| During the State of the Union Address on | | | | research program", according to Ford |
| January 31,2006 President George W. Bush | | | | Executive Vice President Anne Stevens. This |
| presented a plan to the people of the United | | | | means that the American consumer will find |
| States and to the U.S. Congress to replace | | | | these vehicles in showrooms sooner rather |
| more than 75 percent of our oil imports from | | | | than later. |
| the Middle East by 2025.He spoke of hybrid | | | | |
| cars, hydrogen based fuel cell cars and the | | | | USA Today writer James R. Healy did a cover |
| expansion of ethanol fueled vehicles. The | | | | story on Thursday February 2,2006 |
| ethanol-based technology is already here, | | | | highlighting the message from the States of |
| there are already somewhere in the | | | | the Union Address indicating that E85 is not |
| neighborhood of 5 million Flexible Fuel | | | | the answer because among other things the |
| Vehicles (FFV) already on the road in the | | | | infrastructure is not in place, except for |
| USA.FFV can run on regular unleaded gasoline | | | | the Midwest, and, if you do not own one of |
| or a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 | | | | the 5 million FFV currently on the road you |
| percent regular unleaded gasoline (known as | | | | would need to buy a new car that can use E85. |
| E85) or any percentage of ethanol and | | | | I understand these very valid points but I |
| gasoline blend in between. | | | | also must say that it is February 2006 as I |
| | | | write this article and 2025 is still 19 years |
| The expansion of FFV is, in my opinion, an | | | | away. The technology is here; we just need to |
| opportunity for General Motors and Ford to | | | | get on board with the new technology now in |
| step forward and show the American people | | | | order to cut the dependency on foreign oil |
| that they can compete by building vehicles | | | | imports in the future. |
| that are friendlier to the environment and | | | | |
| not dependent on products imported to us from | | | | In his USA Today feature article Mr. Healy |
| the politically volatile Middle East. | | | | noted that Ford CEO Bill Ford states his |
| | | | company will boost FFV production 25% this |
| Ford showed off an ethanol-hybrid SUV this | | | | year to 250,000. Also noted was that General |
| past January at the Washington, D.C. auto | | | | Motors has pledged to build more than 400,000 |
| show, as reported by USA Today writer James | | | | FFV annually, starting this year. Noting that |
| R. Healy. This E85-burning hybrid Ford Escape | | | | a barrel of oil is saved for every 37 gallons |
| is part of "a development program, not a | | | | of E85 that is used. |