Ford Escape Hybrid

With the high interests of fuel-efficient vehicles in the car industry the Ford Motor Company finds itself in a quick race to fall into the category, however with a slightly different approach. Entering with an immediate turnover, Ford introduced a sports utility, this being the first of its kind we've ever seen.

The Ford Escape Hybrid or the Ford Escape SUV is a premier gas-electric hybrid vehicle which was introduced in 2004 by the Ford Motor Company. This car has the unique distinction of being the first hybrid SUV to hit the roads. It is interesting to note that the Ford Escape Hybrid or the Ford Escape SUV functions with the aid of a complete hybrid electric system which offers multifarious options for the engine to perform its functions. To elaborate simply, this hybrid electric system allows the car to revert automatically from functioning on pure gasoline engine power or electric power or it may also enable both the electric power and the gasoline engine power to perform together. In this way it is possible for the Ford Escape Hybrid to perform efficiently and ensure maximum utilization.

Currently, Ford has just one hybrid car, but is working on several models that can run not on regular oil, but on corn oil which should be a lot more earth-friendly, don't you think? They will soon have many styles and types to choose from to fit anyone style and personality.

The Escape SUV Hybrid is Ford's only hybrid, but truly one of its kind. It has been labeled as one of the most fuel-efficient of SUVs, and even of the vehicles on earth.
The Escape Hybrid comes in 4-wheel drive, or full-wheel drive models. Offered in seven colors, its interior has the standard eco-friendly cloth for the seats and dual map seats. You can have a choice of leather seats and heat features for the front seats in either the premium and leather comfort packages. There is something to please everyone when it comes to the Escape Hybrid.

The Escape Hybrid also has the customary CD system, the automatic temperature control that is dual-zone, an outside temperature display, a coat hook for those much-needed coats you just have to bring, and power windows, as well as power door locks specially for the kids. It really is a family style hybrid.

You can always have add-ons to the Escape Hybrid through the optional Premium Packages. These can easily be added whether you decide to get the 4-wheel models, or the Full-wheel drive models. So the Ford Hybrid Escape can surely be customized to fit your needs and desires.

The Escape Hybrid has a fuel tank capacity of 15 gallons, and can comfortably accommodate as many as five adults.

The 4-wheel drive and Full-wheel drive models differ in highway and city miles per gallons ratings, however. The Full-wheel drive Hybrid has a fuel economy rating of 34 miles/gallon in the city, and only 30 miles/gallon on the highway. While the 4-wheel drive has a rating of 29 miles/gallon in the city, and only 27 miles/gallon on the highway.

A major advantage of the Escape Hybrid compared with the conventional model is that it accepts regular unleaded gas, while the latter needs either mid-grade unleaded, or premium unleaded gasoline to run at its best.

Ford has just one hybrid on the market, but the company might include pick-up trucks and other vehicles in their hybrid We hear there may be hybrid compact cars and sedans soon in their hybrid Expedition models. Like me, do you not look forward to that?

So if you are searching for a hybrid car or SUV, make sure you do not let the Ford Escape hybrid pass you by. It is a real alternative, and even challenge to the other hybrids currently available in the market, as it is one of its kind.

Ford lobbies Congress over energy

The boss of Ford has urged the US Congress to provide tax credits to carmakers to encourage them to invest in more fuel-efficient vehicles.

(Picture Right: Bill Ford says people must be helped to buy energy-saving cars)

Bill Ford said more action was needed to stimulate the development of hybrid vehicles and those powered by ethanol.

Mr Ford called for greater help for US carmakers to modernize their plants and for research and development.

In keeping with other US carmakers, Ford has been struggling to cope with falling sales and high labour costs.

'Shared interest'

Ford recently revealed plans to cut 4,000 jobs in the US.

Even so, credit rating firm Moody's said on Tuesday it could reduce the carmaker's credit status once more, citing falling sales of sports utility vehicles (SUVs).

Mr Ford, the great grandson of Ford founder Henry Ford and now the company's chairman and chief executive, said federal incentives were needed to boost innovation in the industry.

Consumers should be encouraged to buy more fuel-efficient cars, he said, while assistance should be available for carmakers to upgrade their factories and retrain their workers.

"Now, more than ever, I believe we must take action," Mr Ford said in a speech in Washington DC.

"If we put our heads together and keep in mind our shared interest in America's future, I am confident that we can innovate our way toward the right solutions."

No prop

Mr Ford is currently lobbying the White House to hold a summit to discuss fuel consumption and the country's future energy needs, something which officials said they were still considering.

Ford has pledged to raise its own game by increasing production of hybrid gas-electric vehicles tenfold by 2010.

Environmental experts said carmakers should only get financial aid if they could prove the public benefit of their plans.

"US taxpayers cannot afford to prop up companies that have basically done poor planning but we can afford to do it if we get something out of it," David Friedman, from the Union of Concerned Scientists, told the Associated Press.

2006 Ford Escape Hybrid 4WD - A nicer shade of green

By Gary Witzenburg/autoMedia.com

Ford may not have been first to market with a fuel-efficient hybrid vehicle, but it was first with a full-hybrid SUV. The 2005 Escape Hybrid—also the first full hybrid offering four-wheel drive—was named North American Truck of the year by a impartial jury of journalists at Detroit's 2005 North American International Auto Show.

Hybrid Powertrain

The highly-praised Escape Hybrid compact SUV is a “full” hybrid, meaning it can run on its electric motor only below 25 mph, its gasoline engine only at higher speeds, or the most efficient combination of both, as determined by its sophisticated hybrid system controller. Because it is most efficient at low speeds and in stop-and-go driving, the standard FWD Hybrid rates an impressive 36 EPA city mpg vs. 20 mpg for the V-6 Escape. Ford says it can deliver as much as 50 percent better fuel economy under those conditions, as well as 400-500 miles of range from a tank of gas. Also extremely clean, it meets Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV II) and in California and states adopting California standards it meets Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) standards.

This remarkable full-hybrid powertrain is a happy marriage of six key components:

• An efficient 133-hp 2.3-liter Atkinson cycle I-4 engine
• A 70-kilowatt electric motor
• An electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (eCVT) that receives power from the engine and electric motor and routes it to the drive wheels
• A second motor/generator for starting the engine, recharging the batteries and helping to seamlessly blend the two power sources
• A 330-volt nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) battery pack
• An electronic vehicle controller that monitors system inputs, conditions and demands and manages all vehicle drive, engine starting and battery charging functions

Though not identical, this system is similar enough to Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive system that Ford chose to pay royalty rights on elements of it, most notably the transmission, which is sourced from the same Japanese supplier. It provides a total peak output of 155 hp and 0-60 mph acceleration equivalent to that of the 200-hp Escape V-6, mostly because the electric motor supplements the gas engine with an instantaneous torque boost at low rpm.

Inside and Out

The Escape Hybrid looks like the gas-powered models…a good thing, since Escape is America's best-selling compact SUV. Sharp eyes will notice its (Ford environmental) road and leaf badges and a discreet battery-cooling vent in the driver's-side rear quarter window.

Inside is a unique gauge package that includes an economy indicator with a “green zone” that shows when the vehicle is operating on battery power. A separate display shows charge level and assist for the battery pack. The optional navigation system brings with it a premium Audiophile stereo, an energy flow diagram that displays hybrid system operation and a fuel economy display of instant and average mpg.

As in all ‘06 Escapes, there's seating for five with a 60/40 split rear seat and over 62 cu. ft. of cargo capacity with the rear seatbacks folded flat. Because the sizeable battery pack is efficiently packaged as the rear load floor, cargo space behind the rear bench is a respectable 27.6 cu. ft., only 1.7 cu. ft. less than standard Escapes.

Driving Impressions

If you've driven the other Escape, you won't notice much difference during normal driving. You will note that the engine shuts down on deceleration, stays down at rest, then restarts when you lift off the brake, and that the eCVT transmission seeks the engine's most efficient speed, which pushes rpm ahead of vehicle speed during hard acceleration and sometimes uphill. The controller switches the drive motor to generator duty for battery charging during braking (“regenerative” braking), and you won't feel much braking effect from the (shut down) engine while coasting.

Acceleration is about as strong as the V-6, at least to 50 mph or so. The electric power steering provides light effort at parking speeds and crisp feel and response as speeds increase. Except for the (barely noticeable) extra weight, which amounts to slightly more than 300 lbs. over a comparably equipped V-6 Escape, handling is agile for a small SUV and little different from non-hybrid Escapes. Braking is normal except for some (hybrid-typical) low-speed non-linearity as regen braking phases in and out. The optional “intelligent” 4WD is completely transparent until you need it, whenever the front wheels lose traction.

Features and Options

For 2006, Ford's Hybrid Escape gets one new color (Black Clearcoat Metallic) and a new optional Premium Package that combines several luxury and appearance options into one. Available in five monochromatic exterior colors, this package offers leather-trimmed seats and steering wheel, heated front seats, heated side view mirrors, Reverse Sensing System, a hybrid energy display and navigation system, a cargo area retractable cover, rear floor mats and a handy 110-volt outlet.

Standard equipment includes 16-inch aluminum wheels, 4-wheel ABS, air conditioning, power windows and locks, 6-way power driver's seat, steering wheel mounted speed control, front fog lamps, AM/FM/6-Disc in-dash CD player, center console with two cup holders and storage bin, dual vanity mirrors, cargo floor hooks and passive anti-theft system. Options, in addition to 4WD and the new Premium Package, significant options include a highly recommended Safety Package (Ford's patented Safety Canopy system with side air curtains and a rollover sensor and front side air bags), a moonroof and a retractable cargo cover.

At about $29,000, Ford's 4WD Escape Hybrid is roughly $3,300 more expensive than a V-6 4WD Escape XLT Sport, based on Kelley Blue Book New Car Blue Book Price, but nearly $6,000 less than Toyota's Highlander Hybrid SUV. This sophisticated hardware and technology remains expensive, for both the automaker and the buyer, and the price difference will take many years, even at current high gas prices, to recover in fuel cost savings alone. But it will do everything the gas-powered model will do about as well—except match the V-6's available 3,500-lb. towing capacity. And it will make you feel good about your small, personal contribution to environmental responsibility, and especially good each time you pass a gas pump.