Ford Presents Presidential Edition Mariner Hybrid to Former President Clinton
07 September 2006
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The Presidential Edition Mariner |
Ford Motor Company has delivered a Mercury Mariner Hybrid “Presidential Edition” to former President Bill Clinton—the first hybrid vehicle to be outfitted for presidential service. President Clinton will formally accept the hybrid at the Clinton Global Initiative conference set for September 20-22 in New York City.
Ford customized the interior of the Presidential Mariner Hybrid to provide an executive office, with details such as unique LED lighting, a 110-volt outlet and a new writing table. The Mariner Hybrid’s full-hybrid powertrain was unchanged, preserving its 32 miles per gallon in city driving, 29 mpg on the highway, and ultra-clean emissions.
The Mariner Hybrid (earlier post) can travel in all-electric mode up to 25 mph for brief distances. The hybrid offers equivalent performance and almost a 50% increase in fuel economy compared to the conventional Mariner equipped with a 200 horsepower V-6 engine, and nearly a 50 percent increase in fuel economy. Ford Motor Company has received more than 150 patents on the hybrid powertrain system.
As a full hybrid, the Mariner Hybrid is capable of traveling up to 25 miles per hour solely on electric power, with no fuel consumption or emissions.
President Clinton recently announced the formation of the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), a project of his foundation that is dedicated to making a difference in the fight against climate change in practical and measurable ways.
My Foundation is committed to making a difference in the fight against global warming. The Clinton Climate Initiative is working with some of the world’s largest cities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I’m happy to have a fuel efficient vehicle to do my part and I’d like to thank the Ford Motor Company for this.
—former President Bill Clinton
The Presidential Mariner Hybrid is the first Mercury outfitted for presidential transportation, an honor associated with the Lincoln brand since Franklin D. Roosevelt commissioned a 1939 Model K V-12 limousine—nicknamed the “Sunshine Special.”
It beats Bush's Suburban. But then, I think he could have done better considering that he is now a big player now in the fight against global warming.
Posted by: t | 07 September 2006 at 06:58 AM
What kind of utility vs. mpg drag is associated with the roof rack?
Posted by: fyi CO2 | 07 September 2006 at 07:02 AM
They ought to make a dark blue edition called the Monica.
Posted by: Joe Rocker | 07 September 2006 at 08:13 AM
Just in case we 4get:
RAV4 3.5 V6 - 269hp. 29mpg US Hwy
Posted by: pj | 07 September 2006 at 08:16 AM
Not like he'll ever get to drive/ride in it. Presidents and former presidents are always in armored vehicles for everything but brief photo ops from time to time.
Posted by: Sid Hoffman | 07 September 2006 at 08:36 AM
"It beats Bush's Suburban. But then,
I heard Clinton was President once. I wonder what he rode around in.
"I think he could have done better considering that he is now a big player now in the fight against global warming. "
As opposed to the unpowerful role he could have played as President of the United States.
Posted by: Golden Boy | 07 September 2006 at 08:55 AM
fyi CO2: If he carried a bicycle, and actually used it some of the time, his mpg would rise well above the loss experienced in drag. He could lose weight and maybe strengthen his heart at the same time... something most Americans could do to at least some degree
Posted by: ed | 07 September 2006 at 11:04 AM
Is there anyone here that thinks this is laudible? I think this is great: leading by example.
Jim
Posted by: Jim | 07 September 2006 at 12:21 PM
Jim -
Although I don't want to diminish the former Prez giving the Mariner hybrid some news, I find the Clinton Climate Initiative a better representative of leading by example.
Mike
Posted by: Mike @ HCVN | 07 September 2006 at 12:39 PM
Zippergate or not, Bill signed the Kyoto Protocol. That is a pretty serious climate change action. After the election it died the death of a thousand lobbyists and an executive branch full of oilmen.
Posted by: Bill Young | 07 September 2006 at 04:17 PM
ed,
I'm a wknd. biker myself (on local trails), but I would bet that less than 10% of people that have a roof rack use it for anything- it's a drag.
Posted by: FYI co2 | 07 September 2006 at 04:45 PM
kyoto protocol, yeah, lot of good that thing would have done seeing how China and India were never going to be a part of it..... Not to mention how all the countries who signed on to kyoto are not meeting their own emission reducing goals. What a joke.
Posted by: tt | 07 September 2006 at 04:48 PM
Well California will lead the US in reducing greenhouse gasses. Like I said you have to lead by example. Just because someone else is doing the wrong thing doesn't give you the excuse to not do something right.
JIM
PS I agree Mike.
Posted by: Jim | 07 September 2006 at 06:56 PM
Just reducing the use of oil and coal is a good thing by itself. If we can slow the rise of global warming, then so much the better.
Posted by: SJC | 07 September 2006 at 08:03 PM
The Clinton edition. It ought to come with green astroturf and shag carpet in the back. Fuzzy dice on the rear view mirror. Mudflaps with a chrome silhouette of a fat chick on them. The Bubba Edition.
BTW: Clinton is still escorted by Secret Service and he still travels in a suburban... except when he's jogging a 1/4 to McDonalds for his morning McMuffins.
Posted by: nemo | 07 September 2006 at 11:07 PM
The Kyoto protocol is flawed because it does not address third world nations. Politics is the art of the possible. The US was not able to convince China and India to stop the expansion of fossil fuel consumption without committing to more dramatic cuts of its own.
The Kyoto protocol is working in those responsible western nations where it has been adopted. Goals are not being met but constraint on emissions is being applied. The protocol is significantly effecting energy policy in Europe.
In the US we have a patchwork of responsible states trying to address global warming without federal leadership.
India and China and the rest of the 3rd world are a problem for the future and should be addressed in any subsequent protocol.
Who is the problem?
Annual CO2 emissions per person
India: 1 ton
China: 4 tons
Europe (Avg): 8 tons
United States: 20 tons
Posted by: Bill Young | 08 September 2006 at 03:52 AM
tt,
You don't get to mock Kyoto signees for being just shy of their targes of reducing CO2 emission, while USA, a non-signee, is increasing its emission! :-(
At least we are doing something to turn this supertanker called Western Civilization.
Posted by: Thomas Pedersen | 08 September 2006 at 05:30 AM
I am a fan of Clinton, but the suggested Clinton (Bubba) edition is genuinely funny.
Posted by: t | 08 September 2006 at 11:13 AM
We'll mock whomever we damn well please....
Posted by: Joff Pentz | 08 September 2006 at 04:19 PM
Clinton signed the Kyoto treaty. Yeah, right he signed it in his last days in office after it had sat on his desk for year and he never tried to get a single Senator to vote for it. He only signed it at the very end as a gimmick. I think the treaty was fatally flawed from the beginning, but to give Clinton credit for signing it is a joke.
P.S. The presidential edition Mariner has seats that go all the way back...If you know what I mean.
Posted by: ESabre | 09 September 2006 at 04:57 AM
So Esabre I suppose you have all kinds of accolades for President Bush and his environmental policies. AND when was the last time someone died from a blowjob.
Posted by: JIm | 09 September 2006 at 01:03 PM
Nice wheels Bill, but it could have been so much nicer if you could have plugged it in. See what I mean at
http://phev.wikispaces.com
Home of the plug-in hybrid wannabes!
Posted by: PHEV Wannabe | 23 August 2007 at 08:04 PM