Ford’s Flex-Fuel Escape Hybrid

Two of Ford's premier petroleum-saving technologies - hybrid electric power and flexible-fuel capability - converge in the Escape Hybrid E85. A research vehicle recently unveiled at the Washington Auto Show, the Escape Hybrid E85 is the first hybrid vehicle that is capable of operating on fuel containing as much as 85 percent ethanol, referred to as E85. The fuel is derived from American-grown corn or sugar beets and offers reduced greenhouse gas emissions when used in place of gasoline. According to Ford, the Escape Hybrid E85 produces 25 percent less carbon dioxide than a gasoline-fueled Escape Hybrid, which already holds the title as the world's cleanest SUV.

Why haven't we seen this logical approach before? Since some blends of ethanol are much more volatile than gasoline, a more aggressive evaporative system is needed. A hybrid application presents additional evaporative challenges because the vehicle often operates on electric power alone without actuating the evaporative vacuum system that operates when the engine is running. Ford's solutions to this dilemma are aimed at improving the efficiency of the systems that trap and consume fuel vapors as well as preventing the formation of vapors.

Ford is ramping up its efforts on both the hybrid and ethanol fronts. The automaker claims it will produce 250,000 hybrids a year globally by the end of the decade due to a slew of new hybrid sedans and SUVs. Additionally, the company will produce up to 250,000 ethanol-capable vehicles this year, comprised mostly of pickup trucks and large sedans. Combined, these two technologies could have quite the impact: Ford points out that if five percent of the U.S. vehicle fleet were powered by hybrids operating exclusively on E85, imports of oil could be reduced by about 140 million barrels a year.