While KITT gets the headline from Ford in its announcement of FoMoCo vehicles appearing in fall TV shows, the green-minded among us can find a mention of a hybrid powerplant on the set of Fringe a few paragraphs down - after talk of KITT (it turns into a F-150!) and Desperate Housewifes. Fringe is the latest show from J. J. Abrams (Lost and Alias).

Apparently, a main character in the FOX sci-fi drama Fringe, FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) will track down E.T. or whatever in a 2009 Escape Hybrid. The use of the honkin' hybrid shows just what a greenie Abrams is, said Ross Mackenzie of Ford Global Brand Entertainment in a statement. "J. J. Abrams is a big environmentalist, and he wanted to have a hybrid vehicle on the show. Since Olivia Dunham is the lead character, the Escape Hybrid was a nice fit."

If you want to know how the 2009 Escape Hybrid performs in the real word, check out our review. There's also the Ford release and a video teaser ad for Fringe after the break.


[Source: Ford]

Click the 2009 Escape Hybrid for a high res gallery

We've spent plenty of seat time behind the wheel of the Ford Escape hybrid. The last time we had one, it managed to return an average of thirty miles per gallon. This mileage figure is remarkable, since the Vue hybrid, which you just saw at number two on our list, didn't do quite as well. Remember, too, that the Ford Escape hybrid is the same vehicle as the Mercury Mariner hybrid and Mazda Tribute hybrid. Let's take a look at the comparison between the standard Escape and the hybrid model.

According to the EPA, the regular Escape will get 20 miles per gallon in the city and 26 on the highway when its four cylinder engine is paired with an automatic transmission. The hybrid improves those numbers dramatically, coming in at 34 in the city and 30 on the highway. We'll back those numbers as being fairly accurate. This means that an Escape hybrid driver will save a significant $860 per year on fuel compred to the non-hybrid driver. For a vehicle which is priced well under $30 grand, that's a worthwhile improvement, and it makes the Escape hybrid number one on our list.

When Ford handed over the keys to a plug-in Escape hybrid to Southern California Edison last December, one of many secrets the companies kept to themselves was which battery maker was responsible for the lithium-ion batteries fulfilling the electric part of the equation. The company has now been revealed and it's Johnson Controls-Saft, which has a dedicated li-ion battery plant in France. Johnson Controls will be providing the li-ion batteries for all of the PHEV Escapes for Ford's demonstration fleet (including those at the Electric Power Research Institute) as it grows from the one or two on the road today to 20 in the coming year and a half. More PHEV Escapes will be delivered to the utilities later this month, and future versions will be tweaked and updated as data comes in from the daily drives. More from Ford after the jump.

Ford is providing Los Angeles County Ocean Lifeguards with 45 customized Escape Hybrids. The Escapes will be used to patrol 72 miles of Southern California coastline. According to Mike Frazer, chief of Lifeguard Services for the Los Angeles County Fire Department, "We wanted to be the first public safety agency in the country to go green." The Escape Hybrid qualifies for California's PZEV standard. The lifeguards are switching from pick-up trucks to the hybrid SUV after they verified its performance on sand. While the eco characteristics of the hybrid powertrain, such as 29/27 mpg (city/hwy), were a plus, the vehicles needed to be adapted to meet the lifeguards' needs. Therefore, the following changes were made:

• A rescue equipment storage unit - an aluminum box with specially designated spaces for important emergency equipment, such as defibrillators, trauma boxes and oxygen tanks.
• Several radios stacked up in a rack placed where the center console is.
• A custom-fit roof rack for the lifeguards' paddle board and spine board.
• Easy-to-clean rubber floor mats and cargo liners.
• And of course, some iconic yellow paint.

Full press release after the jump.

Click the 2009 Escape Hybrid for a high res gallery

While we were a bit surprised to see David Cook beat out David Archulata on last night's finale of American Idol, it was the contestants themselves who looked taken aback when they were handed the keys to brand new Ford Escape Hybrids in matching light green. Not that they should have been surprised by the gift, as Ford has done similar giveaways since it started promoting so heavily on American Idol a few years back and announced the prize earlier this year. The matching hybrids were awaiting the pair of Davids on a green carpet outside the arena.

When we were granted the opportunity to test out the next-generation Escape Hybrid, due for the '09 model year, we found it improved in pretty much every meaningful way. Still, having had the current-generation Escape hybrid, like the ones handed to the Davids, in our garage a little while back and finding it to be a pretty nice machine, we know that the two AI finalists will enjoy their new rides.


[Source: American Idol]

Click the 2009 Escape Hybrid for a high res gallery

Prior to our drive of the 2009 Ford Escape the other day, several Ford representatives talked about the changes for the new model year along with how the Escape is doing. Since the debut of the 2008 models a year ago, the Kansas City Assembly Plant that builds the Escape, Mariner and Mazda Tribute has been running at capacity including some overtime, a rare occurrence these days at Ford. While sales of many Ford models have been dropping like a stone this year, the Escape has done well, registering a 10 percent increase. One Escape model that hasn't increased sales in the last couple of years is the hybrid which is holding steady at about 25,000 annually and that will remain the case for 2009. Even though gas is now at or above $4/gallon, Ford will only build 25,000 Escapes again this year out of about 220,000 total (including Mariner and Tribute).

The obvious question is why. Although battery supply constraints would seem to be one likely answer, that is apparently not an issue. Ford claims they can get as many batteries as they need. It turns out that it's a business decision. With the plant running at capacity, in order for Ford to build more hybrids, they would have to cut production of the other models. Although no one from Ford was willing to openly admit it, the continued references to building as many Escapes as they can while limiting hybrid production at an arbitrary number indicates that it comes down to profit. Ford can clearly make a larger profit margin on the non-hybrid models and has made the calculation that 25,000 is enough to indicate they are serious while still maximizing cash flow wherever they can. Given Ford's precarious financial situation of late, you sure can't blame them although many who might want a high-mileage crossover might be disappointed. Later this year, Ford will be doubling their total hybrid production when they add the new Fusion and Milan hybrids. Those will apparently use an upgraded, next-generation version of Ford's hybrid system.


[Source: Ford]

• Ford Escape hybrid: sales in California up 10 percent in January 2008 compared to January 2007.
• Ford Focus (with its PZEV rating): up 11 percent.

Those are the highlights of a press release Ford put out yesterday and available after the jump. FoMoCo makes the case that these increases show how Californians "are choosing Ford clean air vehicles." Well, kind of. Ford sold 296 of the 30 mpg hwy/34 mpg city Escape hybrids in California last month. Those 296 made up 39 percent of all Escape hybrids sold in the U.S. in January. Ford didn't announce the quantity of Focuses sold. The 2008 sedans get 35 mpg hwy and 24 mpg city.

Just in time to better compete with the upcoming Saturn Vue Two-Mode hybrid, Ford is rolling out a series of updates to the Escape and Mariner (and likely the badge engineered Mazda Tribute) hybrids. The big news is an updated 2.5L four cylinder engine that supplants the existing 2.3L unit. The revised engine includes variable cam timing on the intake camshaft, the first such application on the Ford hybrids. The updated engine still runs on an Atkinson cycle and the updates improve performance without degrading the fuel economy. When we tested the 2008 Escape hybrid last year it achieved a real world 30mpg, so that should be maintained.

One of the complaints with the existing Escape hybrid is the brake system. Many drivers don't like the pedal feel and, unlike the conventional models, the hybrids haven't had traction or stability control. That changes for 2009. Ford claims a new brake system improves the blending of friction and regenerative braking. It also adds traction, stability and roll stability control to the package for the hybrids.

The conventional Escape and Mariner also get powertrain upgrades. The 2.5L four cylinder also replaces the 2.3L in the base version and gets the variable valve timing on the intake camshaft. The four gets an increase power from 153hp to 170hp. The up-level 3.0L V-6 gets new pistons, cylinder heads and injection system for a 30hp increase to 230hp. All the Escapes and Mariners also get some minor aerodynamic tweaks as well. Both engines are paired up with a new 6-speed automatic transmission, which, when combined with the engine changes, gives a 1mpg increase to each model while improving acceleration and towing capability. The Ford press release is after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

Back at EVS23, Ford handed over the keys for a plug-in hybrid Escape to Southern California Edison. I've finally had time to edit together the video I shot that day, so watch it already. :)

In the first part of this video (above) we see the PHEV Escape arrive at the Anaheim Convention Center and the official handoff of the keys from Ford to SCE. As you can see, Nancy Gioia, Ford's director of sustainable mobility technologies and hybrid vehicle programs, doesn't answer a lot of questions about the vehicle's battery, but does say that the PHEV uses a 10 kWh battery. Ford's Susan Cischke, senior vice president, sustainability, environment and safety engineering, sat down with AutoblogGreen after the hand-over to talk about the car and the unique (as far as I know) input screen in the vehicle that lets the driver adjust the gasoline and electricity costs so that the cost per trip is accurately displayed during the drive. Very sweet.

Part two of this video will be posted is now available after the break once I finish editing it.

Representatives from Ford and Southern California Edison were obviously quite excited about a big event on Monday at EVS23, where Ford's Sue Cischke (second from left), senior vice president, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering and Nancy Gioia (right), director, Sustainable Mobility, drove up in a plug-in Ford Escape hybrid right to the doors of the Anaheim Convention Center. There, two representatives from SCE (whose names I misplaced. Sorry) took the keys to the PHEV, which marked the first of 20 such vehicles that Ford will give to SCE for in-fleet and (coming in the second year of the program) customer testing. I spent some time conducting interviews using my video camera and will post those later (neither Ford nor SCE would give out a lot of technical information - information on the batteries and the battery supplier, for example, are being kept under wraps), but there was lots of cheerful hope that this program will deliver good things to both companies.

The PHEV Escape is a solid (seeming) vehicle. I didn't get a ride, but Ford must have a lot of confidence in this SUV to let SCE get its hands on twenty of them. The 20 will be rolled out in such a way that later versions will be changed based on feedback from the early models. Some parts of the Escape PHEV are already pretty sweet. My favorite part of the PHEV Escape interior is the information screen/computer, where Ford saw fit to include an input page where the driver can set the current cost of gasoline and electricity which then allows the vehicle to tell the driver how much each mile costs and the amount of fuel saved. You can see a close-up of the screen here and we'll have a video of the screen in action (and lots more) once I get a chance to edit things together.

Until then, here are the little speeches given by the participants as part of handing SCE the keys to Ford's exciting new PHEV Escape. Give them a listen (7 min, 1.8MB).

UPDATE: Videos of the event - and that screen - are now available here.

Ford announced that a Ford Escape plug-in hybrid, able to reach 120 mpg (yes, that's what they say) has already been delivered to utility company California South Edison as "part of unique partnership to advance commercialization of PHEVs." It's the first of a series of 20 vehicles which will conduct a long-term road test.

The Escape batteries can be charged using common household current (120 V in the US) and it takes from 6 to 8 hours. The full charge can power the vehicle up to 30 miles. Once that initial charge is finished, the vehicle works as a standard hybrid, recharging batteries when possible. The battery pack is made from lithium ion high-voltage batteries, from which the press release says "the cost of advanced lithium ion batteries means the technology is currently not economically feasible for widespread vehicle application."

(Note from Sebastian: the actual ceremony to hand over the PHEV Escape is going to happen in about 15 minutes here at EVS23, and I'm on my way there)

[Source: Ford]

Did you think that only BMW was going to show its green vehicle technologies via the entertainment industry? Not likely. Now it's time for Ford, which has a bunch of Escape Hybrids that are going to be the official transportation for the Screen Actors Guild's (SAG) Award of Excellence Star on Hollywood Boulevard. The event is celebrating its 75th edition this year.

Ford is sponsoring the event and using it to showcase the Escape hybrids. Fifteen of these vehicles were used to shuttle Screen Actors Guild members and other VIPs from the breakfast ceremony to Hollywood Boulevard where SAG received The Award of Excellence Star from the Hollywood Historic Trust.

The interest is obvious, as Bill Ford said: "Introducing our Ford Escape Hybrid to Hollywood today continues a long tradition of Ford's supporting role in movies and television that goes all the way back to our company's Model T."

Related:

• Glamor post of the week: BMW Hydrogen 7 is official limo for Rome Film Festival
• Uma Thurman, Tyra Banks take steps to green their transportation

[Source: Ford]

Knowing a good opportunity when it smells one, Ford has launched a new advertising campaign for the Ford Escape hybrid. The print ad highlights the fact that many of the current crop of presidential candidates are tooling around America in Escape hybrids (when they're not flying, of course), and so Ford is calling the SUV "The Candidate's Choice." The ad is limited to Capital Hill publications (CongressDaily AM, CQ Today, Roll Call, The Hill and Politico), but you can see it by clicking the "campaign button" above.

None of the slight environmental benefits that driving an Escape hybird vs. a standard Escape or even a freakin sedan are enough, though, to make us forget that SUVs have screwed up what it means to drive a hybrid. Still, I like the recycled plastic waste woven into the interior fibers. As for the politicians inside? My question is: why would Ford want to be associated with some of these characters? There's a good reason the ad or the press release posted below doesn't name any candidates by name, I'm sure.

Related:

• Clintons to drive electric SUV
• Barack Obama swaps his hemi for a hybrid
• Will Fred Thompson drive around America in a pickup truck for his campaign?

[Source: Ford]