Ford wants to welcome you to the world of hybrid gasoline-electric sport-utility vehicles with its
2005 Ford Escape Hybrid. It's the first American gasoline-electric hybrid -- and also the first gas-electric hybrid sport-ute on the market.
The Escape Hybrid is the most technologically advanced vehicle Ford makes. But don't let that scare you -- it drives much like the conventional Escape V-6 and has all the features of a regular Escape.
The Escape Hybrid will be joined by a Lexus hybrid sport-utility this fall, with Toyota introducing a hybrid sport-ute early next year. Toyota and Honda sell a few hybrid gas-electric small cars, and Honda brings out another hybrid auto this fall.
Ford won't introduce hybrid cars for a few years. It feels a hybrid sport-utility is the best way to start in the hybrid market because sport-utes are generally less fuel-efficient than cars, Ford executive Barb Samardzich said in an interview here during a recent media presentation of the Escape Hybrid.
The 2005 Escape models get revised styling for a tougher look. There also are newly standard anti-lock brakes and newly optional curtain side air bags. A 2.3-liter 153-horsepower four-cylinder engine replaces a 2-liter, 127-horsepower four-cylinder as the base engine -- offered for the first time with an optional automatic transmission. The automatic shift lever has been moved to the console from the steering column.
The Escape Hybrid has the same above-average ride, handling, braking and roominess of a regular Escape, along with the lively acceleration of the Escape V-6 model.
The hybrid won't be a high-volume vehicle but is the star of the 2005 Escape line, especially since Ford Motor Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Bill Ford is a self-declared conservationist. The Escape Hybrid also is good for Ford Motor's environmental image and shows off engineering prowess.
The 70-kilowatt electric motor with its nickel-metal-hydride battery pack (consider it one big battery) saves fuel in the city by moving the Escape Hybrid at speeds up to 25 mph. The motor works with a modified 2.3-liter gasoline engine, which kicks in when needed during acceleration. The Atkinson cycle gas engine turns on and off seamlessly. It typically is used without electric assist during highway cruising.
The battery part of the drive system makes the Escape Hybrid especially shine in slow stop-and-go traffic. The gasoline engine turns on and off automatically depending on driving conditions for the best fuel economy.
The electric motor generates 94 horsepower and the gasoline engine has 133 horsepower, but you can't add the numbers to get total horsepower with the hybrid system because they don't work together all the time. Rather, they deliver a combined 155 horsepower.
I found during stop-and-go driving on Chicago's congested Near North Side and fast area highway cruising that the Escape Hybrid has approximately the sparkling performance of an Escape with its 3-liter, 200-horsepower gasoline V-6, despite impressive fuel economy.
"My son wants an Escape Hybrid. He appreciates its high fuel economy, but I suspect he wants one because it's fast,'' Ford President Nick Scheele told this reporter with a smile.
Nobody knew I was in a hybrid unless they noticed the small "hybrid leaf-and-road'' badges, which denote environmentally friendly features, and unique five-spoke alloy wheels.
A navigation and hybrid status display is available. With it, a four-inch color, liquid-crystal display serves as the audio system interface, navigation system and -- for technical junkies -- a real-time "power path'' offering visual indication of fuel consumption and the operating state of the hybrid system.
The government hasn't released economy figures for the Escape Hybrid, but Ford says it delivers 35-40 mpg in city driving, where the electric motor keeps fuel economy ratings especially high, and 29-30 mpg on highways. Ford said that drivers of its new hybrid generally can expect to go up to 500 miles on a single tank of regular-grade gasoline.
The 2005 Escape V-6 with a four-speed automatic transmission gets an EPA-estimated 18 mpg in the city and 23 on highways.
The Escape Hybrid has a smooth, continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), which has a nearly infinite number of gear ratios and works well with the gasoline-electric drive system.
The Escape Hybrid qualifies as a (take a deep breath) Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV). It produces 99.4 percent fewer emissions than a new car in the 1960s, when there were few vehicle emissions controls.
The Escape Hybrid goes on sale this fall in emissions-strict California and in several Northeastern states with California-style emissions regulations. It's scheduled to reach Chicago Ford dealers late this year.
The Escape Hybrid has strong acceleration from the get-go. Gas-electric hybrid cars have modest acceleration above 65 mph, but the Ford hybrid is quick even during a 70-80 mph passing maneuver. The Escape Hybrid has a 1,000-pound tow rating, enough for a small boat or utility trailer.
There's no need to charge the battery with a plug-in outlet because it recharges when the Escape Hybrid is driven. The electric motor-generator captures energy during braking, and the gas engine also delivers power to the nickel-metal hydride battery when necessary. Cold weather won't affect battery operation because it has a thermal management system to deal with temperatures from minus-40 degrees to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
Forget independent repair facilities if the Escape Hybrid breaks down.
"If it fails, the Escape Hybrid must be taken to one of Ford's 5,000 dealers, which are trained to work on it,'' said Samardzich.
Few -- if any -- breakdowns are expected by Ford. Engineers for the Escape Hybrid put the vehicle through rigorous tests Ford uses for all its trucks and sport-utes. They took it to the woods; to cold, wintery environments, and to Ford's rugged Arizona Proving Ground.
"Ford expects to sell about 20,000 Escape Hybrids during its first full year on the market, compared with 250,000 conventional Escapes'' Samardzich said. "Orders now are being taken at dealers.''
Warranty protection? Sam-ardzich said Escape Hybrid-specific components are covered by a warranty of at least eight years or 100,000 miles, but there's no estimate on how much it would cost to replace them in eight years.
Escape Hybrid prices might hold down sales, although buyers get a one-time $1,500 federal tax deduction. The vehicle comes with front-drive for $26,380 and with all-wheel drive for $28,005. The front-drive 2005 Escape V-6 costs $22,955 and the all-wheel-drive version is $24,700. However, a top-line Escape Limited V-6 all-wheel-drive model stickers at $26,365. (The base four-cylinder front-drive Escape is $19,265.)
The hybrid version of the Escape makes this sport-utility more alluring, especially to those who spend lots of time in stop-and-go traffic.
2005 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID
Price
$26,380-$28,005
Likes
Clever gasoline-electric drive system. Lively. Roomy. Good handling.
Dislikes
Higher prices, compared to regular Escape. No repair at independent garages.