Dash of Panache - NEW HYBRIDS GET MORE INSTRUMENTS TO HELP DRIVERS SAVE FUEL

摘要

IT'S A COLD DECEMBER morning in suburban Detroit, the temperature hovering at about 20 degrees. But as we cruise the streets near Ford Motor Co. world headquarters, green leaves sprout and grow lush. Winter vegetation in the Motor City isn't a side effect of global warming. These leaves are digital displays on an innovative instrument cluster debuting on the new Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrid sedans. Using colors, graphics, numbers and a few other tricks, these dashboards were designed, with input from hyperrailing and hybrid-car fans, to give drivers information about how efficiently they're driving.