My first quick drive of the precursor to the new +Ford Motor Company C-Max Energi back at the 2008 New York Auto Show. At the time then chief engineer Greg Frenette projected that a full production PHEV could be on sale within five years and Ford has beat that by nearly a year.
New York 2008: Autoblog drives the Escape Plug-In
New York 2008: Autoblog drives the Escape Plug-In Hybrid II
Post imported by Google+Blog for WordPress.
Ford field-tested the plug-in Escape (which was also flex fuel) in the State of Minnesota fleet. I heard good reviews from those who drove it.
Ford field-tested the plug-in Escape (which was also flex fuel) in the State of Minnesota fleet. I heard good reviews from those who drove it.
+Robert Moffitt Ford built about 20 of the Escape PHEVs but only one (that I'm aware of) was an FFV. The non-FFV I drove was very impressive. One of the issues with a flex-fuel hybrid was accurately modelling the engine torque output when running on a blend of E85 and gasoline.
In order to get smooth, consistent hybrid performance the control software has estimate the engine torque in real-time and then blend it with the motor output to match the driver demand.
+Robert Moffitt Ford built about 20 of the Escape PHEVs but only one (that I'm aware of) was an FFV. The non-FFV I drove was very impressive. One of the issues with a flex-fuel hybrid was accurately modelling the engine torque output when running on a blend of E85 and gasoline.
In order to get smooth, consistent hybrid performance the control software has estimate the engine torque in real-time and then blend it with the motor output to match the driver demand.
Minnesota had to give its plug-in FFV Escape back to Ford, presumably so the Ford engineers could tear it down to see how well it held up in real-world driving conditions. With 100+ temps in the summer and -20 temps in the winter not uncommon here, MN is a great place to test a prototype.
Minnesota had to give its plug-in FFV Escape back to Ford, presumably so the Ford engineers could tear it down to see how well it held up in real-world driving conditions. With 100+ temps in the summer and -20 temps in the winter not uncommon here, MN is a great place to test a prototype.
In prior years, numerous manufacturers had cold weather test facilities in northern Minnesota. I personally spent some very frigid days in International Falls in my first couple of years with Kelsey Hayes in the early 1990s. By the mid to later 1990s much of that work was shifted to facilities in Michigan's Upper Peninsula because it was so much easier to get to.
In prior years, numerous manufacturers had cold weather test facilities in northern Minnesota. I personally spent some very frigid days in International Falls in my first couple of years with Kelsey Hayes in the early 1990s. By the mid to later 1990s much of that work was shifted to facilities in Michigan's Upper Peninsula because it was so much easier to get to.
Some of the automakers still do testing in Baudette, MN. I think they even mention the town's name in an Acura commercial.
Some of the automakers still do testing in Baudette, MN. I think they even mention the town's name in an Acura commercial.