Motivation for buying a hybrid doesn’t have to be based solely upon environmentalism. You could simply enjoy the convenience of few fueling trips, or want to reduce your individual use of foreign oil.

If you’re trying to impress us with your fuel economy, why do you offer a vehicle that is less aerodynamic than a cinder block?

If you’re trying to impress us with advanced technology, why does the driver not have any indication of it, other than the badge?

Say what you will, Toyota did the Prius right. Its distinctive, very practical, and it is a very different driving experience. That’s what hybrid owners want. If Ford wanted to offer a cute ute hybrid, then they should have made it look and feel like something that was designed in the current decade.

I didn’t mean to imply that you’re article perpetuated the myth that Ford’s hybrid design was developed by Toyota. My comments were more directed at some of the other responses. I agree at this point that Ford is probably better off being associated with Toyota. It would have been nice however to give Ford the proper credit for developing independentaly a system that rivals Toyota’s. Overall a nice review.

Not sure how these numbers were run, but here’s how I ran mine:

Comparing the Escape Hybrid FWD to the 6 cyl Escape (when C&D did a road test some years ago, the 6 was a bit faster than the hybrid, but the 4 was way way slower),per our own True Delta comparo software, the feature adjusted difference between the 6 and the hybrid was $2925 (including rebates from Ford and the US Gov’t)

Next turning to epa.gov and comparing the annual fuel cost for the two (while adjusting the price of regular to the $3.25 I paid this morning in San Francisco), their algorithm kicked out a savings per year of $915 (it assumes 55% city/45% hwy).

Number of years to pay back the “hybrid premium”:
3.2.

No wonder they’re having trouble keeping these things in stock.

That said, I think that to the average motorist, associating Ford’s hybrid drive with Toyota’s can only help consumer confidence.

So, Why did Tom Watson work so hard to develop a hybrid engine for Ford?

A prius was tested on Top Gear and got about 45MPG and a Lupo diesel gets around 70MPG and costs a whole lot less. That’s the problem, we’re stuck with these gas guzzlers here for no reason.

We’re talking rates of 10 and 11 percent here and with a premium like that it would take me, personally, 5-7 years minimum just to break even on the cost difference between a Limited and the Hybrid (4WD). This didn’t make sense to me.

I love the idea of a hybrid and really wanted one but it’s just too expensive for them to produce so they drop the MSRP but get you with the interest.

Or since it’s already using Toyota guts… Remember when Toyota made an electric Rav4 not too many years back? Make an all electric Escape. Lithium and 250 mile range?

Anyway, the French as well as some of the other Europeans are a bit miffed about hybrids, because Toyota has such a lead, and they’re being dragged into hybrids partly against their will, and because its a huge investment that certainly won’t improve their profitability.

The Prius is a game changer, and a lot of manufacturers don’t like the new game.

http://www.alphagalileo.org/index.cfm?_rss=1&fuseaction=readrelease&releaseid=526948

I also sat in one at the Motor Trend Auto Show this evening. Kermit was not in the building, but the organizers had green trail markers pointing out every hybrid on the floor. As previously noted the interior is nothing special, but at least I didn’t hit my head getting in or out. I can’t remember the last time I saw an energy sticker with a higher city score than highway score, but it was probably inevitable considering the flat slab front end. Somehow the Escape looked sleeker on the road.

I also noticed a new message on LionEV’s site:
Orders for Escape PHEV’s must be in by May Second in order for Ford Motor Company to fill the order. Orders after that date will not be filled until 2009.

There will be a price increase on all vehicles and battery packs on March 1st, 2008. This is due to the weakening US Dollar on the world market. Current prices will be honored until the first of March. New prices will go in to effect on the first.

Who does PR for these guys? Yeah, I’d love to buy a car with my weakening dollars.

If Ford’s product planning fumbles the ball on this, there should be heads rolling down the aisles in Dearborn. Seriously, what’s worse than a flop? A success you can’t make enough of.

About FEH reliability: http://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/f33/cabbies-love-escape-hybrid-16959/

Ford isn’t losing money on each hybrid they sell; rather supply is limited because, well, the supply of Sanyo batteries and Aisin transmissions is limited.

Ford is using a different battery supplier on the upcoming Fusion Hybrid, so hopefully they’ll make them in greater numbers.

Since its release in late 2004, they have sold ~70,000.

Since Toyota doubled production of the Prius about a year ago, I have no doubt they make money on it. Just shows how more efficient Toyota is compared to Ford.