Technology News - September 1, 2004

EPA certifies hybrid SUV

The first hybrid sport utility vehicle (SUV) to be sold in the United States, Ford Motor Co.’s Escape Hybrid, will be one of the least-polluting cars on the road, according to the U.S. EPA. The Escape Hybrid earned a 9 out of 10 on the agency’s 2005 green-vehicle ratings, which use emissions levels and fuel economy values to determine environmental scores for cars and trucks. Ford attributes the Escape Hybrid’s fuel efficiency and low emissions to six major components in the vehicle’s powertrain, including its dual overhead cam engine; continuously variable transmission; electric motor; nickel–metal hydride battery, which is charged in part by regenerative braking; and vehicle controller system, which shuts the engine down when it is coasting and at stoplights. Ford is promoting the Escape Hybrid as a “full hybrid” because it is able to run solely on its electric battery at slower speeds, unlike some hybrids that cannot function independently of their internal combustion engines. While conventional 2004-model-year SUVs average 17.9 miles per gallon (mpg), even the less efficient of the two Ford Escape Hybrid versions, which has 4-wheel drive, still gets 33 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway, according to EPA. For more on EPA’s green-vehicle ratings, go to www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/05escape-hybrid.htm. Additional information on the Ford Escape Hybrid, which is expected to go on sale in late summer, can be found at www.fordvehicles.com/escapehybrid/technology/index.asp?bhcp=1.