Ford Edge Hybrid

[nilkilla]

I have been inundated with sales leads looking for an Edge Hybrid...

I'm wondering..why not?

lose the spare and it could work...though I guess the anemic 2.3L or even upcoming 2.5L would not be enough to move the vehicle to make it economical, or to keep strain off the electric motor.

This idea has entered the public mind, WITHOUT any advertising or concepts, or even me posting this exact stream of thought.

I guess that people are assuming if an Escape can go Hybrid, why not an Edge(other than being quite a bit heavier!).

Any one else having this thought?

[akirby]

Any one else having this thought?

 

Yeah - the engineers at Ford have been thinking about it for awhile now. A V6 Edge hybrid is due out in 2010.

[Pioneer]

Any one else having this thought?

 

There is no reason Ford shouldn't be developing a hybrid version of every vehicle in it's lineup. They should have been doing it years ago. There is no excuse for them not being on the road today.

 

Of course, I am expecting this from a company that takes four years to put a vehicle on sale in the United States that is already on sale in Europe.

[blazerdude20]

again... the d35 in the edge, taurus/x, and flex was designed with a hybrid in mind. ford is working on a hybrid edge. should be out around 2010/11.

 

when it hits the lots dont be suprised if the taurus and flex get one as well

[Blueblood]

Hybrid version of all mainstream cars... oh wait.. nobody makes enough batteries, why aren't battery manufacturers jumping into this lucrative market??????????

 

Attach a cord to every hybrid and CAFE will be easy to meet, even with high powered F-150's and Mustang's.

[blazerdude20]

Hybrid version of all mainstream cars... oh wait.. nobody makes enough batteries, why aren't battery manufacturers jumping into this lucrative market??????????

 

Attach a cord to every hybrid and CAFE will be easy to meet, even with high powered F-150's and Mustang's.

 

while it would make CAFE less of an issue. plug in hybrids would put a huge strain on an already strained power grid.

 

out here on the west coast universities are testing making power from waves. supposidly a 10mile*10mile could power all of L.A.

[twintornados]

I would think that with a hybrid set up in Edge....the 3.0 PIP motor tuned to an atkinson cycle should work well there....

[Blueblood]

while it would make CAFE less of an issue. plug in hybrids would put a huge strain on an already strained power grid.

 

out here on the west coast universities are testing making power from waves. supposidly a 10mile*10mile could power all of L.A.

 

The idea is to plug them in at night, besides, I don't think they would be any different than a bunch of people doing some laundry.

 

Solar panels on rooftops could even be made to store power for night time charging.

Edited May 27, 2008 by Blueblood

[focus05]

If you read about Ford and Cal Edison's research, it is about creating a plug-in that works with the grid. Basically, during periods of high demand, the plug-in could sell energy back to the grid if the cost is worth it. During periods of low demand, you can charge your plug-in. The net result is that you get a hefty discount on your power bill for allowing the grid to operate with some sort of stability.

 

Ford's goal isn't to just create a new PHEV, it's to create a PHEV that creates a business around buying and selling energy that allows consumers to lower their overall energy costs.

[silvrsvt]

For all of you complaining about a lack of Hybrids from Ford, whats the point of building them if Ford is losing money on them? Hopefully it will be solved by the time the CD3 hybrids come out, but thats the biggest reason why Ford only puts out 25K Escapes Hybrids a year

[NickF1011]

There is no reason Ford shouldn't be developing a hybrid version of every vehicle in it's lineup. They should have been doing it years ago. There is no excuse for them not being on the road today.

 

Of course, I am expecting this from a company that takes four years to put a vehicle on sale in the United States that is already on sale in Europe.

 

Supposedly, the versions of the hybrid powerplant going into the Fusion/Milan and Edge are modular in design so they CAN go into any vehicle. The system designed for the Escape wasn't done that way. It was vehicle-specific. The new ones will apparently be capable of being installed in just about anything.

 

Of course, as someone else mentioned, why offer it in everything if you can't supply it due to a lack of batteries and transaxles? I think Escape, Fusion, and Edge would cover the meat of the hybrid market for the next several years. Beyond that, I see the Focus and Taurus being next in line...and hopefully the F-series.

[twintornados]

For all of you complaining about a lack of Hybrids from Ford, whats the point of building them if Ford is losing money on them? Hopefully it will be solved by the time the CD3 hybrids come out, but thats the biggest reason why Ford only puts out 25K Escapes Hybrids a year

ding ding ding ding ding.....Ford makes more PROFIT selling the non-hybrid versions of Escape, and Escape production has been boosted to meet rising demand for that vehicle.

[jasonj80]

For all of you complaining about a lack of Hybrids from Ford, whats the point of building them if Ford is losing money on them? Hopefully it will be solved by the time the CD3 hybrids come out, but thats the biggest reason why Ford only puts out 25K Escapes Hybrids a year

 

They now make money on the Hybrid Escapes, they are profitable.

[NickF1011]

They now make money on the Hybrid Escapes, they are profitable.

 

Not according to the last statement from Ford I saw on the matter. They said the program would not become break-even until the Fusion/Milan hybrids were online.

[Deanh]

Not according to the last statement from Ford I saw on the matter. They said the program would not become break-even until the Fusion/Milan hybrids were online.

and then its fat city and losses will be made up pretty fast..........

[twintornados]

They now make money on the Hybrid Escapes, they are profitable.

The dealers are making the profit due to recent demand for all things hybrid....Ford has stated they make MORE profit on the regular Escape

Edited May 27, 2008 by twintornados

[03 LS]

Yeah - the engineers at Ford have been thinking about it for awhile now. A V6 Edge hybrid is due out in 2010.

 

For a while? Remember Bill Jr's promise, "250K hybrids by 2010", circa 2003, 2004, "quite" a while indeed. That was with v6 hybrid in mind. Even though Ford dropped the program in '06, one of many "can't meet" stated targets, they must have designs somewhat finished. I don't know if they have picked it up again. If not, they should. And I agree that this time "plug in" should be added to the design.

[focus05]

The rumors last year were that the V6 hybrid program was alive and well once again... or, I guess a better way to put it is that the non-CVT program was up and running again (basically a transmission that could take the torque of a particular strength engine/electric motor application). I would expect something at Detroit in January for launch in 2010.

Edited May 28, 2008 by focus05

[jpd80]

Ford hybrids will be profitable this year

This article was last updated on: 01/15/08

By RICHARD TRUETT, AUTOMOTIVE NEWS

 

By the end of this year, Ford Motor Co.'s hybrid vehicle program is expected to be profitable for the first time.

 

Nancy Gioia, Ford's director of sustainable mobility technologies and hybrid vehicle programs, said that since production started in 2004, Ford has chopped about 30 percent of the cost out of making the Escape, Mercury Mariner and Mazda Tribute hybrid SUVs.

 

She said the improvements have come from better batteries, upgrades to the electrical system that governs the hybrid powertrain and less complex controls.

 

Gioia said Ford expects its hybrid vehicles to make money once hybrid versions of the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans start production later this year.

 

Rather than V6 , Ford is exploring EcoBoost gasoline-electric hybrids.

EcoBoost hybrids will have a much smaller gasoline engine without hurting performance

Edited May 28, 2008 by jpd80

[NickF1011]

For a while? Remember Bill Jr's promise, "250K hybrids by 2010", circa 2003, 2004, "quite" a while indeed. That was with v6 hybrid in mind. Even though Ford dropped the program in '06, one of many "can't meet" stated targets, they must have designs somewhat finished. I don't know if they have picked it up again. If not, they should. And I agree that this time "plug in" should be added to the design.

 

Wasn't Ford's fault that Toyota's cronies screwed Ford out of a reliable supply of batteries and transmissions.

 

The next-gen Ford hybrid (in the Edge, Fusion, Milan) will not support plug-in, although the 3rd gen might.

[kevinb120]

The edge is way too heavy. If you want a hybrid that is actually worth the price, the base 0-options FWD Escape is the only one on the market. Too bad its impossible to get one.

[nilkilla]

I understand what you mean about the base mode escape hybrid. a month ago 15 escape hybrids became available to our dealer. 13 are sold, 2 of them are in stock. Both are base models, and will probably leave soon!

 

I tried the "edge hybrid doesn't make sense" conversation, but customers have been adamant , rather than the escape hybrids...perhaps once they get to a Kuga bodystyle, or whatever upgrade they plan for next bodystyle, we can get those customers into them, but we'll have to see.

[NickF1011]

Edge is supposed to be getting a V6 hybrid in 2010. Sounds pretty good to me. It's a bit large to get by on a 4 cylinder powerplant....unless it had some sort of forced induction...but then you'd probably end up with the same complaints many have lodged about vehicles like the Acura RDX -- cruddy fuel economy and lackluster performance.

[kevinb120]

I understand what you mean about the base mode escape hybrid. a month ago 15 escape hybrids became available to our dealer. 13 are sold, 2 of them are in stock. Both are base models, and will probably leave soon!

 

I tried the "edge hybrid doesn't make sense" conversation, but customers have been adamant , rather than the escape hybrids...perhaps once they get to a Kuga bodystyle, or whatever upgrade they plan for next bodystyle, we can get those customers into them, but we'll have to see.

 

Technically, NO hybrids make sense as none are worth the cost of entry, but Ford makes a pathetic, almost completely irrelevant number of Hybrid Escapes as it is(max order is 3% of retail Escape inventory, we stock over 1000 New Fords total, but cant get 2 hybrids in at one time). In the Wash DC area, it is impossible to find or get one, where Toyota has an entire row of Prius in stock. Ford just refuses to make them in quantity. I feel sorry for salespeople in the internet department they have to follow up on 50+ leads per week each. Next up is the Hybrid Fusion.

[nilkilla]

i saw 3 on the lot at the same time(similar size of inventory as yourself) and about fainted...of course one was a special order being delivered...supposedly 09 ramps up production!