Prototype Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid: 88 MPG on 85% Ethanol
First Flex-Fuel Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle
As part of a push by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to make plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) cost competitive with other cars by 2014, Ford has delivered a plug-in hybrid electric flex-fuel Escape to the DOE to join its test fleet of other PHEVs currently undergoing research and testing.
The vehicle is equipped with a 10 kilowatt lithium ion battery that can take it up to 30 miles at speeds under 40 mph before needing to fire up its fuel-fed hybrid-electric engine. After that, the hybrid-electric engine kicks in and can deliver a fuel economy of 88 mpg in the city and 50 mpg on the highway when using E85 (85% ethanol/15% gasoline blend).
This means that for most people in the US, they would only have to use fuel in this vehicle once or twice a week with the rest of their driving needs covered by the battery.
According to Ford, this is the first ever flex-fuel PHEV capable of running on E85.
Ford claims that, based on current estimates, the Escape Flex-Fuel PHEV would emit 60% less carbon dioxide than a conventional gasoline powered vehicle. Ford also states that if cellulosic E85 fuel was used, that carbon dioxide reduction could be as high as 90%.
I’m assuming the “as high as 90%” reduction claim is based on the fact that cellulosic ethanol is typically derived from plant material and the growth of these feedstocks can represent an additional carbon sink — not that Ford thinks cellulosic ethanol provides lower carbon dioxide emissions compared to corn ethanol when combusted.
In addition to taking delivery of the Escape Flex-Fuel PHEV, DOE announced that $30 million will be made available over the next three years to fund PHEV demonstration and development projects with industry cooperation. The goal is to develop PHEVs that can be mass produced, compete effectively in the marketplace, and substantially reduce petroleum consumption.
Posts related to PHEVs and Cellulosic Ethanol:
- CleanTech Biofuels to Turn Dirty Diapers Into Ethanol
- How Green Are Biofuels? Comparison Chart [PIC]
- Snapshot of Battery Technology for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Cars
- Chevy Volt’s Lithium-Ion Batteries Road- Tested By Month’s End
- Google To Spend $10 Million on Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Project
- Plug-In Hybrids Could Require 160 New Power Plants By 2030 (Or None At All)
Image Credit: Ford Motor Company
Hopefully these batteries won’t explode or catch on fire like they did a few years ago in laptops. And what do you do with all these used batteries?
The OEM’s have to start somewhere. Give them time to proveout the design before complaining about the fuel economy numbering system. This thing works and could by itself save Americans B$$$$’s in fuel bills. Anyone going to argue about that?????
[...] city and 50 mpg on the highway when using E85 (85% ethanol/15% gasoline blend). continue at the link __________________ [...]
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has set a goal to validate a high quality feedstock supply for ethanol from cellulosic biomass of 130 million dry tons p/ year by 2012 and 250 million dry tons p/year by 2017. *1
The DOE has set target goals for feedstock costs (i.e. harvesting, storage, preprocessing and transportation excluding the cost paid for biomass) of $0.37 per gallon in 2012 and $0.33 per gallon in 2017.
Of the 245 million tons of waste generated annually in the United States, at least 50% is cellulosic biomass, representing a potential source of 120 million tons of feedstock per year.
The nation’s and world’s appetite for such a system is almost unlimited. Americans produce 4.4 pounds of waste per person per day, or 229 million1 tons annually nationwide. At the estimated conversion rate of these technologies of 52 gallons of ethanol per ton of garbage, this MSW represents a potential fuel source of over 6.5 billion gallons of ethanol per year. Current annual targets of both the Administration and Congress for future domestic ethanol production are about 35 billion gallons, and CleanTech’s system will help the U.S. meet this goal.
CleanTech Biofuels Addresses Rising Global Food Costs and Sustainable Waste to Energy Cellulosic Ethanol Technology Solutions - Aurora Venture Communications Group is now featuring an online webcast audio interview with Mr. Michael Kime, COO of CleanTech Biofuels, Inc., who also Co-Wrote and Co-Produced the award winning feature documentary, “Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore”. The interview covers a range of topics including Mr. Kime’s personal insights into the conflux of environmental and political forces that are driving the market and the media’s interest in waste-to-energy technology. The interview can be found online at: http://www.avcg.net/CLTH.
CEO of CleanTech Biofuels, Inc., Edward Hennessey, commented: “As ethanol production from food crops has exploded in recent years, there are increasing concerns over the amount of arable land once used for food production being displaced for energy crops. Additionally, concerns have been raised regarding the energy and pollution balance of other methods of ethanol production. Consequently our business model which leverages the existing infrastructure for municipal solid waste collection and disposal to collect biomass at a low or negative feedstock cost is beginning to receive the recognition we feel it deserves.”
Hennessey further stated: “We believe that we will achieve profitability quickly relative to other cellulosic ethanol producers who must develop their infrastructure to collect and transport more expensive feedstocks such as switchgrass, wood waste, or corn stover. Moreover, biomass derived from garbage should not be subject to increases in commodity prices that plague producers currently manufacturing ethanol from corn.”
Why they are always obliged to make huge-size pick up or SUV ??? If american customers and companies focus one second in Europe, They will see more small and fuel-efficient cars, still really safe and pleasant to drive. SUV and pick up are useless if you are not a farmer or live in the montain, that’s it!
I’m sick of hearing about how the big automakers have made a concept car, or delivered a prototype or demonstrated the feasibility of such and such. They could be, and should be, mass producing these NOW. If small companies like Th!nk can make it happen, so can they.
The whole point is that for most of use who live in the town where we work, we could reasonably drive back and forth to work without gas! I drive a Mariner Hybrid now and based on those fuel savings it would pay to trade it in today if I could. I’m really excited about this technology. I have heard some talk about additional Tax incentives for these vehicles as well. Count me in!
I have seen on UTUBE website that people are using Water to inhance HYDROGEN and they run their car more effectiently and more Milage per Gallon have you looked in this website and open your mind into this Tecnology,Free energy and clean energy and good for the enviorment
This is a car that I would gladly trade-in my new Bimmer for. And my wife’s truck! I’m an old engineer and I admire the excellent engineering that Ford is doing on hybrids. We will be in line to buy two……………
[...] Prototype Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid: 88 MPG on 85% Ethanol [...]