Honda doesn't care, Ford kills Tongan prince
Honda snubs greenie weenies...
Honda slams the brakes on hybrid Accord; Will phase out production of sedan that was designed mainly to boost power rather than dramatically increase fuel efficiencySource: The Globe and Mail
06/06/2007
Despite North American consumers' apparently insatiable appetite for all things green, Honda Motor Co. is going to discontinue production of one of its key cleaner-running vehicles, the hybrid version of the Accord sedan.
The company said yesterday that the hybrid Accord, sales of which pale in comparison with the industry-leading Toyota Prius, will be phased out later this year.
More than 24,000 Prius vehicles were purchased in North America in May, while fewer than 500 hybrid Accords were sold.
Still, Honda hasn't given up on hybrid technology – it will keep selling the smaller, and better-selling, Civic hybrid, and it is planning a new hybrid “world car” that is even smaller than the Civic.
Ford Motor Co. sued over deaths of Tongan royals killed in SUV rolloverSource: Associated Press Newswires
06/06/2007
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The sons of a Tongan prince killed in a California freeway crash have sued Ford Motor Co., claiming its sport utility vehicle's unsafe design was primarily responsible for their father's death.
The lawsuit claims the Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker knew the 1998 Ford Explorer carrying Prince Tu'ipelehake, 55, his wife, Princess Kaimana Aleamotu'a Tuku'aho, 46 and their driver, Vinisia Hefa, 36, had a tendency to "roll over or flip in turning maneuvers."
The complaint was filed Monday in Santa Clara County Superior Court by Tu'ipelehake's sons -- Vakafuhu Tu'ifua, 12, and Osaiasi Tu'ipulotu, 34. The younger son lives in New Zealand, while his older brother lives in Hawaii.
The two Tongan royals and Hefa died in July 2006 after a vehicle driven by a Redwood City teenager, Edith Delgado, sideswiped the SUV. The Explorer flipped and rolled over several times.
Authorities allege Delgado, now 19, was racing another driver and hit the SUV while driving between 85 and 100 mph on a highway in Menlo Park.
Delgado pleaded not guilty to three counts of vehicular manslaughter. Her trial began last week in San Mateo County.
The lawsuit claims Ford marketed the Explorer as a "forgiving, safe and stable passenger carrying vehicle," misleading drivers and passengers into believing the SUV was safe for highway travel and would not roll over during normal turning maneuvers.
The lawsuit also alleges the Explorer's roof was not designed to withstand a rollover and protect passengers.
"This is an inherently unstable vehicle, and people should not be in it at any speeds over 40 miles an hour," said Richard Springer, lawyer for the plaintiffs.
Ford spokeswoman Kristen Kinley said the company had not seen the lawsuit Tuesday and could not comment on it. But she defended the Explorer, saying tests have shown the SUV is "as good or better than other SUVs in handling and stability."
Since 2000, Ford has won 27 of the 34 product liability or personal injury lawsuits it has faced involving the Explorer, Kinley said.
The lawsuit also names Delgado, her father Jose Luis Delgado, Hefa and the Explorer's owner, John Martin Hiss III, as defendants.
Delgado's attorney, Randy Moore, did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
The royal couple had come to the San Francisco Bay area to discuss political reforms in the tiny South Pacific nation of Tonga with members of the region's Tongan community. Tu'ipelehake, a nephew of 88-year-old King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, had headed a national committee studying democratic reforms for the kingdom.
Now the last monarchy in the Pacific, the 170-island archipelago about halfway between Australia and Tahiti has a population of about 108,000 and an economy dependent on pumpkin and vanilla exports, fishing, foreign aid and remittances from Tongans abroad.
Sorry for the Tongans but it looks like it was the teenage dumbass' fault, not Ford.Their SUV was HIT by another vehicle, causing it to roll over. Doesn't sound like they attempting a normal turning manuever in the car. Give me the highest safety rated SUV and if it is hit in the side by another vehicle traveling at high speeds, it's going to go over more often than not.
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