Escape to a Hybrid

Aug. 10, 2005

Although, as they say, “actual mileage may vary,” the Escape Hybrid achieves an EPA rating of 36 miles per gallon for city driving. That’s a 70 percent improvement over the conventional Escape V-6. It can travel 576 miles on a tank of fuel.
But there’s more to the Escape than just good fuel economy numbers. It’s also an emissions champ, designated an Advanced Technology Partial-Zero Emission Vehicle (AT-PZEV) by California regulators. (“Partial zero” translates as a 97 percent reduction in hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides over the average 2005 car.) The bottom line is that in addition to having a tailpipe as clean as the Prius, it’s also a global warming fighter with carbon dioxide emissions halved because of its excellent mileage numbers.
A PRACTICAL SUV
The Escape is that rare animal: a practical SUV. I used it to move a collection of furniture, and discovered that the rear seats fold down to make a flat floor that can accommodate 44-inch wide loads. And even when loaded to the gunwales, the Escape does stop-and-go driving mostly in full electric mode. The “312 miles to empty” readout advanced to only “308 miles to empty” after I lurched through the usual 20 miles of gridlock. When traffic stopped altogether, I just sat there enjoying CD music and cold air conditioning, but burning no fuel.
When you think about it, isn’t “city” performance the key? Even when we’re commuting on the highway, it’s all stop-and-go. Zero to 60 times are quite beside the point when cars hardly ever reach 60. We’re going to have to adjust our standard benchmarks.
In place of the standard V-6 drivetrain, Ford uses a 2.3-liter Duratec four attached to a 70-kilowatt permanent magnet electric traction motor (generating approximately 94 horsepower). If it’s brawn you’re after, you’ll hardly notice the difference in power between this and a garden-variety V-6 Escape. The gas engine can start up in 400 milliseconds, and its comings and goings are barely perceptible.
It was something of a revelation to learn that Ford had licensed Toyota’s Prius technology for the Escape, but the company downplays this. The company line is that Toyota is not directly providing any components. But the performance will certainly seem familiar to Prius owners.


COOLNESS FACTOR
If the Escape fails in the U.S. market (the jury’s still out) the mysterious “coolness” factor may be involved. The Prius, with at least a six-month waiting list, shouts out the driver’s green virtues with distinctive styling. The Escape (like the Honda Civic Hybrid) is practically indistinguishable from a conventional model. Maybe some unique design touches for the 2007s?
The Escape Hybrid would be a perfect fleet vehicle for state and federal agencies with green procurement policies to acquire in droves. It’s made in the U.S.A., versatile and practical, with more rear legroom and better gas mileage than a recently introduced competitor, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid.
Recently, the New York City Taxi and Limousine department approved the Escape (and five other hybrids) for street duty. Considering that the ubiquitous Ford Crown Victoria costs just as much but gets only 18 mpg in the city, doubling the mileage around town can’t hurt the taxi companies’ bottom line.

Jim Motavalli is the editor of
E/The Environmental Magazine and a frequent contributor to The New York Times Auto Section.

An SUV for Northern Michigan?
Northern Michigan seems to have far more SUVs and pickup trucks on the road than are found in most American cities. With the price of gasoline escalating, could the new hybrid SUVs someday be a local favorite?
Sales manager Steve Winters says interest in the Escape Hybrid is strong at Grand Traverse Auto in Traverse City. The dealership has sold about a dozen of the SUVs thus far, even though there has been little in the way of publicity for the vehicles.
“Some buyers are looking for better mileage and some just want to cast their vote for a hybrid,” Winters says. “They feel that the hybrids are finally here and want to support them.”
He adds that even Bill Ford, Jr., president of Ford Motor Company, is a fan of the new hybrid. “Bill Ford is really committed to this vehicle and has one that he actually drives.”
In fact, President Ford is considered an auto industry leader in promoting hybrid vehicles, particularly in the United States which lags behind Japanese manufacturers such as Toyota. In a letter to stockholders, he called the Escape Hybrid, “the cleanest and most fuel-efficient SUV in the world.”
Ford Motor Company is also releasing a new Mercury Mariner compact SUV in 2006, to be followed by a hybrid mid-sized car. The Sierra Club is promoting the hybrid Mercury Mariner to 303,000 environmental activists in hopes of getting the country on the “green” road to lower emissions and less dependency on foreign oil.
Winters notes that Grand Traverse Auto was fortunate to obtain a number of Escape Hybrids which are in scarce supply at dealerships across the nation. GTA still has two on the lot.
“At 25 miles per hour and below, it switches to an electric vehicle, so if you’re doing city driving you get tremendous mileage,” Winters says.
Whether rural Northern Michigan will take the bait on an SUV that’s at its best in the city remains to be seen, but at least there is now an alternative.