Reports from Canada and New York (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) (NYSERDA) reveal the plug in version of the Escape can achieve 130mpg! Go to this link here: http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=758503

another link for the battery:
http://www.electrovaya.com/innovation/innovation.html

 

Good find Bill. I wonder if Gary could achieve 260mpg on that vehicle!

 

That's awesome! They got to get these thing into mass production to reduce their prices. Their first converting company to get their price down to $3k and I'm in for a pack.

 

I hope to test drive one soon.
NYSERDA has 3 Plug-In Ford Escapes in the prototype stage.
I've been asked to act as a volunteer / consultant who could compare the plug-in to the original. Yes, one of New York's cars is in Colorado right now.
-John

P.S. And no, they are not taking more volunteers right now. I'll let you know if that changes!

 

I wonder about the criteria used to achieve this mileage. Did they start with a fully charged battery and travel a short distance?

I would like to know if a higher capacity battery improves the efficiency of the FEH/MMH without the "plug in" feature.

 

I always laugh at these numbers.... If you plug it in and run it just until the battery is dead at EV speeds..... you have INFINITE MPG! WOW cool.... If you plug it in and drive it to the range of the vehicle and empty the tank you have something MUCH MUCH lower.

Quoting an MPG number on PHEV's is a laugh. Just make the number up... just as valid. Nothing wrong with a PHEV, they are very very efficient.... just don't give me BS numbers for it is all I ask.

 

Usually the mpg quoted number is very loaded when it comes from PHEV. There's a lot of conditions that can make that 130mpg go from 33mpg (stock) to infinite, like Teester pointed out. I would imagine the qualifier for 130mpg is for a fully charged battery to when that battery is depleted..which is still excellent number to use if that distance is 30-40miles (for an average commute). I would love to only use just 1/4 the gasoline for my commute.


I would guess that it can improve efficiency significantly IFF the extra battery is not just more capacity, but provides more power, esp during acceleration, where the ICE is the most inefficient. Cut out all ICE operations during acceleration and your efficiency goes up a bunch. Also, more capacity could mean more regen capable of recapture.

 

Awesome John...you gotta keep us posted on this one!

 

Does anyone have the forethought to realize that Canada's and our (forget Mexico) national electrical power distribution system is virtually MAXED out, as is, shortly behind, our generating capacity. Once we add up the costs of all the new nuclear generating sites required and the insurance costs coverage thereof what do you suppose will be the cost of a gallon of "electricity".

 

We still have a lot of capacity at night, when most plug-ins will be charging. Power companies like to see innovation that uses up that surplus capacity. That is why they invest in plug in technology.