Ford offers the Hybrid Escape, a hybrid and SUV combined. Hybrid vehicles can help to keep our air cleaner, and the Escape Hybrid also maintains the capacity of a moderately sized vehicle.
The 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid not only drives greener, it is also built greener. According to Ford's website, they are manufacturing vehicles while reducing carbon emissions, using less energy and water, and producing less waste over-all. The Escape hybrid is produced under a carbon-offset program, a claim no other hybrid manufacturer can make. By funding U.S.-based renewable clean energy projects (such as wind-powered energy) that reduce carbon dioxide emissions, Ford offsets the greenhouse gases produced at its Kansas City plant by an equivalent amount elsewhere. Now the driver of the Escape Hybrid can do the same. Through Ford's Greener Miles partnership with Terra Pass, you can neutralize the climate effect of your driving. I invite you to go to www.terrapass.com/Ford for more information. This website can explain it better than I.
The Escape Hybrid is about saving fuel. The week I drove the vehicle I got 6.92 liters/100 km (34 miles per gallon) in the city and 6.53 (36 miles per gallon) on the highway. I drove the car hard and far in one week on just one tank of gas.
The Escape Hybrid powertrain cleverly recharges itself, so there is never any need to plug it in. The 2.3 L 1-4 engine uses Atkinson-cycle combustion to make the most of every drop of gas, producing 124 lb.-ft. of torque and a peppy 155 net hp. When you apply the brakes, the electric traction motor captures the kinetic energy that's created through a process called Regenerative Braking and uses it to recharge the battery pack.
The 330-volt battery pack completes the circle by supplying energy to start the engine, to drive at low speeds, and to boost acceleration.
The Escape Hybrid has an optional Hybrid Energy/Navigation/Audiophile System, which allows you to track the powertrain's three main modes of operation. I could understand the destination near and far, and the audio part, but had difficulty understanding the powertrain part.
The 2008 Escape Hybrid starts CD$35,000, not including accessories. It is fully loaded with speed control/tilt wheel, floor shift with center console, message center, air, front fog lamps, privacy glass and a 60/40-seat configuration. It comes with a 36/36-bumper warranty and an extended hybrid warranty.
The car is gentle to the touch and responds immediately to driver commands. It gets the mileage of a small car, but has the roominess of a midsize SUV. I am hoping that Ford and other manufactures will continue to understand the importance of our environment, and the role they play in making our quality of life better.
This Hybrid is a start, but we still have a long way to go.
Durhl Caussey is an award-winning syndicated columnist based in Dallas, Texas, and a member of the Texas Automobile Writers Association. Please address any questions to dcaussey@sbcglobal.net
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