Escape Shaping Up to be Most Affordable SUV Hybrid So Far
DETROIT--It's been delayed by nearly a year, allowing Toyota and Honda to gain great public relations mileage from their hybrid electric vehicles, but the Ford Escape Hybrid is nearly ready for public sale.
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| After a lengthy delay, which gave a leg up to the competition, the Ford Escape Hybrid is nearly ready for consumer launch. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada) |
About a half dozen Escape hybrid electric (HEV) sport utilities were used to shuttle journalists to and from the Cobo Convention Center for the 2004 North American International Auto Show.
Sitting briefly in one as the driver went one lap around Cobo, the Escape Hybrid, which features an inline four-cylinder engine mated with a battery pack and an electric motor "under the hood," seemed like it had the same acceleration and handling capabilities of a normal V6 model. The only differences were: the internal combustion engine would shutdown when the vehicle came to a stop and instantly came back on when it was time to accelerate; and the electric motor would seamlessly take over powering the vehicle.
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| The Escape Hybrid, which features a four-cylinder engine and an electric motor, seemed like it had the same acceleration and handling as the normal V6 model. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada) |
The most obvious benefit is enhanced fuel efficiency, with the Escape Hybrid achieving an estimated 5.2-6.7 L/100 km (35-40 mpg) during city driving, vs. 12.4 L/100 km (19 mpg) for the 3.0-liter Duratec V6 model. This translates into a range of 800 kilometers (500 miles) on a single tank of gasoline. And, unlike earlier battery-powered electric vehicles, the Escape Hybrid uses its gasoline engine to help generate the power for its battery, so it won't need to be plugged in at night.
One Escape Hybrid shuttle driver, who was an independent contractor that drove for the automakers at various events, said he was a bit disconcerted the first few times when the internal combustion (IC) engine stopped, but he had gotten used to the feeling by the third day and couldn't tell the difference between driving it and a normal Escape.