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.

Escape Hybrid Takes On Manhattan

“It's a commuter's nightmare.” That's the way Mary Ann Wright describes the extreme driving test that begins today for the all-new Ford Escape Hybrid. Starting in midtown Manhattan during the morning rush-hour, the Escape Hybrid will be driven up, down and across the island over some of America's most congested streets and avenues. Chief engineer for the Ford Escape Hybrid, Wright won't stop the test until the small SUV's gas tank is completely dry. That may take 36 hours or more of non-stop driving.

“We've designed ‘Manhattan on a Tank of Gas' to see how many miles an Escape Hybrid can be driven on a single tank of gas in some of the worst conditions for fuel efficiency most drivers would ever face,” says Wright.

Ford Escape Hybrid is the world's cleanest and most fuel-efficient sport utility. Available at the end of this summer, it combines the fuel economy and emissions benefits of a “full” hybrid with the go-anywhere capability, toughness and spaciousness of the Ford Escape, America's favorite small SUV. Escape Hybrid is the first hybrid electric vehicle that can comfortably accommodate five adults and their gear. “No-compromise utility separates Escape Hybrid from other ‘green' vehicles,” Wright says.

“Escape Hybrid can provide an economical solution to a problem commuters face every day – bumper-to-bumper gridlock that can bleed a normal car's fuel tank dry,” she says. “At the same time, Ford Escape Hybrid is a practical and livable environmental solution to help address air quality problems in our cities, as well as the global warming issue.”

Making the epic Manhattan drive particularly impressive is the fact that the Escape Hybrid's gas tank holds just 15 gallons of fuel.

“Other vehicles might start out with more fuel but they will go through it a lot more quickly,” Wright says.

An SUV that Excels in the City

The 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid is expected to be rated at between 35-40 mpg on the EPA city cycle – an improvement of at least 75 percent over the EPA city fuel economy rating of 20 mpg for the conventional V-6-powered Ford Escape, the best-selling small SUV in America. Escape Hybrid's fuel-efficient four-cylinder engine combines with an electric drive system to deliver acceleration performance similar to that of the V-6 Escape.

While a conventionally powered vehicle burns fuel and creates emissions while idling at a red light or bogged down in stopped traffic, the Escape Hybrid's engine shuts down at rest to conserve fuel. When the light turns green or traffic moves forward, Escape Hybrid's 70-kilowatt traction motor generator can launch the vehicle on clean electric power. When needed, the generator can smoothly start the gasoline engine in less than 400 milliseconds, without the increased emissions produced in starting up a conventional engine. Escape Hybrid also conserves energy in stop-and-go driving by reclaiming energy during braking to charge its hybrid storage battery to be used later during acceleration.

“Near Zero” Tailpipe Emissions

Escape Hybrid is an extremely clean vehicle to operate, producing 97 percent less hydrocarbon and oxides of nitrogen emissions than vehicles that meet today's nationwide Tier I emissions standard. That's clean enough to qualify the 2005 Escape Hybrid for the stringent Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) standards.

Escape Hybrid achieves the AT-PZEV standards by combining an efficient powertrain with an exhaust catalyst system that is very effective at lowering smog-forming emissions.

Indeed, the Ford Escape Hybrid is as environmentally friendly as a vehicle that runs solely on electric power. That's because a battery-electric vehicle needs to be plugged in to be recharged, and that electricity must be generated by a power plant, creating some smog-forming emissions. The Escape Hybrid, on the other hand, never needs to be plugged in. Its battery is continually recharged by an ingenious system that reclaims energy when the brakes are applied.

The Escape Hybrid also produces as little as half the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) – a harmless gas in terms of ground-level air quality but a primary “greenhouse gas” when it drifts into the Earth's upper atmosphere. An accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is widely believed to be producing a global warming effect. CO2 and water vapor are produced in the clean combustion of any type of carbon-based fuel, so the only effective way to reduce a vehicle's CO2 emissions is to reduce the amount of fuel consumed. Fuel-efficient hybrid-electric vehicles can substantially reduce CO2 emissions.

Ford Motor Company and other automakers are working on long-term research projects to someday make practical hydrogen-powered vehicles that will not produce any greenhouse emissions. In addition to the Escape Hybrid, PZEV Focus and Focus Diesel being produced today, Ford has developed a Focus hydrogen internal combustion engine (H2ICE), a hydrogen hybrid research vehicle (H²RV) and a Focus Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) that is operating in demonstration fleets in the U.S. and Canada. Ford is the only automaker with such a full-range of production vehicles and research efforts intended to move society to a hydrogen-powered future.

2006 Ford Motor Company

Ford Escape Hybrid Named 2005 North American Truck of the Year

DETROIT, Jan. 9, 2005 – Ford Escape Hybrid – the cleanest, most fuel-efficient SUV on the road – has been named "North American Truck of the Year" for 2005.

Escape Hybrid received the 2005 North American Truck of the Year award this morning at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The award winner is determined by a panel of 50 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada.

"Escape Hybrid's combination of outstanding fuel economy and genuine Ford SUV go-anywhere capability, passenger room and cargo capacity sets it apart from other ‘green' vehicles," said Ford Division President Steve Lyons. "Being selected ‘Truck of the Year' is a great accomplishment for the world's first full-hybrid SUV. Escape Hybrid embodies our philosophy of great products, strong business and better world – and paves the way for the future as we expand our commitment to hybrid technology."

The North American Truck of the Year award is designed to recognize the most outstanding truck of the year based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar. To be eligible, vehicles must be "all new" or "substantially changed" from the previous model. The 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid received top honors among 12 eligible trucks.

Not All Hybrids Are Created Equal

The 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid combines the fuel economy and emissions benefits of a "full" hybrid with the go-anywhere capability, toughness and spaciousness of the Ford Escape, America's best-selling small SUV. Escape Hybrid is the first hybrid electric vehicle that can comfortably accommodate five adults and their gear.

Escape Hybrid has earned the highest fuel economy numbers for an SUV as certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (36 mpg city/31 mpg highway/33 combined in front-wheel-drive configuration; 33 mpg city/29 mpg highway/31 mpg combined for the four-wheel-drive model).

Because it's a full hybrid, Escape Hybrid is able to run on either its gasoline engine or on its electric motor depending on driving conditions. It can drive exclusively in electric mode during slower speeds and does not need to engage the internal combustion engine as long as there is enough power stored in the battery. In addition, the full-hybrid system incorporates regenerative braking technology, which funnels energy generated from the brakes into the battery and stores it for later use.

Substantially improved fuel efficiency is only part of the story. Escape Hybrid also is an extremely clean vehicle to operate, producing 97 percent less hydrocarbon and oxides of nitrogen emissions than vehicles that meet today's nationwide Tier I emissions standard. That's clean enough to qualify the 2005 Escape Hybrid for the stringent Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) standards.

"When we began work on Escape Hybrid, we made a commitment to delivering a no-compromise, authentic Ford SUV that's fun to drive, spacious, comfortable and capable, with substantially lower fuel use and emissions," said Mary Ann Wright, director, Sustainable Mobility Technologies and Hybrid Programs, Ford Motor Company. "Mission accomplished! It's wonderful to see the vehicle we originally envisioned resonating so strongly with customers."

Impressive Beginning

Since its introduction in late summer last year, customer demand for Escape Hybrid has been overwhelming. The company already has sold 4,000 Escape Hybrids. Thousands of additional orders are already in the system, and thousands more customers have placed their names on dealer waiting lists. Ford will build about 20,000 Escape Hybrids in the first full year of production, but is working with suppliers to evaluate the possibility of increasing hybrid volumes for the future.

The 2005 Truck of the Year award is the latest recognition Escape Hybrid has garnered since its debut. Escape Hybrid also has been honored with other notable accolades, including:

• "Best Products of 2004" – Business Week, Dec. 13, 2004
• "Best Use of Technology of 2004 " – Texas Auto Writers Association
• "Best of What's New, Automotive Category" – Popular Science, December 2004
• "Elle 25" – Elle, September 2004
• "Top 25 Green Cars" – Green Car Magazine, Winter 2004
• "Environmental Power List" – Organic Style, November 2004

Source: fordvehicles.com