Ford Delivers FlexFuel PHEV to DOE
11 June 2008
 |
| Ford’s flex-fuel Escape PHEV. |
Ford Motor Company delivered its first flexible-fuel capable plug-in hybrid (PHEV) SUV to the US Department of Energy (DOE).
Like the other prototype Escape PHEVs, this vehicle is equipped with a 10 kWh lithium-ion battery supplied by Johnson Controls-Saft that stores enough electric energy to drive up to 30 miles at speeds of up to 40 mph.
The Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid, which runs on gasoline or E85, is part of a demonstration fleet that Ford is developing in a partnership with Southern California Edison and the Electric Power Research Institute. (Earlier post.) Advanced testing on the vehicles is underway in California. The DOE will include the Escape Flexible Fuel Plug-in Hybrid in its fleet to obtain real world experience with the vehicle as it continues its support of advanced fuel technologies.
When fueled by E85 ethanol, which has a lower energy content than gasoline, fuel economy can reach up to 88 mpg in urban driving and up to 50 mpg on the highway, according to Ford. Based on current estimates, the vehicle would emit 60% less CO2 than a conventional gasoline powered vehicle. That CO2 reduction could reach 90% if cellulosic ethanol is used in place of gasoline.
The flexible fuel Escape Plug-in Hybrid runs up to 30 miles at speeds less than 40 mph in electric mode until the battery’s charge is 70% depleted. At higher speeds or when the battery is depleted, the vehicle switches to traditional hybrid charge-sustaining mode—a fuel efficient four-cylinder engine assisted by the lithium-ion battery.
The vehicle leased to the DOE also is equipped with an interactive vehicle display which shows the driver how efficiently the vehicle is operating and calculates the fuel savings for each trip.
ok .. good !
Now to see thousands of them in showrooms all across the country, and not be told they aren't available due to production limitations.
(hint to Ford... if you offer a car people actually want, then they might buy it).
Posted by: John Taylor | 11 June 2008 at 02:08 PM
Ford (or GM, Toyota, VW, Honda, etc.) don't seem to get it. There is a HUGE market for this type of vehicle and commercial hybrid vehicles and they keep producing the same crap and wonder why it does not sell.
I was told today that GM is rethinking the hybrid pickup as sales of the hybrid Yukon are very low. I told them I would take ten of the pickups tomorrow as long as they were regular cab, 8' bed, work ready trucks. Driving city traffic for 30-40k miles per year with heavy loads make hybrids no brainers for many businesses, but we can't get what we want.
Detroit (and Japan)... WAKE UP!
Posted by: Ed Newman | 11 June 2008 at 02:30 PM
I would soooo buy a plug in Escape. I will be in the market next spring when we pay off our car. I was already thinking about picking up a used Escape and possibly converting it.
Posted by: Joseph | 11 June 2008 at 03:25 PM
Very interesting.
If the economics don't work, recycling efforts won't either.
Check http://LivePaths.com, a blog about the innovative people and companies that make money selling recycled or reused items, provide green services or help us reduce our dependency on non renewable resources.
Posted by: livepaths | 11 June 2008 at 04:18 PM
FlexFuel PHEV.. too late too lite.
If I am correct electric car can make 62miles in a hour on 12KW. That mean EV mode on there car is very inefficient: 10KW for 30miles - should be around 52miles.
They should build PHEV with 2 electric motor for each axle totally independent from the standard drive train.
Such system could be adopted to any production car with minimal modification.
They trying to catch too many fly, and the result is that they catching very few of them.
Posted by: mki | 11 June 2008 at 04:33 PM
correction: should be 36miles not 52. They toking about 70% battery depletion
Posted by: mki | 11 June 2008 at 04:37 PM
So, after the DOE runs this PHEV until 2010 and collects some data for Ford we may see a plugin that will run on battery (if you can stay below 40mph). excuse me while I wet my pants....
Posted by: Jerry | 11 June 2008 at 06:08 PM
Yes, a 10 KWH capacity is a little light, GM is putting 16 KWH capacity into the Volt, and others talk about having a 20 KWH capacity. And there is no reason why an electric drive cannot be configured to provide 60 MPH + speed in EV mode.
Posted by: | 11 June 2008 at 06:20 PM
A CALCARS rough estimate of electricity use in a car is five miles per kilowatt-hour.(running ten 100 watt light bulbs for an hour) A kilowatt is a measure of power, about 1.3 horsepower. Cars in europe are now rated in kilowatts not PS. Twelve Kilowatt-hours will run a car 60 miles or more. Electric motors are very efficient(90%) compared to engines(15%-25%) because electricity is a high grade fuel compared to gasoline. The actual electricity available from a gallon of gasoline is a max of 9 Kwh or 45 miles in an efficient hybrid. Driving styles can improve or damage mileage in any car. Electricity costs about one fifth the price of gasoline to drive a car. Night electricity is very much cheaper in some places. CALCARS made an effort to modify a Prius to plug in electric. Now they ought to make a kit to modify the most popular used car to partial plug in electric operation. The TH!NK car goes 100 miles on a ZEBRA battery that has for ten years stored as much energy per pound as a lithium battery. It is obvious that they are testing new lithium batteries instead of making a high milleage car that works very well. Put an appropriate ZEBRA battery in a PRIUS and you will get more than 60 Miles full electric...HG..
Posted by: Henry Gibson | 11 June 2008 at 06:37 PM
Sick and tired of waiting for the next gen battery. We cannot ever just mass produce a PHEV because something better is coming.
Don't close plants! Retool! Make the PHEVs. Make batteries. Make Wind turbines. Recycle gas sucking pigs!!!
Posted by: Erevesto | 11 June 2008 at 07:34 PM
Yeah, progress really sucks, doesn't it? Last year Ford didn't have a working PHEV, now they do. By the way, I wonder if they're using the Escape Hybrid system they licensed from Toyota. If so, they essentially took a page out of CalCar's book as a shortcut.
Anyway, I thought I saw a Chevy Volt on the highway the other day. Turns out it was just a mirage.
Posted by: shigley | 11 June 2008 at 07:44 PM
We have several of the Escape flex-fuel hybrids at work (not the plug in model). I don't think the flex fuel hybrid is available to the general public yet, just for fleet owners, but it might be different now. Ford's flex fuel emblem on the rear door (the green one also found on the Taurus and other flex fuel vehicles) is the giveaway as to whether it is E85 compatible. They are great vehicles, and we will probably order more as we try to have a more energy efficient fleet.
Posted by: Rick Powell | 11 June 2008 at 09:42 PM
"Electric motors are very efficient(90%) compared to engines(15%-25%) because electricity is a high grade fuel compared to gasoline. The actual electricity available from a gallon of gasoline is a max of 9 Kwh or 45 miles in an efficient hybrid. Driving styles can improve or damage mileage in any car. Electricity costs about one fifth the price of gasoline to drive a car. Night electricity is very much cheaper in some places. CALCARS made an effort to modify a Prius to plug in electric. Now they ought to make a kit to modify the most popular used car to partial plug in electric operation. The TH!NK car goes 100 miles on a ZEBRA battery that has for ten years stored as much energy per pound as a lithium battery. It is obvious that they are testing new lithium batteries instead of making a high milleage car that works very well. Put an appropriate ZEBRA battery in a PRIUS and you will get more than 60 Miles full electric...HG..
Posted by: Henry Gibson | Jun 11, 2008 6:
Oh wow.. how about delivery trucks? How about Trains or commercial aircraft? neat little electricity gizmo's don't get us off of foreign oil.. your efficiency standards are way off because you don't factor in battery disposal costs, environmental costs to landfills, non backward compatibility and no aftermarket infrastructure to support this new little gizmo.. which nice for the "geeks" and interests the uninformed, who nod numbly and say, "Great"..
Google Hydrogen fuels ICEngines.. or go to YOUTUBE and search Hydrogen ICEngines..
The exhaust of a hydrogen fuel burning ICEngine is water, the same stuff that Hydrogen was harvested from to begin with. 100 year old technology that is backward compatible with ANY internal combustion engine. What happens to older cars?
We don't have 50 to a hundred years to develop trucks that run on electricity to deliver our goods, nor the trains.. investing in this stuff is like pulling at the stalk of a corn plant to make it grow faster...
Ford has a fleet of Hydrogen burning Airport Vans and Ft. Lauderdale airport. (google it)
We can split water at every gas station from tap water with the use of solar panels and light high efficiency windmills... with Hydrogen the old central manufacturing, distribution network is just ONE option. there are many. Home owner can get completely OFF grid with Hydrogen being burned.. yep.. burned.. theoretical efficiencies aside, if it doesn't address this nations major weakness, dependency on foreign oil, you can pull on the stalk of corn forever and you aren't going to really accomplish anything but "feeling good"..
Go to www.fatheromalley.com look at the Hydrogen pages.. then if you have the nerve, experience a new paradigm. Study the site.. read through it. Much to learn, not much time to change..
Contact your representative now and tell them to repeal all CO2 mandates. Foolish, foolish people. Tell them, no more mandated mercury filled light bulbs, no more mandatory "Ethanol" vehicles.. there IS A BETTER CHOICE. If we weren't so hung up on the geek thingy about "burning' anything, we'd be a lot farther along...
May God Bless,
Posted by: Father OMalley | 11 June 2008 at 10:08 PM
These delivery trucks work great on battery power. Delivery trucks and trains are the low hanging fruits of battery powered vehicles.
The oil lobby must be running scared nowadays. There are incredible amount of deceptions out there. Hydrogen is used as a means of green washing, with the mis-conception that we don't have to do anything, since the magical hydrogen will solve everything... Dream on!
Posted by: Lulu | 11 June 2008 at 10:41 PM
@ Father OMalley .. preach the goodness of Hydrogen to your alter boys, perhaps they will believe everything you say despite evidence it ain't so.
Hydrogen has so many losses in each of the many steps that it simply cannot compete with batteries in normal driving situations, even if it can achieve greater range.
as Lulu says, Dream on!
Posted by: J T | 11 June 2008 at 11:13 PM
Delivery trucks are in production now.
Smith Electric Vehicles of the UK has a 12.5 ton delivery truck capable of 150 mile range. That's more than adequate for pretty much any delivery scenario though not for long distance trucking.
I expect to see electric delivery trucks on our streets long before I expect to see everyone driving electric cars. In fact, with fuel prices rising the way they have been over the last five years I expect to see more and more people taking the bus instead of driving.
Posted by: db | 12 June 2008 at 02:33 AM
>Delivery trucks are in production now.
I dont see why folks cant see its not one answer for everything. Some problems may be solved by hydrogen (though I am not sure which) and others by batteries.
Since some tech is behind like the ultra capacitors,
cant car manufacturers combine technologies like the flywheel with batteries together to
take the high powered release from batteries ?
It seems that people working in this area dont want there to be a combined answer. Me I just want an affordable answer like yesterday.
Flywheels seem like a good thing to combine with batteries since ultra caps have not come on line.
Just thinking why does it have to be only one tech..
Maybe hydrogen trains are OK since they dont pull up to a gas pump to fill up and have room for a pressurized tank. They sure would smell better than diesel.
Posted by: BobT | 12 June 2008 at 04:12 AM
Quoth the not-so-good Father:
You seem to have missed the Smith Newton. Heck, how about 1948 milk trucks?TGV, Shinkansen, Acela... all electric. Freight can be electrified just fine too; the only reason diesel is favored today is because overhead wires are subject to property taxes.There may not be very many of them to worry about soon. Liquid methane is a better fuel for them anyway; far denser.
Already factored in for all lead-acid batteries; you pay a deposit when you buy it. Batteries containing nickel are too valuable to throw away.
Lead-acid batteries are already the most-recycled item in regular commerce.
The typical PHEV will need a hardware-store extension cord.
But I saved the best for last:
It's completely compatible with the roadways, tires, washer fluids, the electrical grid... whatever could the not-so-good Father be railing about? What's it not compatible with?Could he be complaining because the BEV/PHEV is not backward-compatible with the system based on petroleum and other fossil fuels? Sure looks like it.
We've also seen how the mighty BMW V12 engine only develops 268 horsepower on hydrogen. Drivers who want performance out of their ICEs won't run their H2-capable cars on anything but petroleum. That seems to be his unstated goal, and it all goes out the window if they go electric.So the Father talks a good game about alternative fuels, but it turns out he's reallly interested in keeping the oil companies in business. Hey, Father, you're not getting a little too close to the acolytes, are you?
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 12 June 2008 at 04:54 AM
Its nice to see Ford doing some testing. It would be alot better to see them say they're actually going to offer this beast to the public and produce it in meaningful numbers in the future. In this article (http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/05/16/why-is-ford-only-building-25-000-hybrid-escapes-and-mariners-thi/) Ford states they don't make additional Escape Hybrids because it shares the production line with regular Escape's and they make more money on regular Escape's - so they make only 25,000 Escape Hybrids a year. The article stated they have no component shortages. Just short sighted decisions (as in not producing Escape Hybrids at another plan).
Posted by: Sasparilla | 12 June 2008 at 09:46 AM
If the mpg's are real, they would not be able to make enough of them. Who wouldn't replace the SUV with one of these provided they don't cost 50k.
I would love to drive an SUV again. I am happy with my TDI but I did love my Pathfinder.
Posted by: Paul | 12 June 2008 at 10:15 AM
I feel dirty after reading all of your drooling, ravenous ravings for or against your favorite or hated technology.
Just thank God something is getting done and let's cheer the progress. We are quite capable of nurturing different ways of doing things and letting markets sort out the winners.
Posted by: NCyder | 12 June 2008 at 10:36 AM
I see that Ford has decided to use a more reliable supplier, for its batteries for the PHEV Escape et al.
It has to be a sour taste in Ford's mouth that they cannot build enough hybrid Escapes, or even the numbers planned to be built. Especially when hybrids are back ordered and command premium prices.
The unsatisfactory performance of Sanyo,(and some intimate willingness to sabotage "Gaijin" Ford, when a Japanese automaker calls on them to supply auto batteries) in delivering contracted and expected volumes of Escape batteries, is sobering. It is creating questions about the reliability of foreign parts suppliers; especially ones producing product overseas, rather than in a captive factory near the Ford assembly facility.
Posted by: stas peterson | 12 June 2008 at 10:36 AM
>some intimate willingness to sabotage "Gaijin" Ford
So why not make em here in the US?
We need some kind of production/assembly that pays a living wage. Or is producing good in the US only a "forgien" idea now? Seems like Toyota can make cars here.
Posted by: BobT | 12 June 2008 at 11:36 AM
quote from the good Father:
.....no more mandated mercury filled light bulbs....
And just to make 100% sure this myth is busted for good:
Mercury filled fluorescent bulbs keep mercury out of the environment. Why? Coal contains mercury. By using conventional bulbs you burn more coal and about 5x more mercury is blown in the air (based on the average generation mix). Mercury in the air is worse than mercury in a bulb, which has at least a chance of being properly disposed of (which is mandatory in my country).
There.
Posted by: Anne | 12 June 2008 at 12:18 PM
Take a look at AFS Trinity and the rechargeable hybrid that they currently have working. It uses off the shelf technologies to achieve 150MPG. It runs at 'realistic' speeds off the batteries due to their use of an ultra-capacitor to buffer the heavy discharge from the battery.
AFS Trinity is looking for backers to make the vehicle available. Ford or any other major manufacturer could pick up this design and hit the gound running.
I built an electric car years ago, and drove in 'fear' of running out of charge. This approach takes the fear out of the electric car since the hybrid component is there to bail you out.
It is available NOW, but no one is willing to really back it. I am hoping AFS Trinity will offer a 'retro-fit' kit to turn any car into a rechargeable hybrid.
Look at the website....
Posted by: PatC | 13 June 2008 at 07:11 AM