Ford Escape Hybrid Begins Production

The Escape Hybrid is Detroits First HEV

Last Thursday, Fords first gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle (HEV) rolled off the production line, but it wasnt the tiny, tinny econobox that most associate with HEVs, but rather the worlds first hybrid sport utility.

The relatively conventional looking Titanium Green 2005 Escape Hybrid 4x4 eased off the line with Ford Chairman and CEO Bill Ford and Charlie Hoskin of the United Auto Workers National Ford Department behind the wheel. Also present at the celebratory occasion was Bob Holden, Missouri Governor, and the plants workers.

The introduction of the hybrid Escape couldnt come at a better time for Ford. North Americas SUV boom continues, and the demand for gasoline-electric vehicles is greater than ever. The Escape Hybrid is only vehicle sold in North America that can tap into both of market segments simultaneously, that is until the Lexus RX 400h arrives for luxury buyers soon.

Will the Lexus arrive in dealerships before Fords SUV and steal the blue ovals "first HEV SUV" thunder? Not too likely. Recently, Toyota announced that the demand for its second-generation Prius 5-door is so high that it had to scale up production by fifty percent, which some automotive market analysts have said will effectively delay the production and introduction of the first-announced Lexus RX400H hybrid SUV to early 2005.

Although hybrids have been on our roads for about five years, Ford isnt late to the game by any means. Its Escape Hybrid is only the fourth vehicle to obtain HEV status and is North Americas first production hybrid vehicle. It differs from previous entries, such as Hondas radical two-seat Insight and Toyotas popular family-size Prius, by building the advanced technology into an ordinary but established vehicle, similarly to Hondas Civic Hybrid. It differs even further due to its extremely versatile SUV layout.

On this subject Bill Ford commented that, "[buyers] dont want to give up their SUVs, and we dont think they should have to," explaining that the no-compromise SUV would integrate regular tires, a 1,000 pound towing rating and all of the conventional Escape SUVs light-duty off-road components.

Aside from entering the market at the right time, the Escape Hybrid will help boost Fords less than shining image with national environmental agencies. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently certified the Escape Hybrid FWD at 36 mpg city and 31 mpg highway, which is the most efficient rating any SUV has ever achieved, even better than Fords original predictions of 35/29 mpg. When compared to the gasoline V6 model, the real-world difference is about 20 mpg, with a lesser 15 mpg difference for the four-cylinder model. This news should be welcome to Ford, freeing up one of the worst offender spots at CAFE.

Fuel sipping isnt the only area that the Hybrid Escape excels, as it also performs well in emissions testing. The SUVs squeaky clean powertrain releases 97 percent less hydrocarbons and nitrous oxides (NOx) than vehicles which meet the National Tier 1 Emissions Standards. Unsurprisingly, the Escape Hybrid is clean enough to qualify for the title of Advanced Technology Partial Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) which is the best classification that a car can get, until hydrogen-powered zero emissions vehicles become available en masse, or one of the majors produces another full electric. Comparatively, the gasoline-only-powered Escapes, despite their advanced technologies, have little to boast about when it comes to low-emissions.

With a price tag of $26,380, the move to hybrid-power costs about $3,300 to $3,425 more than an equivalently equipped regular Escape, with all-wheel drive variants starting out even higher, at $28,005. Admittedly the Escape Hybrid isnt cheap - some $6,085 more expensive than the current bestselling Toyota Prius, but with tax breaks (depending on the province/state of purchase) and SUV body style, Ford should unload every Escape Hybrid that it can make.

As an aside, the difference in pricing between the Prius and Escape Hybrid in the U.S. is much more, at $6,085 USD ($8,050 CAD). Being that the Canadian spec Prius sells for $29,990 CAD ($22,666 USD) and the actual price of the Prius is $20,295 USD ($26,857 CAD), the $3,133 CAD ($2,371 USD) discrepancy makes it pretty easy to see that Toyota is subsidizing Prius sales into the U.S. Reportedly Ford will lose about $3,000 USD per vehicle in America, in order to compete.

Insiders also report that Ford intends on stepping up production from the 20,000 units slated for this year to a higher number based on early reports of a healthy demand. If the reports are true, it may not lose as much per car as speculators believe.

The Escape Hybrid is the first of many steps in Fords environmental commitment plan. Although it has completed North Americas first gasoline-electric powered SUV, the automakers agenda to develop other green sources of power continues. Clean diesel and biodiesel products are being looked into, partially due to a strong demand for a TCDI-powered Focus in Canada. Also, the development of hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars (FCVs) and hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines (ICEs) continues.