Ford Tries an Upgrade for Its Hybrids

By John Rosevear – Jul 23, 2013 at 7:00PM

NYSE: F

Ford Motor Company

Market Cap

$52B

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(-1.23%) -$0.16

Current Price

$12.88

Price as of April 26, 2024, 12:44 p.m. ET

Ford's latest hybrids have sold well and get great reviews. There's just one problem: The mileage doesn't live up to Ford's claims, and now Ford will try to fix that.

Ford says that its C-Max Hybrid has been stealing sales from Toyota's Prius -- but reviewers say that the C-Max's mileage doesn't meet Ford's claims. Photo credit: Ford

Ford (F -1.23%) has had tremendous success with its latest lineup of hybrids. The hybrid Ford C-Max and hybrid versions of the Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ have rocketed up the sales charts -- and put a big dent in Toyota's (TM 0.59%) share of the U.S. market for hybrid cars.

Ford's hybrids get great reviews, but there's a catch: Most folks don't get the 47 miles per gallon that Ford claims. Now, Ford's trying something new: a software upgrade that could help improve its hybrids' fuel economy.

In this video, Fool.com contributor John Rosevear looks at what Ford is hoping to accomplish with this latest move -- and at whether it's a move that might be imitated by others, starting with Toyota.

Fool contributor John Rosevear owns shares of Ford. Follow him on Twitter at @jrosevear. The Motley Fool recommends Ford. The Motley Fool owns shares of Ford. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.