On my 08 FEH there is a small grill just right of the steering column, close to where the ignition key goes. Do you know what this is?

This is the air intake for the climate control system's interior temperature sensor.

I have always wondered what that was.

Look closely at almost any vehicle available with auto climate control and you'll probably see something similar. It must be low enough to avoid the sun but high enough to be an accurate sample of the ambient air in the front seat area. It usually ends up being located near the steering column, about where it is on your '08 FEH. There's usually a line connected to it under the dash that leads to the air intake (I think it's called an aspirator) to draw air in and across the sensor when the fan is on.

Thanks for that info, I was also wondering what that sensor was...

2008 Ford Escape Hybrid - Adopted 7-7-07