Ford Escape becomes the world's first hybrid electric SUV
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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CULVER CITY, Calif. -- On Culver Boulevard, which cuts a wide path through the Los Angeles suburb of Culver City where sound stages of movie studios line the way, we're creeping along so slowly in the far right lane that traffic stacks up behind us.
The slow pace (so uncharacteristic for one lead-foot driver) is dictated by objectives of a test to determine precisely how high we can push fuel economy figures along a measured route while steering the world's first hybrid electric sports-utility vehicle.
Ford constructs this hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) off the unibody structure of the Escape wagon.
The HEV version looks virtually identical to a conventional Escape, with the two-box body of a four-door wagon sized for the compact class.
However, the powertrain concealed below Escape's squared front hood is certainly not conventional.
There's a fuel-efficient 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine aboard that operates on gasoline plus a battery-powered electric traction motor of permanent-magnet design.
The electric motor is capable of propelling the wagon by itself, or it can work in concert with the gasoline engine to deliver a power boost that approximates the kick of a V6 pushing 200 hp.
Ford adds an electronic control module to manage all energy produced by the two plants and apply it directly to the front wheels -- or to all four wheels for the optional all-wheel-drive (AWD) version -- in infinitely variable measures through an electronically-controlled continuously variable transmission (CVT).
Virtually silent at start-up with only the electric motor switching on, the Escape leaps forward on command with help from the electric motor, which can propel the wagon up to 25 mph.
When more power is needed, a generator cranks up the gasoline engine in only a fraction of a second.
At highway speeds the gas engine does most of the motivating, while in reverse gear it's the electric motor that handles all of the work, and the electric also serves as the primary plant in stop-and-go traffic on city streets where a gas engine is inefficient.
Power from the gasoline engine is utilized in two different ways. One portion of this energy is used to turn the wheels, while another portion powers an electric generator that runs the electric motor, which in turn sends the supplemental power to the wheels.
Stomp the accelerator to romp into a passing lane and the electric motor adds an extra boost, yet for such a heavy demand of power the operating energy for the motor comes directly from a bank of on-board batteries.
Internal recharging occurs either during braking, when the gas engine operates as a generator, or when the electric generator does the recharging job. Thus, the Escape Hybrid never needs to be plugged in for recharging as does a purely electric vehicle.
The four-cylinder gasoline-fired plant, with dual overhead cams and sequential multi-port fuel injection plus modifications for fuel-efficient combustion under the Atkinson-cycle concept, develops 133 hp at 6000 rpm plus torque of 129 lb-ft at 2900 rpm.
The 400-volt electric motor, tied to a 330-volt nickel-metal hydride battery, makes 70 kilowatts of power, which is the equivalent of 94 hp between 3000 and 5000 rpm.
Adding the hybrid technology to Escape produces a sport-ute which earns uncommonly high fuel economy numbers but also dramatically pares tailpipe emissions such as unburned hydrocarbons (HC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx).
Fuel economy figures rise to 40 mpg and above for running on city streets, and the reduced emissions qualify the wagon for the stringent Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) standards.
Actually, Escape Hybrid achieves better fuel efficiency when plowing city streets in start-and-stop traffic rather than when cruising at a swifter pace on a highway.
That's because in city traffic with frequent stops the electric motor takes over.
Our own fuel economy test, conducted over a five-mile loop through Culver City, produced a stunningly high number -- 55 mpg. However, we used every trick to conserve fuel, from putting a light touch on the accelerator to coasting down hills and riding the brakes for battery recharging, and we became a nuisance in traffic due to our creep-along pace.
For normal navigation in town traffic or at speed on a freeway, our drive produced lower numbers -- 35 to 40 mpg.
Still, such figures are well above the ratings of an Escape with the normal four-cylinder engine -- 24 mpg for city driving and 29 mpg on the road.
Adding optional AWD traction trims the fuel numbers on Escape Hybrid, but not by much.
And it's capable of scampering up a steep and rutted trail with sufficient muscle, as we discovered on an off-road course in the Santa Monica Mountains overlooking Los Angeles.
Escape's intelligent AWD traction system, which distributes power between front and rear wheels selectively as conditions warrant, can maintain firm tire grip on pavement or dirt.
The package design for Ford's hybrid SUV looks strong with an aggressive face featuring a stylized thick fascia and bold grille with integral foglamps. Flanks ripple with cladding that flares in muscular bulges around wheelwells.
In the cabin a pair of bucket seats mount up front on either side of a floor console, the bench on the second row provides spaces for three with a backrest that folds down to enlarge the cargo area, and that back bay with rear gate access has more useful space because a spare tire tucks beneath the floor.
Perched high on the dashboard atop the central stack of audio and climate controls, a new video monitor graphically illustrates operations for the hybrid energy management system with icons representing the gasoline engine, electric motor, drive wheels and battery. Arrows depict the energy flow, with one running from the engine or motor to the wheels when either plant supplies power, or another flowing back to the motor and on to the battery when recharging occurs. Fuel economy figures are also displayed.
Equipment standard to the wagon includes air conditioning, power for windows and door locks, and a premium audio system with CD deck.
Ford marks the entry price of Escape Hybrid at $26,970.
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| 2005 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID SUV VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Compact HEV SUV |
| Model Options: |
Compact HEV SUV |
| Wheelbase: |
103.1 inches |
| Overall Length: |
174.9 inches |
| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.3-L I4, plus Magnet 70-kW Electric Motor |
| Transmission: |
Electronic CVT |
| Drive: |
2WD (Front), 4WD (AWD) |
| Braking: |
Electro-hydraulic 4-disc ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 (front) plus opt. 2 (side) plus opt. 4 (side curtain) |
| Gas Mileage: |
2WD: 40/30 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
2WD: $ 26,970, 4WD: $ 28,595 |
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