Ford is announcing today that it will increase the average fuel economy of its sports utility vehicles by 25 percent over five years. As NPR's Jack Speer reports, the company said it was responding to environmentally-conscious consumers who want their vehicles to burn less gas. Ford, which pioneered the trend toward big, gas-guzzling SUVs, appears to be shifting course under the direction of chairman William Ford Jr., an avowed environmentalist. But Ford's move may be prompted by economics, too. SUVs are highly profitable and high gas prices could put that lucrative market at risk.
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