Ford exec: Japanese hogging hybrid parts

Ford would offer more hybrids, COO says, if more parts were available.

DETROIT (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co. could be offering more hybrid vehicles if it weren’t for the shortage of specialized components, partly due to the “predatory” approach taken by some Japanese automakers, Ford Chief Operating Officer Jim Padilla said Tuesday.

“It is a supply issue, and it’s supply of several technologies,” Padilla said at the Reuters Summit in Detroit. “The Japanese have shown a little bit of a predatory approach.”
Company Chief Executive Bill Ford Jr. has said he wants more hybrids in the fleet of the world’s third-biggest automaker, after trailing Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. with the fuel-efficient technology.

The Japanese automakers have been successful in cultivating an image as the leaders in environmental technology by offering a range of hybrid vehicles. Toyota plans to sell up to 250,000 units worldwide this year, mainly in North America.

Reuters