loan-blend vehiclesoffer the best fuel saving of any car on the market by mix an efficientgasoline enginewith anelectric motorandbatteriesthat are constantly reload . Until 2005 , most hybrid automobile were diminished , and they did n’t have much horsepower or shipment space . The Ford Escape Hybrid change all that .
The Escape Hybrid is an SUV that gets up to 36 nautical mile per gallon . That may not be as extremist - effective as some cross , but it definitely make unnecessary the average phratry of four a lot of money at thegas pump .
In this clause , we ’ll learn about Ford ’s brand fresh , patented intercrossed powertrain , take a feel at the Escape Hybrid ’s performance and obtain out why this railway car could be a major find for crossbreed in the automotive market .
A hybrid car is one that seek to incorporate the effectiveness of both gas - fueled combustion engine and electric motors while do away with many of the trouble that plague cars that are only one or the other . Forgasolinecars , these problems include noise , expensive fuel and polluting discharge . Battery - poweredelectric carshave always been held back by unretentive battery life and the pauperization to plug the motorcar in to recharge it .
A hybrid car has a burning engine and an electric motor that figure out together ( either at the same clip or separately , depending on the type of loan-blend ) . The image below show aparallel hybridcar , in which both the petrol locomotive and the motor can incite the vehicle .
A hybrid car never needs to be plugged in for a recharge – whenever you step on the brakes , some of that vigor is stored in the batteries . If the batteries get really low , the machine can just run on gas until the combustion engine recharges them .
For a more detailed , in - profundity explanation of intercrossed cars , stop outHow Hybrid Cars Work .
Now , let ’s take a look at the Ford Escape Hybrid .
Ford did n’t attempt to plan an all - new car for their first foray into the hybrid kingdom . It begin with a proved model , the four - piston chamber Ford Escape , and pass five years and 100 engineers ( automobile and Driver , Dec. 2004 ) develop a intercrossed powertrain to put into it . The Escape itself is recognizable as an SUV , but it is a relatively small one . In that esteem , the leak gets good mileage even without an electric motor : It ’s rat at 25 mpg on the highway .
So what did all those engineers do to convert the Escape ? In terms of looks , not much . Except for the small " Hybrid " logotype on the room access , a different gauge in the splasher and a venthole in the rear to help cool down the bombardment , you ’d be hard - press to tell an Escape Hybrid from the schematic version .
That ’s the breaker point , really . The reason Ford took so much prison term developing the Escape Hybrid is that it wanted the gondola to function just like a regular SUV . The driver does n’t involve any particular technical skills to operate it . The electrical motor and battery are suppose to run for the life of the vehicle without alimony . There is n’t even a meter to secern the driver how low the electric battery bang is getting , because the driver is n’t supposed to worry about it . The operation of the intercrossed organisation is as transparent as potential . For all intention and intention , the Escape Hybrid is just an SUV that gets big fuel consumption rate and does n’t give off much pollution . That ’s the reason it could make a significant impact on the U.S. auto market . make hybrid technology leisurely for the average purchaser to acquire is in all likelihood the most forward-looking aspect of the Escape Hybrid .
Now , let ’s take a close flavor at the nuts and bolts ( and wire and batteries ) that consist beneath the Escape Hybrid ’s hood .
The Ford Escape’s Full Hybrid System
All intercrossed cars have two world power sources – a petrol engine and an galvanising motor . They can forge together in dissimilar way , however . In so - forebode " meek " intercrossed designs , the petrol engine is always running , and the galvanic motor simply augment it , add together a piffling extrahorsepowerhere and there to make unnecessary some fuel . But Ford developed a full intercrossed system for the Escape .
In a full hybrid organisation , the petrol engine and the electric motor can both maneuver separately , or they can run at the same time . The Escape ’s hybrid organisation operates in four phase angle :
The Escape Hybrid ( along with all other intercrossed railway car ) does n’t have the usualtransmission , with separate gear for the automobile to shift into and out of . Instead , the Escape use anelectronically control unceasingly variable transmission(eCVT ) . On - board data processor coif the gearing to the optimum setting for fuel efficiency , lead in a 30 percent growth in efficiency over a conventional transmission , according to Ford engineers .
Next , we ’ll scraunch some number and see how the Escape Hybrid measures up .
Ford Escape Hybrid Specs
To improve efficiency in the gas engine itself , Ford used a four - piston chamber Atkinson - cycle railway locomotive in the intercrossed interpretation of the Escape . Atkinson engine are more fuel efficient than received - rhythm engine ( cognise asOtto - cycle engines ) at the disbursal of H.P. . To hear about the Atkinson cycle , see Lindsay Publications : Atkinson Cycle Engine .
The Escape Hybrid ’s 2.3 - l , atomic number 13 , four - cylinder , dual overhead cam locomotive engine beget 133 horsepower at 6,000 rpm . The three - phase , lasting - magnet , synchronous electric motor adds 94 HP in the 3,000 - 5,000 rev mountain chain . By itself , the gasoline locomotive can crank out 129 pound - ft of torsion at 4,500 revolutions per minute . ( For comparison , the four - piston chamber engine in the non - hybrid escapism generates 153 hp at 5,800 rpm and 152 lb - ft of torque at 4,250 rpm . )
The AWD Escape Hybrid weighs in at 3,893 lbs ( 1,766 kg ) – the intercrossed constituent add about 500 quid ( 230 kg ) to the Escape ’s exercising weight . With a wheelbase of 103.1 column inch ( 261.9 cm ) and an 8 - column inch ( 20 - centimetre ) ground headroom , it ’s a relatively compact SUV . The Escape rides on Continental ContiTrac EcoPlus tires ( spare include ) . The fuel tank holds 15 gallon .
agree to Car and Driver mag ( Dec. 2004 ) , the AWD Escape Hybrid with a full option parcel accelerates from zero to 60 miles per hour ( 97 kph ) in10.8 seconds , has a top speed of102 mph(164 kph ) and goes from 70 mph ( 113 kph ) to a full stop in 195 feet ( 60 meters ) .
For anyone interested in buying a hybrid , one of the most important numbers is thefuel mileage . The Escape wo n’t amount close to the 50 mpg or more pop the question by heavyset hybrids . Ford tell on it at 35 mpg in town , 29 mpg on the highway . Several unlike examination ( USAToday , 5/13/04 ; Motor Trend , Aug. 2004 ) show the real numbers will probably be a few miles per gallon lower , but the Escape Hybrid still offers a 20 to 25 percent increment in fuel economy over the non - intercrossed escapism and a immense gain over big SUVs that barely wield 10 mpg .
The Ford Escape Hybrid follow in either front - wheel - drive ( FWD ) or all - rack - crusade ( AWD ) varieties . The prescribed EPA mileage military rating for the FWD version is 33 mpg in the city and 31 to 36 mpg on the highway . For the AWD interlingual rendition , it ’s 33 mpg in the city and 29 on the highway . With those number , one tank of gas should give you a range of 400 to 500 naut mi ( 650 to 800 km ) .
Check out the next section to find out what it ’s like to drive an Escape Hybrid .
Driving a Ford Escape Hybrid
For the most part , take an Escape Hybrid is like driving a non - hybrid leak , or any other humble SUV for that matter . Ford went to enceinte lengths to ensure that you would n’t even realize you were tug a hybrid if someone did n’t tell you .
On the other bridge player , there are a few crotchet that show up on the road , like the aforementioned thrill when the gasolene locomotive kicks in . The regenerative braking organization also feel unlike , since the upper is being slim in a different way from standard saucer brakes – you could feel it when the unconstipated brakes kick in on a hard stop .
On the up side , another difference comes from the transmission . Along with the cover gain in fuel efficiency that comes from using an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission system ( eCVT ) , there is also a smooth ride . There ’s no sudden jounce when the railway car upshifts or downshift .
The only modification to the dashboard is on the tachometer , which boast a recitation below zero that indicates when the locomotive engine has shut off and the motorcar is on galvanic - only power . If the navigation scheme is purchased , then the display blind has a hybrid power flow computer graphic .
You might think that the batteries need to power a small S.U.V. would take up most of the cargo space . In fact , the Escape Hybrid ’s 250 vitamin D - size , nickel - metal hydride cells ( connectedin series ) rest flat beneath the rearward freight area .
That cargo area is low than the cargo infinite in the non - hybrid Escape , but only by a few inches . The space for driver and passenger is unchanged .
As a first attempt to create a practical intercrossed SUV , the Ford Escape Hybrid is an fantabulous piece of engineering . It ’s in spades better for the environment and offers grim fuel price than any other SUV on the market . Although it is n’t as environmentally friendly as a Toyota Prius , rated at 60 mpg in the city and 51 mpg on the main road , it may be better for the planet in the long - full term . By create a hybrid for the average family , which broadly needs a bit of way to travel well , Ford could be helping to put trillion of hybrid in American garages within a decennium .
For more information on the Ford Escape Hybrid and related topics , check out the links on the following page .
