2009 Ford Escape Hybrid
With yesterday’s news about the Ford Motor Company’s planned introduction of a new line of batteries King of California ipod for their hybrid models, we thought we’d look at the car that is serving as a test platform: the Ford Escape. The 2009 Ford Escape still features the nickel metal hydride battery found in previous models (the new lithium-ion batteries will be introduced sometime before the 2012 model year), but Ford’s battery division is using the base vehicle as a mockup for future power designs. And with good reason, as the Ford Escape Hybrid was the first ever mass-produced SUV.
What made the initial Ford Escape Hybrid so appealing when it was introduced in 2005 was that it mated the power of a V6 engine with the fuel economy of a four-cylinder. Since that time, the 2.3-liter four cylinder gas engine has been replaced by a 2.5-liter variant, but the essential components of the hybrid drivetrain remain largely unchanged, excluding, of course, increment updates as the model years went on. That a fledgling hybrid drivetrain would have such longevity is a testament to the quality of the design.
The cumulative horsepower rating of the Escape Hybrid is 177, but considering that the Escape is a compact SUV, it doesn’t have that much weight to carry around. Even with the extra 300 pounds of weight added to the hybrid model (from the battery pack and the two electric motors), the Hybrid is still quicker than a standard four-cylinder Escape. The only downside to this extra weight is that the car feels a bit less stable and top-heavy than the gasoline-only variant. However, considering that the Escape is used mainly in urban or suburban settings (it’s not exactly good for off-roading), that difference in handling makes little impact in real-world driving.
Visually, the Escape Hybrid is almost indistinguishable from the standard model, excluding a few badges that say “Hybrid.” By consolidating production costs as much as possible, Ford is able to keep the price down, with the model starting at just $29,645. The base level non-hybrid four-cylinder model starts at around $21,000, but a six-cylinder model (whose power is about the same as the Hybrid’s) costs $26,500.
