Dearborn-based Ford Motor Company took months to develop and test a vehicle that will be able to run on E85 - a combination of gasoline and bioethanol - and will have a hybrid powertrain. Recently, the company announced that they have completed the rigorous testing of the Ford Escape E85 Hybrid.
After completing the tests, the vehicles will now be tested on real-world conditions. To make this possible, Ford will deliver 20 units of the Ford Escape E85 Hybrid to fleet customers. Three of the environment-friendly vehicles have already been delivered to the Department of Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association and the Governor's Ethanol Coalition.
Across the country, Ford selected fleet customers in six states to test the new hybrid vehicle. The 20 units of the modified Ford Escape are the world's first hybrid vehicles which can operate on E85. The fuel is a mixture of 15 percent gasoline and 85 percent bioethanol. Bioethanol is a renewable alternative fuel which is produced from corn or sugar beets.
"As a leader in both hybrid vehicles and in vehicles capable of operating on ethanol-based fuels, Ford is the ideal company to bring both technologies together for the first time," says Sue Cischke, Ford's senior vice president for Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering.
The development of these vehicles which are more fuel efficient than the conventional Escape equipped with the system has been received with much enthusiasm. U.S Senator Carl Levin from Michigan has this to say: "Investing in ethanol is critical for our national security, our environment, and for Michigan's economy. We can make huge strides by combining a massive effort on ethanol with other technologies such as hybrid cars and advanced diesel technologies. Ford is leading the way by producing the first hybrid car that can run on E85. I hope the E85 Ford Escape Hybrid is the first of many flex fuel hybrids driving us toward energy independence."
Another lawmaker in U.S., Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond of Missouri, expresses his commendation to Ford for the achievement saying: "We can and should do more to reduce pollution from vehicles. Ford today is showing its leadership in clean and efficient vehicles with a first-ever hybrid SUV that will also run on bio-fuels. Their decision to assemble it in Kansas City is good news for the able automotive workers in Missouri."
According to Ford, the Escape E85 Hybrid produces 25 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than the conventional Ford Escape which is powered by a gasoline engine. It also uses alternative fuel which means that it should reduce the country's dependency on foreign petroleum products should it be mass produced.
One of the recipients of the first Ford Escape E85 Hybrid is the Governor's Ethanol Coalition. The coalition's chairman, Governor Dave Heineman, has this to say: "The Governors' Ethanol Coalition has worked cooperatively with Ford for more than two decades. As Ford has developed new transportation technologies, we have been among the first to volunteer to provide Ford with real world testing of their products. We are pleased to work with a storied American vehicle manufacturer as the nation reduces its need for imported oil."
The Ford Escape E85 Hybrid is just the tip of the iceberg for the future of fuel-efficient vehicles from Ford though. According to Cischke; "Although we currently do not have plans to produce the Escape Hybrid E85, the research from this technology could lead to breakthroughs in even more advanced technologies."
