Is Bill Ford Seeing Green?

Ford just announced an increased commitment to hybrid vehicles, with a target of producing 250,000 hybrids a year by 2010. I'm not sure whether to be encouraged or depressed by the announcement. Sure, it's a step in the right direction. It's a vote of confidence in hybrids by an American manufacturer, and it represents a ten-fold increase from the number of hybrids that Ford is building this year.

But does it really show that Ford understands the urgency of the situation we're facing? Here are some stats from a Wall Street Journal article about the announcement:

• Number of hybrids Ford will produce in 2010: 250,000


• Number of hybrids Toyota will produce this year: 250,000


• Number of hybrids Toyota will produce per year "early in the next decade": 1,000,000

Hey, it's great that Ford is ambling in the right direction. It's certainly better than having them ambling in the wrong direction. But if they were serious about saving the environment and saving their own company, it's clear that they could be moving much more quickly.