WAVE 3 TV Louisville, KY | Ford shows off new fuel-efficient vehicles at car show

Ford shows off new fuel-efficient vehicles at car show

By Shayla Reaves

LOUISVILLE (WAVE) -- Gas prices continue to climb, with the average cost now more than $3 a gallon in Kentuckiana. That has many drivers looking for ways to save -- and automakers who want to stay competitive need to find ways to help. WAVE 3's Shayla Reaves investigates how one of Louisville's biggest employers -- Ford -- is dealing with the changing demand.

There's a lot to choose from when it comes to buying a new car. But you can't pick how much you pay for a gallon of gas.

"I'm a student," said Boris Mimic, one of the thousands of people who showed up for this weekend's car show at the Fairgrounds. "So it always matters because it's more money that goes out of my pocket."

That's why automakers like Ford want to help drivers get more for their money.

"We don't know where gas prices are going to go," said Ford Display Manager Pablo Cantu. "Are they going to continue to go up or are they going to go down? "Hopefully, they'll go down."

But Cantu says new hybrids and fuel saving techniques are part of the company's long-term plan.

"We're working on some new systems, some new improvements in our engines and our transmissions, actually also in the way that the vehicles are built."

The 2009 Ford F-150 uses lighter materials that are also stronger -- a change that helps squeeze another 1-2 miles per gallon.

"It helps to take away some of that extra weight, bring the vehicles down a little bit to help them out with better fuel economy," Cantu said.

The 2008 Escape is Ford's first hybrid and the industry's first hybrid SUV.  

"They want the efficiency of a 4-cylinder car without having to sacrifice the space, so that's why this comes into play."

It gets more miles per gallon than its non-hybrid version, but upfront you can expect to pay about $7,000 more than you would for a standard SUV -- something Jennifer Duncan isn't ready to do, at least not until the price comes down.

"I always like the Escape, just the design of it all," she said. "I like the idea of being green, but the price point just makes it harder to do."

The 2008 Focus isn't a hybrid but recent changes have also made it more fuel efficient.

"You used to know that an automatic would bring gas mileage down, but it actually helps to keep it the same," Cantu said.

The goal is to pick the option that mets your needs and gets you where you need to go.

For more information on Ford's latest vehicles, visit: www.fordvehicles.com.

Online Reporter: Shayla Reaves

Online Producer: Michael Dever