Ford Motor Company's first demonstration Escape Plug-In Hybrid is ready to roll on California roads. In December 2007, Ford delivered the first of 20 research PHEVs to Southern California Edison to begin road testing as part of a unique partnership between the automaker and utility.
The Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid, a research vehicle using high voltage, lithium-ion batteries, can deliver up to 120 miles per gallon which would mean far fewer trips to the gas station. The vehicle uses common household current (120 volts) for charging. Full charge of the battery takes six to eight hours. When driven for the first 30 miles following a full charge, the Ford Escape PHEV can achieve up to 120 mpg when driven on surface streets. The vehicle is not range limited by the amount of charge available in the high-voltage lithium-ion battery, because once the charge in the battery has been depleted, the vehicle continues to operate as a fuel efficient, standard Ford Escape Hybrid. The transition is automatic and unnoticeable to the driver.
The delivery comes just five months after Ford and Southern California Edison announced their collaboration to advance the commercialization of plug-ins by exploring the values of new technologies and new business models when the battery is connected to the home and, in time, the electrical grid.
"The electrification of vehicles has sparked significant interest in this country. The delivery of this Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid research vehicle today represents another step in our development and understanding of the technology and its place in the overall energy picture," said Sue Cischke, senior vice president, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. "PHEVs are one element of our blueprint for sustainability that includes actions ranging from refinements in gasoline fueled engines and transmissions, to the development of hydrogen fuel cells."
"We are united in a common cause," said Lynda Ziegler, Southern California Edison's senior vice president, Customer Service. "We bring our expertise in energy production, delivery and management, and combine it with Ford's expertise in hybrid technology. Together, we are seeking solutions to address the needs of our shared customers and to ultimately help this nation achieve energy independence and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. "This is not about simply connecting the car to the grid. It's about integrating vehicles and energy storage technologies into the energy system of the future".
The two companies are exploring new business models related to the electrification of vehicles that could help lower the cost of PHEVs to make them more affordable to consumers.
"Although the energy infrastructure is in place, significant challenges remain for widespread adoption of PHEVs," said Cischke. "Cost, durability and reliability issues all need to be addressed before these vehicles can make a significant impact on the global issues of climate change and energy security."
Ford and SCE will jointly conduct testing of the vehicles, some of which may be evaluated in typical customer settings to model overall home and grid values. The testing will provide valuable data related to the durability, reliability and safety of new battery technology. The cost of advanced lithium ion batteries means the technology is currently not economically feasible for widespread vehicle application.
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2008 Ford Escape Hybrid
This is from Miles Around 09/16/07. The team look at the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid
EV-Talk Episode09 Plugin-Hybrids
Lets have a look at some aftermarket upgrade options for your hybrid from such companies as A123 Hymotion, Enginer, Plug-in Supply, and Plug-in Conversions Corp. I give you a full tour of a Prius that has been upgraded with an Enginer PHEV kit and show some of the benefits, limitations, and realities of it.
Ford Escape Hybrid
The Ford Escape Hybrid is still the cleanest and most fuel-efficient SUV in the world, combining 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.
For 2008, The Escape Hybrid combines a fresh new look, inside and out, with infotainment and safety features, a choice of two hybrid-specific upgrade packages and four new exterior colors.
The Escape Hybrid is a "full" hybrid, meaning it automatically switches between pure electric power, pure gasoline engine power or combined operation to maximize efficiency and performance. Its gasoline engine and electric motor work in concert, providing performance similar to that of a V-6 engine. In less demanding situations, the Escape Hybrid can run on its electric motor alone (at speeds up to 25 mph), its gasoline engine alone or the most efficient combination of the two.
Full hybrids achieve their greatest improvement in fuel economy during stop-and-go driving, when the electric motor is most efficient. In fact, the Escape Hybrid provides approximately 80 percent better fuel economy in city driving than the conventional V-6 Escape and can travel more than 500 miles in city driving on a single tank of gasoline.
It is an extremely clean vehicle to operate -- an amazing 99.4 percent cleaner, on average than an unregulated vehicle. Escape Hybrid meets strict Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV II) and Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) standards.
The Escape Hybrid is as tough as it is clean. For the past few years, taxi companies across the country have been putting Escape Hybrids to work, proving their durability and reliability after hours -- even days -- of continuous use. Many cabs have logged hundreds of thousands of working miles with no major issues.
Ford backs the Escape Hybrid with a standard 8-year/100,000-mile limited warranty for unique hybrid components, including the battery pack. Escape Hybrid is the first hybrid vehicle to offer towing capability of up to 1,000 pounds when properly equipped.
Escape Hybrid is produced at Ford's Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Mo.
100MPG Car ! 1c per mile 1000Miles per tank of gas!
This proves that the technology is available right now! So lets all stop paying $3to$4 for gas and lets all plug in. If GM&Ford don't want to do it that's fine we will all buy a car from whoever produces one. I drive a GM right now but the next car we buy will be a plug in EV (electric vehicle) or plug in hybrid (PHEV -- plug in hybrid electric vehicle)
NEW EcoBoost Technology Animation
Ford Motor Company is introducing a new engine technology called EcoBoost that will deliver up to 20 percent better fuel economy on half a million Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles annually in North America during the next five years. EcoBoost's combination of direct injection and turbocharging mitigates the traditional disadvantages of downsizing and Boosting 4- and 6-cylinder engines, giving customers both superior performance as well as fuel economy.
The EcoBoost family of 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder engines features turbocharging and direct injection technology. Compared with more expensive hybrids and diesel engines, EcoBoost builds upon today's affordable gasoline engine and improves it, providing more customers with a way to improve fuel economy and emissions without compromising driving performance.
"Compared with the current cost of diesel and hybrid technologies, customers can expect to recoup their initial investment in a 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine through fuel savings in approximately 30 months. A diesel will take an average of seven and one-half years, while the cost of a hybrid will take nearly 12 years to recoup -- given equivalent miles driven per year and fuel costs," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president of Global Product Development.
Ford will introduce EcoBoost on the new Lincoln MKS flagship in 2009, followed by the Ford Flex and other vehicles. By 2013, Ford will have more than half a million EcoBoost-powered vehicles on the road annually in North America.
In 2009, Ford first will introduce EcoBoost on the Lincoln MKS featuring a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V-6. It will produce the power and torque of a V-8 engine with the fuel efficiency of a V-6. In fact, with an estimated 340-horsepower and more than 340 lb.-ft. of torque, the Lincoln MKS will be the most powerful and fuel-efficient all-wheel-drive luxury sedan in the market.
100 miles Per Gallon
SUV, Lite Truck, or Luxury Vehicle . . .getting 13 miles to the gallon . ..?
Turn that vehicle into 100 miles per gallon today . . . don't sell it . . . or make big expensive changes to it . . .
