent decline in hybrid sales across the industry.

The fuel economy and durability of hybrid versions of Ford Fusion and Escape,
Mercury Milan and Mariner also are winning over large numbers of conquest
customers, many of whom are previous import owners. Through September, Ford
has sold 26,016 hybrid vehicles, up 73 percent versus the same period in 2008,
according to figures from Autodata Inc.

"Hybrid customers increasingly are considering Ford," said David Finnegan,
Ford hybrid marketing manager. "More than 60 percent of Fusion Hybrid sales
have been from non-Ford owners, and more than half of those are customers
coming from import brands, mostly from Toyota and Honda."

Ford's strong 2009 hybrid sales have been fueled by the introduction of the
Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids, the most fuel-efficient midsize sedans
on the road. Both vehicles deliver a certified 41 mpg rating in the city and
36 mpg on the highway, topping the Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in the city
and 2 mpg on the highway.

Durable and fuel efficient
While the introduction of the Fusion Hybrid has spurred sales from non-Ford
owners, Ford's longest-running hybrid nameplate, the Escape Hybrid, has proven
particularly popular with Ford customers operating taxi, lifeguard and
government fleets due to the combination of fuel efficiency and durability.
The front-wheel-drive Escape Hybrid delivers 34 mpg in city driving and 30 mpg
on the highway, making it the most fuel-efficient SUV on the market.

In 2005, San Francisco became one of the first cities to adopt hybrids into
taxi service, with hybrids accounting for 14 percent of its current fleet.
Each of the original fleet of 15 Escape Hybrids exceeded 300,000 miles per
vehicle before being retired and replaced with more Escape Hybrids. There are
almost 200 Escape Hybrid taxis on San Francisco's streets today.

New York has more hybrid taxis in service than any other city in North America
with 13,237, of which more than 2,000 are Escape Hybrids. The Big Apple
recently has begun retiring its original fleet of Escape Hybrids put into
service in the 2005 model year after accumulating 300,000 to 350,000 miles per
vehicle.

"We're extremely pleased with the performance of the Escape Hybrid in taxi
service," said Gerry Koss, Ford's fleet marketing manager. "Not only have
they proven very reliable, they've also saved taxi drivers money on gas and
contributed to lower tailpipe and greenhouse gas emissions in the cities that
use them in taxi fleets."

"Greening" the federal government fleet
Government fleets also are seeking cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles and
hybrids are filling that need. In 2009, federal agencies have purchased more
than 3,000 hybrids from Ford, more than any other automotive brand. Included
in the sales were 1,900 vehicles acquired through the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act for the purpose of improving the fuel economy of the federal
fleet. The U.S. Army was the single largest purchaser among the government
fleets, acquiring 400 Fusion hybrids.

Saving lives and conserving fuel
In 2008, Ford began delivery of a fleet of 45 Escape Hybrids to the Los
Angeles County Lifeguards, a division of the Los Angeles County Fire
Department, for use on rescue patrol along 72 miles of Southern California
coastline. After the first 11 months of service, lifeguards reported that
Escape Hybrids had played a crucial part in thousands of rescues and more than
a million rescue preventions at L.A. County beaches.

The Escape Hybrid fleet enabled L.A. lifeguards to reduce their entire fleet's
fuel usage by 25 percent - more than 5,000 gallons of gas - during the first
six months of service. That fuel cost savings has helped L.A. County to
maintain its critical front line staffing despite the economic downturn.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn,
Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With
about 201,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's
automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company
provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more
information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.

SOURCE Ford Motor Company

Jennifer Moore of Ford Motor Company, +1-313-248-2335, jmoor186@ford.com