I haven't posted here for a while. I have a FEH 2008 and wouldn't trade it for anything but a Tesla, and they don't have an SUV yet.

The wife dragged me to an arts fair in Menlo Park (CA) last weekend and the local Ford dealer had a whole side street display of new Ford models. They were all there -- except the Escape. All their other hybrid models were there and also Expedition and an F150 -- but no Escape even the non-hybrid version.

I didn't take the time to ask the guy there why it was, but does anyone here know?

 

Limited number of Escape Hybrid's produced. There will not be any more Escape Hybrid' after 2011. The Ford C-Max, Ford Fusion and Focus will receive hybrid equipment from Ford in the future.

 

What's the limitation? Is it still battery parts? That was going on when I bought mine in 2008 I would have thought they had solved that by now.

 

I think battery is part of it, but a larger part is that the 2013 model will be a "world" car, and I'm not sure they see the market being worth engineering a new vehicle for the hybrid powertrain.

It is quite possible that a 2.0L Ecoboost would get pretty good MPG all around. Not up to hybrid standards (and certainly not up to hypermiling standards), but good enough that they would avoid the complexity of the hybrid power components.

 

The Ford EcoBoost engine series sacrifices FE in favor of POWER. The base/native compression ratio "standard" for DFI engines is 13:1, even 14:1 in one case. The Ecoboost engines MUST be detuned, base/native CR of ~10:1 in order to accomodate(***) BOOST pressure. Using the CR standard would probably raise hwy FE by as much as 15%.

*** Enough of the power of combustion MUST be WASTED in the engine's power stroke, EXHAUSTED, in order to SPIN the turbine up QUICKLY once the wastegate closes.

 

I just took my 2008 in for its 40K oil change. While I was waiting I looked around the show-room floor and lot. Not one FEH anywhere.

The guy who gave me a ride to the office remarked -- every one that comes in here has someone's name on it already. You would think Ford would think of a way to build more of them.