Comments on: GM gets second test battery for Volt, Ford unveils Escape plug-in hybrid

By: Kaizen

Kaizen — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 07:11:14 +0000

Trust me, the hybrid sports cars is coming, quicker than you think.

By: jdasch1

jdasch1 — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 06:35:22 +0000

The current Escape Hybrid has the room and weight capacity for extra batteries. This makes it a perfect mule for a plug-in Hybrid. There are many battery companies using this vehicle to test their batteries for plug-in validation. 40 miles is the goal, but currently that is about 800 lbs of lead acid, and 500 lbs of NiMh. Lithium is about 1/2 of NiMH’s weight, and twice the price. Price is everything…they keep saying safety, but price is everything. It takes years of gas savings to pay for Hybrid over non Hybrid…imagine the years to pay for plug-in Lithium options. Car companies live for a 3 year cycle of ownership…a $45k Escape Hybrid 2WD plug-in is a long ways off.

By: hbcbob3

hbcbob3 — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:23:47 +0000

jackjim…you’re a genius

By: CA36GTP

CA36GTP — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 14:57:41 +0000

Escape’s character fits the whole “green practicality” scheme well. It was already considered a “small SUV” for people who wanted to haul groceries but get better than 5 MPG. A plug-in makes sense. Though the whole Escape itself needs a redesigned generation to bring the features and appearance into the present day.

Can’t wait for the Volt. I’m a little wary of the appearance changes being made, but I hope it’ll still look fantastic.

By: autonut

autonut — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:57:28 +0000

Electrocution was meant as a joke. But what is not a joke is inability of GM to go from prototype to production in 2 years. I believe it is a sales job by Lutz.
EV1 was not sold and pooled off the market, how is it a product worth mentioning? Al Gore would not be able to drive it around his 20,000 sqaure foot house.

By: jackjimturkey

jackjimturkey — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:34:14 +0000

bob, frylock:

my answer to everything is “put a 454 in it.”

By: nerfer

nerfer — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:26:11 +0000

441Zuke – the Honda Accord Hybrid was geared for performance – power of a V8 with the fuel economy of V6 is what I think they were saying. I can’t remember the 0-60 time, but it was good. It didn’t sell very well, and now it’s pulled from the market. Yes, it’s not a sports car, but I think people in the car market considering hybrids are considering them for economy and global warming and not-feeding-the-terrorist issues. If you have money and want a fast car, you’re probably not concerned about those issues, so just get a big motor for the same price or less. For an expensive car, the price of fuel is not a deal breaker.
I would think a hybrid minivan or tall wagon would sell very well. Something like the Saturn Vue but with 35 mpg or better. People buy those because they need to, not want to, so why not give them some fuel-efficient options.

By: nerfer

nerfer — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:17:11 +0000

Jay, people expect a plug-in hybrid to be able to run a decent distance on electric only (like the Volt’s supposed 40 miles). A regular hybrid can go on electric only for just a short distance (a mile or so on the Prius, under very gentle conditions, or not at all for a serial hybrid setup like the Hondas). That difference is the killer – you need better batteries (Li-Ion instead of NimH probably), more batteries, and/or a deeper discharge cycle on the battery, which kills its lifetime. Toyota keeps the Prius battery between I think 60% and 90% state of charge at all times, and as a result the batteries last the life of the vehicle. Adding batteries is expensive, plus the obvious choice, Li-Ion, has people running scared because the types used in laptops have a possible runaway thermal condition (they can catch fire and/or explode). Most car manufacturers are looking at different (safer) types of Lithium-based batteries, but still they need to really, really, really, make sure they won’t get sued by the family of the first guy to die in a fire after driving his car into a tree at 80 mph.

By: jayjc08

jayjc08 — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:03:25 +0000

The sticker on the front window of the Ford Escape is just a bit too much for me, but I like the paint job, as well as on the Edge plug in. I don’t understand, what’s so complicated about having a power hookup in your car?

They have to do TONS of research and stall as much as possible, before they put an already tested and proven product on the market. I tell you, it’s a bunch of nut cases running the car industry.

By: LP640

LP640 — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 20:54:45 +0000

Gm put an AA battery in the glove box of one of their cars and think theyve made a hybrid, haha LAME

By: hbcbob3

hbcbob3 — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 20:15:11 +0000

touche’

By: frylock350

frylock350 — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 20:08:00 +0000

I apologize hbcbob, it sounded like a hint of sarcasm but I stand corrected. In that case I agree with you completely.

Thinking on the modular design of the Volt’s powertrain it may be very easy for the DIY mechanic to work on. Electric engines are less complex than ICEs so learning them can’t be that hard (you did learn the ICE after all). The modularity will certainly attract an aftermarket community if the Volt takes off. People selling different generator motors for it, etc.

PS I built my computer too. Why pay somebody to assemble the computer incorrectly? If you can work on a car a computer is nothing to build. Any handy person can assemble a computer in less than 10 minutes.

By: hbcbob3

hbcbob3 — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:49:50 +0000

frylock: it was not sarcastic in the least. i believe that if you can’t work on something in your own garage (at least change the oil or air filter) then it is just another computer. 305, 1784, 28…what’s the difference, if you are able to take it apart and put it back together in your shop without the hands of underqualified car mechanics touching it you’re doing alright.

By: frylock350

frylock350 — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:45:43 +0000

hbcbob, I know that was a sarcastic comment but I would LOVE to be working in a 454 big block in my garage. Instead I have a wimpy 305.

Although I would never buy a vehicle that I couldn’t work on myself.

By: hbcbob3

hbcbob3 — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:53:32 +0000

watch it zuke…this is america and we are here to buy up all the fossil fuels and piss on the rest of the environment because we are rich americans. we don’t deserve to drive around hybrid and electric vehicles that we can’t even work on in our own garages without harnessing an immense understanding of electric vehicle technology and suiting up in non-conductive safety gear. as i said, this is america and people deserve to work in their own garages with their own tools on their 454 big blocks or their 302 bosses. that’s what christmas is all about charlie brown…

By: cookie4me

cookie4me — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:24:13 +0000

Electrocution is a fear for any hybrid which includes the Prius and Civic. How would this be any different? Even so, I doubt the possibility of electrocution exists unless you were directly hanging onto the positive and negative cables.

By: CTS DRIVER

CTS DRIVER — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:53:00 +0000

autonut, slow down you are messing up your facts.

By: 441Zuke

441Zuke — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:06:39 +0000

gm did make the ev1

By: autonut

autonut — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:52:14 +0000

From prototype (which GM does not have yet) to a production car in 2 years! I can see the second edition “Unsafe at any speed” coming out after Volt starts electrocuting its occupants during heavy rain. It’s the first electric vehicle with not prior precedent of production and I don’t recall GM producing cars that quickly (they are in car business only 100 years).

By: 441Zuke

441Zuke — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:43:41 +0000

why do automakers insist upon showing us suvs. Make a sports car hybrid already imagine a hybrid mustang ( no 4 banger v6 hybrid)or corvette (on the other hand, maybe not) blasphemy i know but it would have instant torque. i am sick of hybrid suvs. I drive cars make a decent hybrid car possibly an exciting one.

By: SwerveEarly

SwerveEarly — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:42:53 +0000

Sleeper smack is great.

By: SwerveEarly

SwerveEarly — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:42:14 +0000

The Escape hybrid has been Fords only real positive in the U.S. market. Its a popular high volume model that would benefit the most from improved MPG.

Why is adding a charging plug to a Hybrid happening now. Shouldnt that have been an obvious and easy addition in the 1st place. Hmmm.WTF

I love that the EV symposium is across the street from Disneyland. Keepn it reel.

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:33:08 +0000

Hey, give Ford credit for the Escape Hybrid program. It’s already a good, practical vehicle and they’re sticking with it. Not everyone wants their hybrids to look like leftover props from Woody Allen’s ‘Sleeper’.

By: autonut

autonut — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:11:20 +0000

My guess is that Escape in essence is a tall station wagon: easy to work with with plenty of elbow room and Ford does not plan to change it dramatically every 4 years, so the platform will have long life cycle.

By: LamborghiniZ

LamborghiniZ — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:07:47 +0000

Does anyone know why Ford has made the Escape its official mule for nearly every type of alternative energy propulsion?