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 launched the redesigned Escape and Mariner compact CUVs last year, the bodies and interiors were all new but the powertrains were largely carried over from the first-generation models. For the 2009 model year, that issue has been addressed with thorough upgrades to both four- and six-cylinder engines. We'll talk more about the engine upgrades next week after we drive them. In the meantime we got an early look at the new automatic transmission for the non-hybrid models. The previous four-speed unit is replaced with an all-new six speed unit dubbed the 6F35.

The new transmission is built at Ford's Van Dyke transmission plant in Sterling Heights, MI in addition to the 6F50 that debuted in the Taurus, Edge and other Ford, Mercury and Lincoln vehicles last year. The new unit uses three planetary gear-sets and five clutch packs to provide the six gear ratios. The extra two ratios allow for a wider overall spread compared to the older four speed. Continue reading about the 6F35 after the jump.

I was surprised to find a shipping box sitting on the table with the rest of my mail yesterday when I got home. The return address stated that it had come from Ford, and my curiosity was piqued. I hadn't requested any information from them or anything, so I tore open the box to see what was contained therein. To my surprise, it was a tote bag. Neutral-colored and emblazoned with both the Ford oval and the Escape SUV's logo, the enclosed letter explained that the bag is made of the very same recycled materials used to upholster the seats in the 2008 Escape and Escape Hybrid. The greener material is supplied to Ford by InterfaceFABRIC, who estimates that the automaker could conserve 600,000 gallons of water, the equivalent of 1.8 million pounds of C02, and the equivalent of 7,000,000 kilowatt hours of electricity on an annual basis by using post-industrial materials in its vehicle interiors.

All too often, people get hung up in powertrain technology debates when thinking of ways to "green" the automobile. The total solution goes deeper than that. Moves like this by Ford, as well as other innovative programs like Honda's planned use of bio-fabrics, could prove to be very important over the long term, albeit in different ways, if they'e widely adopted. Assuming the alternatives are as comfortable as regular fabric seats, then it should be a pretty easy sell for the consumer.

The attached gallery has a close-up of the fabric itself, and the explanation behind it on the tag affixed to the tote.

Ford Motor Co. is recalling six thousand Escape hybrid SUVs in order to inspect and possibly fix a drive-train shaft that may fracture, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said today in Washington. The problem is that the SUV may continue to roll after being place in "park" because the shaft may not have been heat-treated correctly. There have been no reports of injuries, but there were 14 reports of the problem.

The recall will start later this month (on or before the 23rd) and affects only the four-wheel-drive version of the gasoline-electric 2006 Escape. These SUVs were built at Ford's Kansas City, Mo., assembly plant between July 2005 and April 2006.

[Source: Bloomberg News]

There's a lot of ways to say you've sold about three thousand hybrid cars, but yesterday Ford decided to go with "hybrid sales up 132 percent" over a year ago. The total vehicles sold of Ford's Escape and Mariner hybrid models totaled only 2,862 vehicles, but since that's a bit more than the company sold last year, they've got some right to promote that fact. The hybrid numbers are hidden in Ford's press release announcing increased sales amounts for the Fusion, Focus and Mustang and lower sales numbers for some of Ford's trucks and SUVs, like the Explorer and Expedition. Seems like customer demand is for greener cars.

[Source: Ford]

So, you've been stuck with the same 1996 Chevy for the last ten years, and it's finally time to donate your car to charity and move up to something more modern. You're considering buying a hybrid car, but which one? Hybrid technology has been exploited by some bandwagon car manufacturers, and therefore, not all hybrids are the same. Some hybrids have great gas mileage, while others barely do any better than their gasoline-only counterparts. How do you know what's what?

Before you head out for a test drive, do your research on edmunds.com or autobytel.com, and look at the different hybrid cars available. Pay attention to the type of engine each hybrid has. You'll notice that some cars seemlessly blend electric and gasoline power, while others us the electric motor for very little. Of course, the more your car uses the electric motor, the less it's using gasoline, so look for:

• Full Hybrids -- Full hybrid cars are capable, if your driving style and conditions are right, of running solely on the battery. They typically have a gas engine, an electric motor run by a battery that charges itself when you brake, and some sort of computer that tells the car where to get power from under what type of driving conditions. The Toyota Prius and Highlander, Ford Escape, Lexus RX 400h, Mercury Mariner, and restyles Honda Civic hybrids all utilize this technology.
• Assist Hybrids -- Assist hybrids can't run on electric power alone; they use the electric motor as a way to increase torque from the gasoline engine. Assist hybrids have smaller battery packs than full hybrids, and they are able to have smaller gasoline engines without sacrificing power. The Honda Insight and the first-generation Honda Civic Hybrid are example of assist hybrids.

Other hybrid vehicles don't use the electric motor to assist the gasoline engine at all. These "mild hybrids," such as the Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid, have a glorified starter that allows the car or truck to turn itself off at stoplights without the radio or air conditioning turning off. You will see a slight fuel economy improvement with a mild hybrid, but nothing like what you'd get with a full hybrid or assist hybrid. [Source: Hybrid Cars at About.com, Wikipedia]

The Ford Escape hybrid taxis that are rolling through the streets of San Francisco I mentioned last week are getting good reviews from apparently everyone, according to The Auto Channel: drivers, cab company owners and riders. Drivers are saving about $20 to $30 a shift on gas and getting bigger tips from their riders as a thank you for doing something for the environment, and even the air conditioning costs are less than in sedan taxis. The taxis, which are just about reaching or passing the 100,000 mile mark, are getting a closer look as a serious contender to the long-time reliable sedans now that they've been in service for a while. In New York City, the hybrid fleet is too fresh on the streets for owners to gush about, but with the results from San Francisco, it seems likely that this sort of good news will keep rolling in, and hybrid taxis are in the future for Las Vegas and Chicago. In SF, the goal is to have half the taxis in the city be hybrid or run on compressed natural gas by 2008.

[Source: The Auto Channel]

Looking for a ride in one of America’s larger cities and want to do at least a little bit to help the environment? Try to hail one of the increasing number of hybrid taxies (seen here all glossied up for New York International Auto Show). According to Technoride, 31 Ford Escape SUV hybrids prowl the streets of San Francisco and Chicago and New York offer hybrid taxis as well. The costs and benefits of a hybrid get emphasized real quick when the car does taxi duty, as the lower fuel usage saves the driver money sooner but the expensive batteries will need replacing sooner, as well. Taxis are on the road far more often than most individual’s car, so seeing some of them go green is a relief. It’s also encouraging to read that some customers tip better when they’re in a hybrid taxi. People will pay to save this planet, one ride at a time. [Source: Joel A, I mean Technoride]