2010 Ford Escape hybrid gets upgraded battery and software
2009 Ford Escape Hybrid - click above for high res image gallery
In the spirit of continuous improvement, Ford is again updating the powertrain of its Escape/Mariner hybrids. After a thorough revamp just a year ago, the hybrid crossovers are now benefiting from the development work that went into creating the Fusion and Milan hybrids. The gas electric sedans got updated nickel metal hydride cells with 20 percent more power per cell. The same technology now resides in the Escape allowing the weight and size of the pack to be reduced.
The hybrid transmission has also been updated with some of the design changes from the sedans. It shares a common case with the sedans that provides improved cooling but the motors and gearing are optimized for the crossovers. The maximum electric drive speed has now been lifted from 40 to 44 mph. The EPA mileage numbers remain unchanged at 34 mpg city and 31 mpg highway.
Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Ford]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Serge 1:06PM (7/22/2009)
What I'd really like to see them improve is price. A 45% premium is really out there and makes economical sense only for taxi drivers. Kudos on battery improvements in an established chemistry (NiMh).
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why not the LS2LS7? 2:13PM (7/22/2009)
And I think taxi drivers will find the Fusion pretty tempting.
Serge 2:19PM (7/22/2009)
Yep, hopefully Crown Vic can retire from service now.
Throwback 2:30PM (7/22/2009)
In NYC there are hybrid Escape taxis. They make more sense than a Fusion due to the luggage space.
Serge 2:50PM (7/22/2009)
Throwback, we also have plenty of Crown Vics in NYC (a majority of taxi fleet). Not everyone who uses a taxi is a traveler with luggage. Fusion Hybrid will likely be a more popular replacement to Crown Vic due to slightly better mileage efficiency and slightly better price.
Rick 1:45PM (7/22/2009)
But no updated looks?
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Brett 2:07PM (7/22/2009)
Improved cells and power train yet no improvement on mileage? Did they add a pile of bricks somewhere else to the SUV?
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Serge 2:25PM (7/22/2009)
According to wikipedia, the original battery weighed a mere 50 kg, so weight savings are pretty insignificant. Expect to see better mileage when they improve: 1) aerodynamics, 2) EV Motor power, 3) EV Only speed limit, 4) Add a plug ;)
jeff 5:49PM (7/22/2009)
They did increase the EV mode speed limit, but I can understand why that wouldn't necessarily improve fuel mileage. Eeking out every last bit of all-electric driving for a non-plug-in hybrid doesn't really get you anywhere, since any EV miles have to be made up for by the engine anyways as it recharges the battery afterwards. The key benefit of EV mode is to ensure the gas engine doesn't have to deal as much with inefficient low speed driving, while an electric motor is happy to run at low speeds.
Continuous improvement is a good approach to maintain sales rather than waiting for one big update every 3 or 4 years. It is too bad they didn't manage to turn these improvements into tangible customer benefits. Maybe storage space is slightly improved?
Dave 6:03PM (7/22/2009)
Adding on to what serge said, to improve fuel economy, the batteries would have to be more efficient at charging and discharging.
So would the motor/generator and power electronics. If the batteries could handle higher peak loads without any detriment to battery life, that would also lend to higher fuel economy as more regen braking could be used and the motor/generator could be used more when the engine is not running at it's efficiency peak.
But as far as improving efficiency of the motor/generator and power electronics goes - there's not a lot of room for improvement there - the current versions should be around 90% efficient already. Any further improvement would be purely incremental.
rich 9:37AM (7/23/2009)
waiting impatiently for PHEV ford escape, my dream car. i suppose there are aftermarket conversions out there, but why can't they give us one off the assembly line?
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islandgirl45 5:32PM (8/02/2009)
Are the back seats any easier to fold down in the 2010 Ford Escape Hybrid? They currently require a total of 6 steps to fold down both sides, which is tedious if you haul stuff, people and dogs and different times.
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