The Ford Motor Company has delivered its first-ever, flexible fuel-capable plug-in hybrid SUV to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).. Click image to enlarge

Washington, D.C. – The Ford Motor Company has delivered its first-ever, flexible fuel-capable plug-in hybrid SUV to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid, which runs on gasoline or E85, is part of a demonstration fleet Ford is developing in a partnership with Southern California Edison and the Electric Power Research Institute. Similar vehicles are already undergoing advance testing in California.

“Plug-in hybrid technology holds great promise to reduce the nation’s dependence on petroleum and reduce CO2 emissions related to climate change, both significant issues for America,” said Mark Fields, President of the Americas, Ford Motor Company. “As a leader in both hybrid and flexible fuel technology, Ford is well positioned to bring the two together in a plug-in vehicle.”

The vehicle is equipped with a 10 kilowatt advanced lithium ion energy battery that stores enough electric energy to drive up to 30 miles (48 km) at speeds of up to 40 mph (64 km/h). When fueled by E85 ethanol, which has a lower energy content than gasoline, fuel economy can reach up to 88 mpg (2.6 L/100 km) in urban driving and up to 50 mpg (4.7 L/100 km) on the highway. Based on current estimates, the vehicle would emit 60 per cent less CO2 than a conventional gasoline-powered vehicle, and could reach 90 per cent reduction if cellulosic ethanol is used in place of gasoline.

The vehicle is one of twenty demonstration plug-in hybrids that Ford is building as part of a collaboration with Southern California Edison and the Electric Power Research Institute to accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids.