Ford to unveil tri-fuel Mondeo at Leipzig Motor Show
Ford plans to use the Leipzig Motor Show to unveil a new version of the super popular Mondeo capable of running on gasoline, ethanol or liquified petroleum gas. As a flex-fuel car, a computer can detect what concentrations of gas or ethanol are pumped into the tank and can adjust the engine's operation accordingly. The tri-fuel-capable car will use a 2.0L Duratec four cylinder engine that puts out 145 horsepower on either gasoline or ethanol or 141 horses on LPG.
There are dual tanks in this vehicle, so the total range when both tanks are filled is nearly 800 miles, depending on which bodystyle is chosen (the wagon has a smaller LPG tank). Sales are expected to commence in Europe in April with a starting price of €27,500. Not that it matters, since the car's not coming to America and the conversion rates are never proper indicators, but that equals $35,150 in the U.S.
[Source: Carscoop]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jharlan 7:18PM (3/12/2009)
Interesting, but not enough to swallow that price!
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DasBoese 7:55PM (3/12/2009)
That's 4400€ over the base model, and 2100€ more than the flex-fuel model.
Which leads me to the question why the price for the flex-fuel option is what it is.
I can't quite believe that adding flex-fuel capability costs the same or more than the LPG option with its extra tank and plumbing.
I wouldn't buy it, it might make sense to people who drive a lot though because LPG is cheap. I wouldn't count on it staying that way, so I'd rather just have the flex-fuel one.
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Sasparilla 8:04PM (3/12/2009)
Its a beautiful car, but quite a price to get that tri-fuel capability - we're used to getting a big honking SUV for that price here in the states.
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Luke 10:02PM (3/12/2009)
Looks fantactic, which is why they don't sell in here.
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Carney 12:28PM (3/13/2009)
As if we don't produce beautiful cars here. Now cork the gratuitous America-bashing.
Carney 12:36PM (3/13/2009)
Flex fuel capability in US cars usually comes at no extra charge at all.
This doesn't seem like a very good deal.
And LPG is almost as clean burning as alcohol fuel, but with one big disadvantage: it's still based on PETROLEUM, a resource controlled by a collection of corrupt tyrannies, many in thrall to viciously fanatical extremism and which support violent terrorism worldwide.
Furthermore LPG is a gas at normal temperature and pressure and is thus inconvenient as a vehicle fuel, a disadvantage it shares with natural gas.
Finally, it's unsafe and prone to devastating explosions.
If Ford's interested in offering tri-fuel cars, it could simply offer flex fuel cars that support gasoline, ethanol, and METHANOL, the latter being the alt-fuel Ford championed in the 80s and early 90s, not only making thousands of methanol-only cars, but inventing flex fuel technology so as to be able to run on gasoline or methanol
Today's flex fuel tech permits cars to run on gasoline or any alcohol, so long as the proper materials that can handle methanol are used. Only a $100 expense per car.
Why Ford has dropped, forgotten, ignored, and neglected its OWN potentially world changing advocacy of methanol I'm not sure but it's tremendously sad and frustrating.
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