NYT greenwashes Bill Ford

It's nice to know that William Ford Jr.'s company, unlike GM and Chrysler, is not in imminent danger of bankruptcy. (It's not that far from the CCU area, though.)

But, claiming he's an environmental wunderkind, even by Detroit standards, is a bit over the top:

Even when Ford was living off profits from its big sport utility vehicles, he was pushing to take the company in a greener direction. Ford was the first automaker to bring to market a hybrid version of an S.U.V., the Ford Escape, and it is introducing a new line of Ecoboost engines next year that will cut fuel consumption by up to 20 percent.

Let's unpack that a bit.

Ford bought the Escape technology from Tokyo.

Bill Ford has noticeably NOT pushed the company's 65mpg diesel hybrid that debuted at auto shows two years ago.

The Ecoboost, described here?

Nice, but note the weasely "up to" 20 percent. 10 percent is more like it. Yes, it has a quick recoup time on its costs, but that's because you don't "recoup" all that much.

And, it's worth noting that Ford is flogging the engine for its increased horsepower as much as for its fuel savings.

And THAT is why Bill Ford ain't touting a 65mph diesel hybrid.