Ford CEO "Plug in Hybrids are 5 to 10 years away"

Ford's CEO Alan Mullay, formerly CEO of Boeing and the driving force behind Boeing's new fuel efficient Dreamliner aircraft, recently annoucned that plug in hybrid vehicles would be available on Ford's showroom floor within 5 to 10 years. That is not soon enough, in my opinion at least. Rumors are circulating that Toyota would be introducing its first production Prius Plug-In Hybrid for the 2010 model year. This would mean the plug-in Prius would be in show rooms around fall of 2009, a little more than two years from now.

For Ford to state that it won't even begin testing a plug-in Ford Escape model with a small number of consumers (20) until 2009 means they are still not making climate change and fuel efficiency the critical issue that their survival hinges upon. If Toyota is going to have a Prius on the showrooms in 2009 and Ford is 3 or more years behind them does that make you comfortable if you are a Ford shareholder or loyal Ford customer? Isn't it clear by now that the big three missing the boat on fuel efficiency and hybrids a few years back almost led to their demise? Shouldn't that have been their wake up call?