"Ford Motor Company’s first demonstration Escape Plug-In Hybrid is ready to roll on California roads. Ford delivered the first of 20 research PHEVs to Southern California Edison to begin road testing as part of a unique partnership between the automaker and utility..."

This is from a new review on Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid, from Top Speed. It includes info on the design and performance of the model, as well as other features.



Here is the link to the full article:
Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid - Top Speed

 

Thanks for the post but the article appears to be more of data publication than "review". Our own well known poster (gpsman1) provided us with more detail and information with his hybrid-plus experience than this article. I'm waiting for round #2 from hybrid-plus.

 

Here is a better article on the new Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid.
http://blogs.edmunds.com/GreenCarAdvisor/93

Some key components of this article:

That's where Ford has tucked a 10 kilowatt-hour, 280-volt lithium ion battery pack that replaces the standard Escape hybrid's 2 kWh, 300-volt nickel metal hydride battery pack. Using the power-dense lithium ion batteries "gives us five times the power with just 20 percent more weight," said Tamor.

The batteries weigh in at 120 kilograms – 264.5 pounds.

"The extra energy and power lets us run in charge depletion mode rather than charge-sustaining" so the batteries can be drawn down quite a bit more than in a typical hybrid: up to 70 percent depleted versus 30 percent to 60 percent for a charge-sustaining pack.
Ford has programmed the power management to run the plug-in Escape pretty much as a gasoline-assisted electric drive vehicle. In most situations the electric motor provides more of the power than the gas engine. Exceptions are when passing, climbing hills or any instance when the driver demands rapid acceleration of the 3,900-pound, five-passenger vehicle.
Two indicators on the instrument panel point this out: Give the plug-in Escape's accelerator pedal a jab and the battery power meter jumps farther and faster than the tachometer.
"We've designed it so the gas runs at constant power in the most efficient range," Tamor said.
"We want you to deplete the batteries every day, so you have a reason to plug in at night and recharge, that's the design. Otherwise, you're hauling around a lot of expensive battery that's not being used."

This photo is Mike Tamor who is Ford's head of hybrid research.

Now we need to hear from John (GPSman1) on this information and how this compares with the hybrid-plus version. Maybe GaryG can find some Ford patents on this new information and maybe sneak out to California for a new hypermiling experience.

 

Pretty cool!!!
Any chance that this plug-in version will be available to the general public in the near future?

 

GM claims the Volt will be out in 2010. Toyota's plug in Prius in 2009? The Escape? However, Hybrid-Plus out of Colorado might be able to put a plug in battery in your Hybrid Escape any day now?

 

Off hand, it looks like Ford may have addressed the main problem with a plug-in retrofit (hopefully). That is the lack of power with the current electric drive. Like many here, I find it just about impossible to drive in traffic in EV mode. I always end up kicking in the ICE when I accelerate or get anywhere above 30 kph.

My office is only 5-7 km from my home, so a plug-in hybrid with enough electric power to move at a reasonable speed and accelerate from a stop without causing cars to drive over me would be fantastic. I'd only need the ICE on weekends!

Cheers,

rcomeau

 

My first impression is the privately made batteries by Hybrids Plus are larger in capacity than the Ford ones. Ford's is said to be a "30 mile" pack. Hybrid's Plus designed their battery to be about a 35 mile pack on paper, but not knowing how good the FEH really was, over-shot their goal, and ended up with a 50 mile pack, that was in almost the same size package as the original. ( it was about 1" taller than the stock one... hardly noticeable under the carpet )

That's 50 miles in "blended mode" not pure EV. But that equals 50 miles at 140 MPG! You see, Hybrids Plus wants all their cars to be "street legal". That requires the engine and exhaust systems to stay hot, just like your car does now.

Hybrids Plus used battery cells that did not need cooling, thus battery cells were added into all the nooks and crannies that used to have cooling fans. I don't know about Ford's, but if they still have cooling fans, that may account for the fact they have made a pack with less capacity: the fans would take up space. ( don't know, just guessing ) I used the Hybrids Plus battery for 5 hours on a warm day, and the pack never got more than 1 or 2 degrees above ambient air in the car. That was amazing.

It's all in the programming, and not much "hack" was required really. In both versions, the pack does most of the work. I took the prototype up a steep grade at highway speed ( 50 MPH ) and never exceeded 1800 RPM.

On flat highway at 58 MPH I was getting 90 MPG.
Stop and go in the city, using P&G I was getting 141 MPG.

Ford's sounds very close to that kind of performace, with maybe 25% less range.

Cost for Hybrid's Plus to make them one at a time is about $35k.
Cost to produce the packs in larger (1000) quantities would be about $25k.

With Ford's slightly smaller size, and mass-production (100,000) capabilities, price of this kind of pack may be about $15k at today's prices.

How many people would buy a plug-in FEH with 30 miles of "boost" for $45,000? I'm on the fence with this senario....
( still can't get one from Ford... just a "what if" )
You can get one custom made for you car for $35,000 on top of the price of your FEH... ( $65,000 car ) TODAY! ( well, they need 2 weeks notice )

-John

 

While 90-140 MPG in an Escape would be more than awesome I find it ridiculous to have to pay double. Case in point. Plug in conversions in Poway CA is offering an add on battery pack starting at $8000. This gives you 6-8 miles in EV mode in a Prius at 35mph. It is said to double MPG to about 100 MPG. Oddly the RETAIL cost of the batteries is $2750. Add in about $1250 for electronics and labor to install in one day and this leaves about 50% or $4000 for profit.

It is clear to me that there are a lot of greedy folks trying to sucker others into buying VERY expensive add ons for their hybrid cars.

$35000 for a bigger battery pack is a good example of this. After all the WHOLE ESCAPE costs less than $32500.

When Ford releases other hybrid models in 2008 end of year there will be more potential cars to sell add ons to which as was shown will bring the cost down. But what will drop prices faster will be when someone sees that there is no need to gouge the public with ridiculous and extreme profits.

I love it when a guy starts a company telling all who will listen how we need to take care of the planet and make personal sacrifices and such all the while he is going for a serious money grab.

I agree with the former but there needs to be much less of the latter IMO. It is blatantly obvious where his true concerns are and the Earth is very far removed from his mind but the bank is near and dear to his heart.

How many more of these system could be sold if the profit were 1/2 as much? My guess is it would break even when volume discounts enter into the picture. So then to truly help the planet would this not be the better sales model? After all the more of these on the road the better. NO?

 

Allen F, you are sadly, mistaken my friend, but that's ok. You probably don't have the education to know any better. So if you'd like an education in this matter, read on.

There is ALMOST ZERO PROFIT in the Plug-in battery market at present.
Most of these custom builds are for experimental and research purposes at this point. They are not quite "consumer ready" but if you have the money, and wish to be the first on the block, you can have one now.

You can buy crap made in China ( including batteries ) at your local Wal-Mart, but you get what you pay for.

In a $35,000 battery pack, which is by all accounts, the "Rolls Royce" of batteries, the best of the best that money can buy, here's what goes into it:

Each cell is made in the USA by A123 systems.
EDIT okay, looking deeper, some of their mass produced batteries are made in Asia, but are developed in Massachusetts. )
These cells have ultra low resistance ( ohms ) and produce ultra low heat.
These cells are ultra light weight.
These cells have ultra high output ( amps ).

Each cell costs ~$12 even when bought in large quantities.
A 50 miles Ford battery takes 1600 cells. You read right, 1600.

1600 x $12 equals $19,200, not including shipping & handling.

Now you need hardware to solder or weld 1600 cells together.
Let's say 50 cents per battery, using brass for high conductivity and low corrosion properties. Add $800.

Now add 200 thermisters. Thats 1 temperature probe for every 8 cells.
Lets say those can be integrated with a volt meter and amp meter for every 8 cells. Lets say you can put that on a PCB ( printed circuit board ) for $5 each. Add $1000.

Now lets add parts and supplies for circuit breakers and surge protectors and other safety measures, all custom made for 300-400 volts and 100 amps, but lets say you can get that all for $500.

Now lets build a custom package, that has to fit in the same form factor as the orginal, but has to hold 50% more weight. Metal case, fiberglass or plastic inserts, etc. Add $2500.

Now you need custom software to interface with the Auto. R&D Time.
While R&D is not a material cost, it takes maybe 4000 man hours to engineer something like this. How do you factor that into a car you make one at a time?

Now what about the labor to assemble all that. Not just INSTALL all that. I mean ASSEMBLE all that... all 1600 cells and hardware. Lets say it takes 200 man hours at $15 an hour. Add $3000.

Now lets add INSTALLATION once you drop off your car for 1 day.
Lets say 2 guys at $15, 16 man hours, Add $240.

Add that up and you have $27,240 in MATERIAL COST.
I know. I was there. I've seen a battery be made from scratch.

Add to that rent on the shop ( $1500 / mo )
Add to that power and utilites for the shop ( $500 / mo )
Add to that insurance for the shop ( $???? )
Add to that tools and diagnostics equipment.
Factor in all the 4000 man hours of R&D.

Now you Allen F. tell me how much "profit" did this company make?
Looks to me that they barely broke even, and are doing this primarily for research, and to kick the big auto makers in the A$$ so they WILL mass produce these at lower cost.

There is nothing low cost / high profit about this.
And that's the truth.

-John

 

A123 will sell you 6 battery cells for $129 or 12 cells for $220.

http://www.buya123systems.com/prdeki.html

$220 / 12 = $18 per cell.