福特汽车(Ford Motor)希望到2010年时，将燃油效率较高的汽油电动混合动力汽车的销量提升10倍以上。这家美国汽车制造商正着手从日本竞争对手丰田(Toyota)和本田(Honda)那里重新夺回环保制高点。

Ford Motor hopes to boost sales of fuel-efficient petrol-electric hybrid vehicles more than tenfold by 2010 as the US carmaker sets out to regain the environmental high ground from Japanese rivals Toyota and Honda.

福特汽车董事长兼首席执行官比尔·福特(Bill Ford)表示，随着公司的福特、林肯(Lincoln)和水星(Mercury)品牌美国系列车型有一半已推出混合动力版本，未来5年内公司将具备25万辆混合动力汽车的产能。Jaguar、 Land Rover 或 Volvo等品牌也将推出混合动力车。

Bill Ford, chairman and chief executive, said production capacity for 250,000 hybrid cars would be installed in the next five years as hybrid versions of half its US range of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury-branded cars were launched. Further hybrids under the Jaguar, Land Rover or Volvo brands could also be produced.

但福特先生承认，公司的第一代混合动力车亏损。竞争对手通用汽车(General Motors)此前也发出警告，称混合动力技术目前还无法帮助公司盈利。两家汽车制造商都在竭力阻止美国汽车业务出现重大亏损，两家公司都在就削减产能及降低医疗保健成本的问题与工会进行谈判。

However, Mr Ford admitted that the company's first generation of hybrid vehicles were lossmaking, echoing warnings from cross-town rival General Motors that the technology will not help the bottom line yet. Both manufacturers are struggling to stem heavy losses in their US automotive businesses, and both are negotiating with trade unions over cutting capacity and reducing healthcare costs.

福特先生表示，随着每辆车估计高达7000美元的额外部件成本降下来，他预计，到2010年，公司将从混合动力车上盈利。

Mr Ford said he expected to make a profit on hybrids by 2010, as the cost of the extra components, estimated at up to $7,000 a car, came down.

公司承诺生产混合动力车时，这种汽车在美国的销售正在迅速上升，其中为首的是丰田的Prius掀背车。福特目前出售两款车型，预计今年在美国可以卖出2万辆混合动力车。相比之下，丰田今年在全球的混合动力车销量将达25万辆。通用正计划与德国戴姆勒克莱斯勒(DaimlerChrysler)及宝马(BMW)合作，在2007年底推出它的第一款全混合动力车。其它汽车制造商也在努力追赶该领域的技术，大众(Volkswagen)和保时捷(Porsche)上周携手合作。

The commitment to hybrids comes as sales of the vehicles are booming in the US, led by Toyota's Prius hatchback. Ford has two models on sale, and expects to sell 20,000 in the US this year, against Toyota's 250,000 worldwide. GM is planning to launch its first full hybrids in late 2007, in partnership with DaimlerChrysler and BMW of Germany. Other manufacturers are also scrambling to catch up with the technology, with Volkswagen and Porsche teaming up last week.

福特先生说，驾驶者“对能源成本越来越担忧”，同时对使用化石燃料的环境影响、以及敌对国家对石油的控制也感到担心。

Mr Ford said drivers were “increasingly concerned about energy” costs, as well as being worried about the environmental impact of fossil fuel use and control of oil by hostile countries.

译者/张征