John Kerry goes bigger and less green, switches from Escape to Tahoe hybrid
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Did you know that going from a vehicle that's rated at 34/30 mpg to one that gets 21/22 mpg is helping to "fight global warming and reduce greenhouse gas emissions?" That's what Senator John Kerry's (D-MA) deputy chief of staff, David Wade, would have people believe. Since when is going to a vehicle with 34 percent worse mileage than the one you just had good for the environment? Apparently, Sen. Kerry has decided to get rid of his 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid in favor of the Green Car of the Year, the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid. Not to take anything away from the Tahoe, because the 2-Mode hybrid system is a technological marvel and provides shockingly good fuel economy for a vehicle of this size and capability, but this isn't a green switch.
Gallery: 2008 GM 2-Mode Hybrid SUVs
Unless Kerry is planning to cart around eight people in his Tahoe (which as a politician he may well be doing, but I doubt they 're all in his car) instead of using multiple vehicles, there is absolutely no way that this is a responsible move from a green standpoint. The Washington Post wrote that, "In fact, his [Wade's] boss decided to trade in his two-year-old Ford Escape Hybrid for a shiny new Chevy Tahoe Hybrid -- which won the 2008 Green Car of the Year award, he'll have you know. (Wade says it's a 40 percent increase in fuel efficiency.)" This obviously false/erroneous statement could not go unchallenged, so ABG tried to contact the Senator's Washington, D.C. office. So far, attempts to reach Mr. Wade have been unsuccessful. Several calls to Kerry's office over the last two days have resulted in messages left with other staffers for Mr. Wade to call ABG. We still have not heard back. Wade no doubt has bigger concerns than this little corner of the 'net. If a vanity search turns up this post and Wade would care to respond, we'll be glad to publish his side of this tale.
It was certainly possible that Mr. Wade simply did not know the facts about the mileage ratings of the two vehicles. It's also possible that the Post misquoted Mr. Wade. However a "respected" journalistic institution like the Washington Post should have caught such a blatant error. At any rate, the Tahoe hybrid doesn't get better mileage than the Escape hybrid and the improvement over the standard Tahoe isn't 40 percent either. The Tahoe hybrid does do 50 percent better in urban driving and 30 percent better overall than the non-hybrid version, though. If you're going to pick a number, at least pick a real one.
[Source: Washington Post, John Kerry's office]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Brian 4:11PM (2/14/2008)
These guys tend to travel with an entourage. If you can take one hybrid Tahoe (8 seats) instead of two hybrid Escapes (5 seats), then you have taken a green step forward.
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rick smith 4:27PM (2/14/2008)
well dip me in oil and roll me in cornflour....wonder how much one of them there colored car awards cost...heck they must be good.....
...".when it goes real slow with the hammer down , its the country fried truck endosed by a clown..Canyonero...Canyonero" ( Simpsons 99)
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why not the LS2/LS7? 4:29PM (2/14/2008)
It's only a green switch if he consistently fills up this vehicle with people and thus saves driving another. Maybe he does, I sure don't know.
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why not the LS2/LS7? 4:30PM (2/14/2008)
It's only a green switch if he consistently fills up this vehicle with people and thus saves driving another. Maybe he does, I sure don't know.
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Karkus 5:53PM (2/14/2008)
Bad choice for Kerry personally , but maybe not too bad overall for the country. Think of it this way. Now there is a used Escape on the market, which someone might buy who couldn't otherwise have afforded a hybrid. That used car buyer would otherwise likely have chosen a lower MPG vehicle.
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Stan Peterson 10:11PM (2/18/2008)
Like the other phony Elmer Gantry who produced "An Inconceivable Truth" and made #100 million doing so.
The "Share the Misery" mantra is meant for everyone else, except the Nomenkultura commissars who must work hard. It is hard work to lord it over all others, and they need to be rewarded for their efforts in spreading the misery, equally, to everyone but themselves.
Why are you surprised?
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Wildgoosechase 11:22PM (2/14/2008)
I'm sure he's not the only one to trade up to the Tahoe. There is an entire generation of soccer moms that have traded in their SUV's for smaller cars only to find out that they don't have enough room to shop at Costco.
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Chris M 12:21AM (2/15/2008)
If he needed more seats, he could have gone with the Highlander Hybrid, which seats 7 and has an EPA rating of 27/25 mpg.
Oh, but he must "buy American", not from Toyota.
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Guenther 7:20AM (2/15/2008)
Karkus- while you're technically not wrong, it IS a bit of a stretch. The Senator demonstrates the thinking in Washington, as well as much of the country: "Saving fuel is a good idea, but I would rather leave it to everyone else."
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RickM 11:21AM (2/15/2008)
O ye of little faith! Probably he was thinking of getting a Hummer, and then decided to get the Tahoe instead. So in that light... switching from switching to a Hummer to switching to a Tahoe was a green switch. You might say he was for the Hummer before he was against it...
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500 11:56AM (2/15/2008)
Does anyone really care what John Kerry does anymore? Ok I'll admit, I clicked on the headline. But it sounds like he, like other politicians, discovered that the Escape Hybrid is, well, still just an Escape.
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dean 12:57PM (2/15/2008)
The only way this counts as an intentional move to help the environment is if he enough people in the vehicle to eliminate another vehicle in the entourage (even if its another hybrid). Basically, he saw a bigger, nicer truck that gives him a "green" image. Faker.
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Scorch 5:54AM (2/17/2008)
I've decided that I will ride my bike to work. When Congress does. I figure since they're not doing anything they can ride their bikes to work. If they don't like it, that's too bad. I live in Texas and its 99 degrees every day for months at a time and they expect me to ride my bike. I know D.C. is cooler than Texas so it shouldn't be any problem. If they don't like it, they should come up with some other way to get me from point A to point B.
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Mark Kiernan, Venice, Italy 5:59AM (8/28/2008)
I was hoping he would have bought a Prius, but supporting a Japanese brand may not be good when republicans call him un-American (such a stupid term).
Surely there are eco-friendly American cars instead of greenwashed gas guzzlers?
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