Ford Escape Hybrid lowers fuel costs

Although hybrid cars seem to be capturing the headlines, the technology has been around for a long time. You probably have one or two hybrids around your house!

A hybrid combines two or more sources of power. I'm writing this column on a hybrid laptop computer -- it operates on batteries or household current. World War II submarines were hybrid, powered by batteries when submerged, and diesel engines when on the surface. A bass boat, with a gasoline engine for high speed, and an electric trolling motor for slow speed, is a hybrid.

There are at least four different types of hybrid cars. The stop/start hybrid system shuts the engine off when it would otherwise idle and restarts it instantly on demand, like a golf cart. The Integrated Starter Alternator with Damping (ISAD) hybrid system uses an electric motor to help move the vehicle in addition to providing stop/start capability. The Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system is similar, but has a larger electric motor and more battery power to help move the vehicle. The full hybrid system permits limited all-electric drive in addition to supplementing the power of the gasoline engine. This week's test vehicle, the Ford Escape Hybrid, is a full hybrid.

Why all the interest in hybrids? Hybrids are cleaner running and can get significantly better gas mileage than traditional vehicles. According to hybridcars.com, raising the national average fuel mileage by 7.6 mpg would save enough fuel to eliminate all of our gulf oil imports into this country. Although we constitute only 5 percent of the world's population, Americans consume 25 percent of global oil production.

A conventionally powered vehicle burns fuel and creates emissions when it's idling at a red light or waiting at the drive-up window. The Escape's gasoline engine shuts down at rest to conserve fuel. When driving resumes, a 70-kilowatt traction motor/generator can move the vehicle on electric power at up to 25 mph. The vehicle never has to be plugged into household current. It is recharged when the brakes are applied, when the car is coasting, or by the gasoline engine.

Ford claims that performance of the Hybrid, with its Duratec 2.3-liter, 4-cylinder gas engine matted to the 94-hp electric motor, is almost equivalent to the conventional Escape with the 200 hp V-6. The Hybrid is rated for 33 mpg/city and 29 mpg/highway. Cost differential between the conventional Ford Escape XLT and the Escape Hybrid is about $3,500.

I drove the Hybrid on an 80-mile loop that included Interstates, rural two-lane highways, and city streets. The car started silently, spun to life by the electric motor, and idled so smoothly that I had to check the tachometer to determine if it was running. A meter by the tachometer initially indicated that the battery was charging, but as I accelerated into traffic the meter dropped into the "assist" (discharge) range, indicating that the electric motor was assisting the gasoline engine. Acceleration was quite good. Upon reaching 45 miles per hour I released the accelerator and the meter moved into the charge zone. At about 30 mph I applied the brakes and the meter showed a high rate of battery charging as the regenerative braking system went to work.

As I decelerated to about 20 miles per hour the gasoline engine shut down and I rolled to a stop in near silence. Only the air conditioning blower made noise, powered by the battery. The air coming from the vents began to warm, since the gasoline engine was no longer powering the air conditioning. When the traffic began moving, I applied a bit of throttle, and the Escape silently accelerated on battery power alone. Ten-mph, 15-mph, then, at 20-mph, the gasoline engine came to life and propelled me up to cruising speed. The transition to gasoline power was hardly noticeable.

The gasoline engine fires up whenever additional power is needed for acceleration or during highway driving. It will also start when the battery charge falls below optimal levels, or when the air conditioning is set on "Max." Ford says the Escape Hybrid can be driven up to 25 miles on electric power alone, using no gasoline and creating no emissions. Electric assist steering provides power steering even when the gasoline engine is off. In place of the usual automatic transmission, a continuously variable transmission (CVT) delivers the power without the normal shifting we are accustomed to.

Looking at the Hybrid, you'd be hard-pressed to tell it apart from the "normal" Escape. It shares the same updates, such as a restyled front end, that the entire Escape line received this year. The 330-volt battery pack is located under the Escape's cargo floor, and doesn't infringe on cargo space. The pack is designed to last for the life of the vehicle.

The Escape Hybrid delivered a pleasant driving experience, with a quiet ride, an agreeable suspension and an attractive interior.

Steve Robertson is a former staff writer/photographer for the Southeast Missourian. Contact him at sjr1@robertsonsphotography.com.