ford hybrid cars

Ford hybrid cars

ford hybrid cars, launched in 2004, is a gas-electric hybrid powered version of the Ford Escape SUV developed by the Ford Motor Company. Built in Kansas City, Missouri, it was the first hybrid SUV to hit the market. A similar vehicle, the Mercury Mariner Hybrid is sold by Ford's Mercury marque. A third variation, the Mazda Tribute Hybrid, is expected to arrive in the fall of 2007 as a 2008 Model Year vehicle with a limited production run for the California market.[1]

Hybrid versions can be identified by the "Hybrid" badges on the front driver's and passenger's doors as well as on the tailgate. In addition, the driver's side window in the cargo area is smaller in size in order to accommodate a ventilation slot for the high voltage battery. There was also a "Special Appearance Package" available as an option on the 2004-2007 Hybrid models. This package replaced the traditional lower cladding of the Escape with a silver finish (see picture).

The Escape hybrid is a "full" hybrid electric system, meaning the system can switch automatically between pure electric power, pure gasoline engine power, or a combination of electric battery and gasoline engine operating together, for maximum performance and efficiency at all speeds and loads. When braking or decelerating, the Escape's hybrid system uses regenerative braking, where the electric drive motor becomes a generator, converting the vehicle's momentum back to electricity for storage in the batteries. With 155 horsepower (116 kW), the Hybrid Escape has nearly the same acceleration performance as the conventional 200 hp (150 kW) V6 Escape.

Ford built 17,000 Escape Hybrids in the second half of 2004, four times as many as it had originally planned, and sales figures have remained steady:[2]
Model 2005 sales 2006 sales 2007 sales
Ford Escape Hybrid (FEH) 18,797 19,228 21,386
Mercury Mariner Hybrid (MMH) 998 3,375 3,722

Purchasers of 2008 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrids qualify for US income tax credits between $2,200-3,000.

Toyota, launched two hybrid SUVs in 2005, a version of their Highlander, and a Lexus-badged RX 400h, both of which outsold the Escape hybrid in 2006, their first full year of sales.[5] A number of Mazda Tribute Hybrids have also been produced.

Ford announced the development of a prototype Hybrid Escape E85, the first hybrid vehicle capable of running on 85% ethanol flexible fuel, although they have not announced any production plans.[6]
Contents
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* 1 Development
* 2 Performance
* 3 Emissions
* 4 Plug-in hybrids
o 4.1 Technology
* 5 See also
* 6 References
* 7 External links

Development

The Escape Hybrid uses technology similar to that used in Toyota's Prius. Ford engineers realized their technology may conflict with patents held by Toyota, which led to a 2004 patent-sharing accord between the companies, licensing Ford's use of some of Toyota's hybrid technology in exchange for Toyota's use of some of Ford's diesel and direct-injection engine technology.[7] Both Ford and Toyota state that Ford received no technical assistance from Toyota in developing the hybrid powertrain.[citation needed] Aisin Seiki Co. Ltd., a Japanese automotive components supplier belonging to the Toyota Group, supplies the hybrid transmission for the Escape Hybrid. While Toyota produces its third-generation Prius transmission in-house, Aisin is the only supplier of hybrid transmissions to other manufacturers. Friction has arisen concerning Aisin's allocation of limited production capacity and engineering resources to Ford.[7]

Sanyo Electric Co., which first produced hybrid car batteries in a joint venture with Honda,[8] built the 50 kg (110 lb),330V[9] 5.5 Ah (would make it 1.8kWh storage) , 250-cell nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery pack for the 2005 Escape Hybrid.[10]

Performance

The Escape Hybrid's 133 horsepower (99 kW) gasoline engine and 94 hp (70 kW) electric motor combine to give performance similar to the 200 hp (150 kW) V6 engine commonly used in the regular Escape. The hybrid is said to give approximately 75% greater efficiency, with about 33 to 36 mpg (U.S.) (6.5-7.1 L/100 km) in city traffic, (and has demonstrated it can travel 400–500 miles (644-805 km) on a single 16.5 gallon (62.4 L) tank of gasoline in city driving), and 29 to 31 mpg (U.S.) (7.6L-8.1 L/100 km) on the highway. Unlike conventional vehicles, hybrids often achieve better figures in the city because they do not waste power idling and can recover some power when stopping (by using regenerative braking) that would be wasted on a conventional vehicle.

The Escape Hybrid can accelerate up to approximately 39 miles per hour (63 km/h) on electric,[citation needed] with a gentle acceleration. A maximum distance of 1.5 miles (2.4 km) - 1.8 miles (2.9 km) can be performed on electric before the batteries will discharge and the gasoline will restart.[citation needed] When coasting, if the brake is gently tapped when passing below 40 mph (64 km/h), the gasoline engine will cut off, and the coast will continue with no gasoline being consumed.[citation needed] Electric mode does not perform as well when below 50 degrees F (10 °C), and performance degrades further as outside temperature drops further.[citation needed]

The Escape Hybrid gives a top speed of 102 mph (163 km/h).[11]

Emissions

The Escape Hybrid meets both California's SULEV and PZEV standards, with tailpipe emissions better than 90% less than the average 2003 new car and zero evaporative emissions.[citation needed]

Plug-in hybrids

Three companies have converted Ford Escape Hybrids to Plug-in under a contract with the NYSERDA and delivered them in 2007:[12]

* Electrovaya of Toronto Canada
* HyMotion also of Toronto Canada
* Hybrids Plus of Boulder Colorado USA

Ford has converted a Ford Escape Hybrids to Plug-in and delivered it to Southern California Edison (SCE) in December 2007 to examine the future of plug-in hybrids in terms of how home and vehicle energy systems will work with the electrical grid.[13] Under the multi-million-dollar, multi-year project, Ford will convert a demonstration fleet of Ford Escape Hybrids into plug-in hybrids, and SCE will evaluate how the vehicles might interact with the home and the utility's electrical grid. Some of the vehicles will be evaluated "in typical customer settings," according to Ford.

Technology
Hybrids Plus PHEV battery
Hybrids Plus PHEV battery

The Ford and Hybrids Plus conversions are similar: conversion involves the replacement of the original NiMH battery (on the floor of the trunk) with a larger capacity LiIon battery, in the same location and substantially the same volume as the original battery.

On the other side, the Electrovaya and HiMotion conversions retain the original battery, and augment it with a LiIon battery that occupies a significant portion of the trunk.

In all cases, the conversion also involves the addition of a charger and of a power plug.

the ford cars

Ford was launched in a converted factory in 1903 with $28,000 in cash from twelve investors, most notably John Francis Dodge and Horace Elgin Dodge who would later found the Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicle Company. During its early years, the company produced just a few cars a day at its factory on Mack Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Groups of two or three men worked on each car from components made to order by other companies. Henry Ford was 40 years old when he founded the Ford Motor Company, which would go on to become one of the largest and most profitable companies in the world, as well as being one of the few to survive the Great Depression. The largest family-controlled company in the world, the Ford Motor Company has been in continuous family control for over 100 years.

Corporate governance

Members of the board as of early 2007 are: Chief Sir John Bond, Richard Manoogian, Stephen Butler, Ellen Marram, Kimberly Casiano, Alan Mulally (President and CEO), Edsel Ford II, Homer Neal, William Clay Ford, Jr., Jorma Ollila, Irvine Hockaday, Jr., John L. Thornton and William Clay Ford (Director Emeritus).[9]

The main corporate officers are: Lewis Booth (Executive Vice President, Chairman (PAG) and Ford of Europe), Mark Fields (Executive Vice President, President [The Americas]), Donat Leclair (Executive Vice President and CFO), Mark A. Schulz (Executive Vice President, President [International Operations]) and Michael E. Bannister (Group Vice President; Chairman & CEO Ford Motor Credit).[10]. Paul Mascarenas (Vice President of Engineering, The Americas Product Development)

Recent company developments

During the mid to late 1990s, Ford sold large numbers of vehicles, in a booming American economy with soaring stock market and low fuel prices. With the dawn of the new century, legacy healthcare costs, higher fuel prices, and a faltering economy led to falling market shares, declining sales, and sliding profit margins. Most of the corporate profits came from financing consumer automobile loans through Ford Motor Credit Company.

By 2005, corporate bond rating agencies had downgraded the bonds of both Ford and GM to junk status [12], citing high U.S. health care costs for an aging workforce, soaring gasoline prices, eroding market share, and dependence on declining SUV sales for revenues. Profit margins decreased on large vehicles due to increased "incentives" (in the form of rebates or low interest financing) to offset declining demand. [13]

In the face of falling truck and SUV sales, Ford moved to introduce a range of new vehicles, including "Crossover SUVs" built on unibody car platforms, rather than body-on-frame truck chasses. Ford also developed alternative fuel and high efficiency vehicles, such as the Escape Hybrid.[14]. Ford announced that it will team up with Southern California Edison (SCE) to examine the future of plug-in hybrids in terms of how home and vehicle energy systems will work with the electrical grid. Under the multi-million-dollar, multi-year project, Ford will convert a demonstration fleet of Ford Escape Hybrids into plug-in hybrids, and SCE will evaluate how the vehicles might interact with the home and the utility's electrical grid. Some of the vehicles will be evaluated "in typical customer settings," according to Ford. [15] [16]

In December 2006, the company raised its borrowing capacity to about $25 billion, placing substantially all corporate assets as collateral to secure the line of credit [17]. Chairman Bill Ford has stated that "bankruptcy is not an option" [18], but economists have stated that the company's impending contract renewal with the United Auto Workers in the summer of 2007 could be brutal. The UAW has vowed to attempt to retain the jobs banks, a system which retains idled workers on the payroll, rather than laying them off, in order to maintain contracted US employment levels.

The automaker reported the largest annual loss in company history in 2006 of $12.7 billion, [20] and estimated that it would not return to profitability until 2009.[21] However, Ford surprised Wall Street in the second quarter of 2007 by posting a $750 million profit. The company finished the year with a $2.7 billion loss, largely attributed to finance restructuring at Volvo.

Ford has announced plans to sell Land Rover and Jaguar, with Tata Motors being the leading prospective buyer.

In January of 2008, Ford launched a website listing the 10 Built Ford Tough Rules as well as a series of webisodes that parodies the show COPS (TV Series).

"The Way Forward"

Main article: The Way Forward

In the latter half of 2005, Chairman Bill Ford asked newly-appointed Ford Americas Division President Mark Fields to develop a plan to return the company to profitability. Fields previewed the Plan, dubbed The Way Forward, at the December 7, 2005 board meeting of the company; and it was unveiled to the public on January 23, 2006. "The Way Forward" includes resizing the company to match current market realities, dropping some unprofitable and inefficient models, consolidating production lines, and shutting fourteen factories and cutting 30,000 jobs.

These cutbacks are consistent with Ford's roughly 25% decline in U.S. automotive market share since the mid-late 1990s. Ford's target is to become profitable again in 2009, a year later than projected. Ford's realignment also includes the sale of its wholly owned subsidiary, Hertz Rent-a-Car to a private equity group for $15 billion in cash and debt acquisition. The sale was completed on December 22, 2005. A joint venture with Mahindra and Mahindra Limited of India ended with the sale of Ford's 15 percent stake in 2005.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ford also became President of the company in April 2006, with the retirement of Jim Padilla. Five months later, in September, he stepped down as President and CEO, and naming Alan Mulally as his successor. Bill Ford continues as Executive Chairman, along with an executive operating committee made up of Mulally, Mark Schulz, Lewis Booth, Don Leclair, and Mark Fields.

Brands and marques

Today, Ford Motor Company manufactures automobiles under several names including Lincoln and Mercury in the United States. In 1958, Ford introduced a new marque, the Edsel, but poor sales led to its discontinuation in 1960. Later, in 1985, the Merkur brand was introduced; it met a similar fate in 1989.

Ford has major manufacturing operations in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, the People's Republic of China, and several other countries, including South Africa where, following divestment during apartheid, it once again has a wholly owned subsidiary. Ford also has a cooperative agreement with Russian automaker GAZ.

Since 1989, Ford has acquired Aston Martin (which it sold again on March 12, 2007[25], but it will retain a $77 million stake in the sports car maker[26]), Jaguar, Land Rover, from the United Kingdom and Volvo Cars from Sweden, as well as a controlling share (33.4%) of Mazda of Japan, with which it operates an American joint venture plant in Flat Rock, Michigan called Auto Alliance. It has spun off its parts division under the name Visteon. Its prestige brands, with the exception of Lincoln, are managed through its Premier Automotive Group.

Ford's FoMoCo parts division sells aftermarket parts under the Motorcraft brand name.

Ford's non-manufacturing operations include organizations such as automotive finance operation Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford also sponsors numerous events and sports facilities around the nation, most notably Ford Center in downtown Oklahoma City and Ford Field in downtown Detroit.

Overall the Ford Motor Company controls the following operational car marques: Daimler, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury, and Volvo; Daimler, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Volvo are currently part of the Premier Automotive Group.

Global markets

Initially, Ford models sold outside the U.S. were essentially versions of those sold on the home market, but later on, models specific to Europe were developed and sold. Attempts to globalize the model line have often failed, with Europe's Ford Mondeo selling poorly in the United States, while U.S. models such as the Ford Taurus have fared poorly in Japan and Australia, even when produced in right hand drive. The small European model Ka, a hit in its home market, did not catch on in Japan, as it was not available as an automatic. The Mondeo was dropped by Ford Australia, because the segment of the market in which it competes had been in steady decline, with buyers preferring the larger local model, the Falcon. One recent exception is the European model of the Focus, which has sold strongly on both sides of the Atlantic.

From 2003, Toyota outsold Ford Motor worldwide. [27]. From the second quarter 2006, Toyota has passed Ford as the #2 automaker, by sales, in the United States[28].

The Ford Motor Company is in partnership talks to license hybrid technology from the Toyota Motor Corporation in a deal that could help establish Toyota's system as a standard for the industry