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
The one thing to keep in mind about plug-in (electric) cars is that they still require energy from electricity. Currently, 40% of the world’s electricity is produced from coal. That percent is even higher in the US.
Coal is not always “clean burning” and it is not very renewable - unless you’re willing to wait a few million years! The US does have a very large supply of coal, I’ll admit, but it is not sustainable and creates other environmental effects (ie. visit West Virginia sometime).
Further, the US power grid, in its current shape, would not be able to handle a large scale increase in demand from electric cars.
Although I believe these new automobile technologies are necessary to make future advancements, electric cars are not a long-term solution. I believe a multi-national effort to develop a sustainable power source and potentially a new type of engine (non-cumbustion engine?) would create world-wide benefits.
Finally, for those of you who like E85, stop by Iowa, Illinois, or Indiana sometime. Land purchase and lease prices are rising quickly and due to farmers cashing in on the demand for corn, other crops are going up in price due to lack of their production. Soy beans and wheat, in particular, along with corn prices going up will affect the prices of many ites that we consume everyday including soda, cereal, plastics, and the feed used for cattle, hogs, and fish farms. The side effects E85 and ethenol has had a wiplash effect on the economy as a whole. There are serious concerns about the government mandates to include even more ethenol in the future. We’ll have to wait and see how that plays out!
MPG ratings for the fuel that goes into a car like this is not a true reflection of what it takes to run the thing. Also from a green perspective the production of the electricity also produces emissions which aren’t quoted. It all needs to be taken into account.
The e-85 is a bad choice. H*** ethanol in any ratio is a bad choice. It is just too low on energy content.
Why the H*** don’t these characters use a diesel engine in a hybrid? AND while they’re at it. decouple the engine from the drive train and let it just power a generator. It only needs to be large enough to maintain a reasonably high cruising speed for cross country trips. This way they could use a motor in each wheel to give excellent stability control as well as great bad weather traction and tte engine could run at best efficiency rating except where more power was needed on the long trip at higher speeds. The motors could also be built to provide regenerative braking capability.