Ford Hybrid SUV Doesn't Look The Part October 2004

Among the hottest selling cars in America currently are the new generation of automobile, hybrid vehicles. The Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius are two of the more popular hybrids. But according to Sales Manager Ed Mellichampe at Petersburg Motors, both "look like hybrids.

When you see them, you know what they are."

Ford officials belive they taken the next step with hybrid vehicles, introducing what they are claiming is the world's first hybrid gas-electric Sports Utility Vehicle with the Ford Escape. According to fordvehicles.com., the Escape Hybrid is a low environmental impact vehicle. With a fuel-tank capacity f 15 gallons, the vehicle may go up to 400 miles between stops for gas.

Available in a four-cylinder engine only, the vehicle looks like its purely petroleum-powered cousin on the outside with just a couple of differences.

The Escape Hybrid is a "full" hybrid with crucial differentiating technological features separating it from the competition's "mild" hybrid entries, Ford officials said.

"We designed Escape Hybrid with a full hybrid system because the fuel economy benefits are significantly higher and the technology is production-ready," says Chief Engineer Mary Ann Wright. "When you start getting into SUVs and bigger cars, you don't see as many cost-saving benefits with a mild hybrid system."

The Ford web site also states that the vehicle provides V6-like performance from the four cylinder due to the assistance of the electric engine.

"The only way to tell the hybrid from the other Escapes is this," Mellichampe said, pointing to some special exterior badging on the rear lift gate and front doors.

Like other hybrid vehicles, it features both electric power and a regular gas engine. Below 30 mph the car will start out running on the gas engine, but once driven every day as a regular commuter vehicle, the electric is what the Escape will start in. At traffic lights and stop signs when idling, the hybrid SUV runs on electric power only.

"It's sort of like a golf-cart because you can't feel or hear the engine running but when you hit the gas (pedal) you go," said Mellichampe.

Though some may doubt the ability of the hybrid to accelerate quickly, the hybrid is no slouch, taking off with the gusto of any four cylinder engine gently tossing applicants back against their seats in a quick 0-30 mph romp.

On accelerations, the vehicle uses the gas engine. As far as fuel economy, the numbers on the vehicle sticker might confuse consumers at first, but are printed correctly. In city driving, the Environmental Protection Agency rating is 36 miles per gallon, while the new hybrid Escape only gets 31 mpg on the highway.

Mellichampe explained that this is because in the city the vehicle uses the electric engine while idling and under 30 mph, giving it the higher fuel economy. A comparably equipped Ford Escape has a fuel economy of about 19 mpg city and 22 mpg highway.

The price difference is about $3,000, with the Hybrid costing slightly more than the regular gas variant of the Escape.

It is estimated that there will initially only be a run of about 25,000 vehicles per year nationwide, according to Mellichampe.

"If it's anything like the new Thunderbird, we might see four (at Petersburg Motors) in the first year, but for the moment we only have one on the lot," Mellichampe said.

SOURCE: The Progress Index

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