One of the first rules of numbers in corporate PR is to use the percentage when the actual number are small. For example, if you've got an SUV that get 10 mpg and you build a new version that gets 12, you don't say it has a two mpg jump, you say it's 20 percent. Much more impressive that way. So, what do we make of Ford's announcement yesterday that its European flexifuel vehicle sales jumped up 60 percent? Let's look at the numbers (which Ford provides, a good sign that they're confident).

In 2007, Ford of Europe sold 17,500 Flexifuel vehicles. This is a serious amount, considering that Ford has only sold 45,000 such vehicles in all of Europe since introducing the technology in Europe (specifically Sweden) seven years ago (overall Ford of Europe's 2007 sales (1.83 million) increased 5.4 percent compared to 2006. Still, bioethanol car sales in Europe are far lower than such sales in the U.S.

Ford says that its "Renewable energy powered Flexifuel range [will] be extended in early 2008" with three new ethanol-ready models: the new Mondeo, Ford Galaxy and Ford S-MAX.

Related:

• Ford is flex-fuel top seller in Germany

[Source: Ford of Europe]

During 2007, Ford has sold more than 1,700 Flexi-fuel (able to run on unleaded and E85) cars in Germany, which makes it the top seller in that country. Among this number, Fold sold 805 Focus Flexi-Fuel (sedan and station-wagon) and 872 C-Max (60 percent - 629 units - more than in 2006) vehicles. In 2005, Ford sold only 67 Flexi-fuel cars, 1,048 in 2006 and exactly 1,677 last year.

Ford has sold more than 35,000 Flexi-fuel vehicles in Sweden as well and currently sells them in 17 European countries (including Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Switzerland and Spain)

Ford will introduce three additional Flexi-fuel models in March: the S-Max, the Galaxy and the Mondeo (pictured above) flex-fuel, with an adapted 2.0-liter engine.

[Source: Ford Germany (link is in German)]