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Escape PHEV "Beginner's EV"?


MrCurvedLimos

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I've been watching video reviews of the Escape PHEV and I've heard several reviewers make the claim that "the Escape PHEV is a good car for people who aren't ready to go fully electric yet."  The commonality of the sentiment suggests to me that it's an item on a list of talking points provided by Ford.

 

My wife and I want to make long (1 to 2 week) trips around the country exploring the National Parks after the pandemic. We only own one car, which since 2015 has been a C-Max Energi. It fits our needs quite well, except its range around town leaves something to be desired, its turning radius is terrible, and the step in the cargo floor is a much bigger impediment than we imagined.

 

We recently test-drove a '21 Escape PHEV and loved it, so we ordered one.  To me it seems our new Escape phev will hit a sweet spot.  My wife and I can save money by owning and maintaining only one car, be eco-friendly by doing all of our in-town driving on electric, and still be able to traipse around the country by taking advantage of the existing national infrastructure of gas stations... and get 40 mpg while we're doing it (better than the C-Max!).

 

What I'm curious about is this marketing idea that, "It's not the cars that's aren't ready, it's you."  Is that true? Would my wife and I really be able to own only one fully-electric car and take long trips across the US exploring the highways and the byways, without having to worry about running out of joules somewhere? If the answer is, "Not yet," how long will it be before that's actually possible?

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It’s possible now if you get a 300 mile range EV and you’re willing to plan your trip around charging and charging stations and waiting 1-2 hours per day. You might get lucky and be able to stay somewhere that can charge overnight.  But in my experience those are few and far between outside big cities.  
 

Personally I think it will take the next generation battery that charges much faster and a significant buildup of the charging infrastructure which I think will take at least 5 years but that’s just my personal view.  Until then you’re better suited with a PHEV.

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For some consumers that assessment is rooted in truth. People who don't regularly make long drives have unfounded range anxiety about BEVs but it's also true that for long, multi-day road trips the batteries and the infrastructure have not progressed to a level where finding an open, working charger and then still waiting around a couple hours is not a major inconvenience. Plus a lot of national parks are pretty remote with even fewer charging options and given the demographic of visitors more competition for spots.

 

Like akirby said, at least 5 years for solid state batteries and fast-charging infrastructure to make road trips convenient again. Imagine the nightmare Christmas/Thanksgiving traffic or hurricane evacuation would be right now if all of the cars on the road were a BEV.

 

For most people who have a place to plug in a vehicle at home, PHEVs today make the most sense from a purchase cost, fuel cost, maintenance cost and convenience perspective. But if you really, really want a BEV then get one and rent an ICE vehicle for national parks road trips.

 

 

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You both are confirming my suspicions.  Two and a half years ago (the last time we took a big cross country trip) I definitely didn't see enough chargers to think it was practical to drive cross country in a BEV. I'm not surprised the situation hasn't changed much in the last couple years. Hopefully by the time our 2022 Escape PHEV gets long in the tooth, the infrastructure will be ready!

 

Another thing I find curious about the marketing of EVs in general are the stated charging times. They typically assume the battery is empty and needs a full recharge. In reality, if you drive 10 miles to work and 10 miles home, you only have to top up 20 miles of charge most days, and that's easily accomplished with a Level 1 charger. Anyone who's driven an EV understands this.

 

But when marketing to potential new EV buyers, it seems like the stated recharge-from-empty times are likely to be off-putting. It would be great if manufacturers had calculators on their websites to help new customers understand the charge times they are likely to experience, instead of giving the worst case as a blanket statement.

Edited by MrCurvedLimos
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12 hours ago, MrCurvedLimos said:

You both are confirming my suspicions.  Two and a half years ago (the last time we took a big cross country trip) I definitely didn't see enough chargers to think it was practical to drive cross country in a BEV. I'm not surprised the situation hasn't changed much in the last couple years. Hopefully by the time our 2022 Escape PHEV gets long in the tooth, the infrastructure will be ready!

 

I have a Lincoln Corsair Grand PHEV on order for exactly this reason.  We're not ready to commit to BEV until the ranges and charging capacities are increased.  Given the rate of technological advancement, it seems reasonable that in 5-7 years time we could expect 500-600 mile ranges that would make road-tripping much more feasible (not to mention huge gains in charging infrastructure.)

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On 2/22/2022 at 1:08 AM, MrCurvedLimos said:

We recently test-drove a '21 Escape PHEV and loved it, so we ordered one.  To me it seems our new Escape phev will hit a sweet spot.  My wife and I can save money by owning and maintaining only one car, be eco-friendly by doing all of our in-town driving on electric, and still be able to traipse around the country by taking advantage of the existing national infrastructure of gas stations... and get 40 mpg while we're doing it (better than the C-Max!).

 

Would you please update this thread with how long it takes to get your Escape? I'm planning to order a PHEV Escape later this year, and I'm curious what kind of lead time you experience. Also coming from a C-Max Energi! :)

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Harley Lover, lead time is going to be variable and unpredictable due to chip and supply shortages. I put my order in on an Escape PHEV the first week of January thinking the wait might be 3-4 months like the people who ordered last fall. However, I was told a month later than lead times could now be up to a year. That projected lead time of course is subject to change too lol.

 

If you're sold on the Escape PHEV I think you should consider finding a dealership that will let you put a refundable deposit on a factory order and put the order in now. My dealer hasn't even cashed the deposit check.

At worst, when it arrives you decide it's not the right time to buy a car or just this car and get a refund. The dealer's not going to care because they get an extra car to sell above their allocation.

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25 minutes ago, thejoyofsobe said:

Harley Lover, lead time is going to be variable and unpredictable due to chip and supply shortages. I put my order in on an Escape PHEV the first week of January thinking the wait might be 3-4 months like the people who ordered last fall. However, I was told a month later than lead times could now be up to a year. That projected lead time of course is subject to change too lol.

 

If you're sold on the Escape PHEV I think you should consider finding a dealership that will let you put a refundable deposit on a factory order and put the order in now. My dealer hasn't even cashed the deposit check.

At worst, when it arrives you decide it's not the right time to buy a car or just this car and get a refund. The dealer's not going to care because they get an extra car to sell above their allocation.

 

Great feedback, much appreciated. I'm curious to hear what the OP was told (dealer tales seem to be all over the map, not sure what to make of it). 

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9 hours ago, Harley Lover said:

 

Would you please update this thread with how long it takes to get your Escape? I'm planning to order a PHEV Escape later this year, and I'm curious what kind of lead time you experience. Also coming from a C-Max Energi! :)

 

We ordered mid-December '21.  We were told 3-4 months by the dealer as well.  We got an email confirmation from Ford that they received the order, but no other info yet. I'll post updates when I hear anything.

Edited by MrCurvedLimos
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Ordered a '22 Escape PHEV in late November, was told 3-4 months.  Received a few emails stating potential build dates and postponements.  Just got an email stating that the build was complete and shipment to local dealer should be around last week of March.  So, 4 months.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I got an email from Ford yesterday that says, "Thanks again for placing your 2022 Escape Titanium Plug-In Hybrid order. While we’ve been busy working to get your new vehicle into production, we’ve run into a few delays.

Sometimes certain features or options can lengthen the time before a vehicle is scheduled for production.

We know there’s a lot of anticipation when it comes to getting into a new vehicle, so we’ll make sure to keep you updated. Once your vehicle is ready to move into the production schedule, you’ll be hearing from us again."

The little status bar graphic shows still at step 1, Order Confirmed.

 

It's been about 3 months since we ordered.

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10 hours ago, MrCurvedLimos said:

I got an email from Ford yesterday that says, "Thanks again for placing your 2022 Escape Titanium Plug-In Hybrid order. While we’ve been busy working to get your new vehicle into production, we’ve run into a few delays.

Sometimes certain features or options can lengthen the time before a vehicle is scheduled for production.

We know there’s a lot of anticipation when it comes to getting into a new vehicle, so we’ll make sure to keep you updated. Once your vehicle is ready to move into the production schedule, you’ll be hearing from us again."

The little status bar graphic shows still at step 1, Order Confirmed.

 

It's been about 3 months since we ordered.

Ours was ordered August 30th and is being built next week, it took 7 months to move from the confirmed status, we got a VIN about 3 months ago but status didn't change until last week.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...
On 4/12/2022 at 6:23 PM, Escaped25 said:

Bredick, I was curious where you live? Waiting on delivery on ours but ordered in December.

South East Michigan, we did end up receiving our phev in the beginning of April, day 213 after order confirmation. My wife has been enjoying it, very happy so far.

 

We actually got surprised with delivery when the order tracker still showed preparing for shipment.

Edited by bredick
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  • 2 months later...

We owned a Mustang Mach-E and it was perfect for a second car (with our Continental).  When we decided to go to one vehicle we ordered an Escape PHEV.  6 months and 5 days later it was delivered.
 At 1,150 miles, we have used 2 gallons of gas.  Our electric charge is 5.12 cents per kWH and we charge at 120 volts.  Overall we are seeing a cost of 2 cents per mile on battery and 9 cents per mile on gas.

It is a great solution but I’m eyeing the Corsair PHEV as the next vehicle.

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I really like the Corsair GT... When it was announced in 2019, it drew my interest immediately. But after it and the Escape PHEV got on the market and I could compare specs side-by-side, I decided to order the Escape instead. That decision is mainly because I have little need for AWD or 300 hp, and prefer to have a more fuel efficient car with longer EV range and lower weight. But I sure do like the styling of the Corsair a lot!

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  • 1 month later...

I received a third communication from Ford.  First was on 12/22/21 to confirm order placed on 12/14/21, second was on 3/18/22, and now third on 8/18/22.

 

"As promised, we want to update you on the status of your  EscapeTitanium Plug-In Hybrid order. We are still experiencing delays due to the supply chain challenges that Ford and our industry are facing at this time.

Please understand that while getting your vehicle into production is taking longer than usual, we are doing all we can to minimize the delays.

There’s nothing we want more than to deliver your new  EscapeTitanium Plug-In Hybrid. We are fully committed to keeping you updated on your vehicle’s status, and will let you know as more information becomes available. We apologize for any inconvenience, and truly appreciate your patience and understanding."

 

The order has been at priority 02 for about 90 days now, and no discernible progress.  Despite Ford's full commitment to keeping me updated, I still feel in the dark.

 

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  • ice-capades changed the title to Escape PHEV "Beginner's EV"?
13 hours ago, MrCurvedLimos said:

I received a third communication from Ford.  First was on 12/22/21 to confirm order placed on 12/14/21, second was on 3/18/22, and now third on 8/18/22.

 

"As promised, we want to update you on the status of your  EscapeTitanium Plug-In Hybrid order. We are still experiencing delays due to the supply chain challenges that Ford and our industry are facing at this time.

Please understand that while getting your vehicle into production is taking longer than usual, we are doing all we can to minimize the delays.

There’s nothing we want more than to deliver your new  EscapeTitanium Plug-In Hybrid. We are fully committed to keeping you updated on your vehicle’s status, and will let you know as more information becomes available. We apologize for any inconvenience, and truly appreciate your patience and understanding."

 

The order has been at priority 02 for about 90 days now, and no discernible progress.  Despite Ford's full commitment to keeping me updated, I still feel in the dark.

 

 

Your dealer has all the information available 24/7 in the VVR and other reports.

 

Prior to ordering, did you discuss receiving regular reports from them as to progress, or reasons for the delays. I suggest contacting the Sales Manager and if they don't help, the GM and then the owner. Make the dealer provide you with customer service.

 

Although I purchase directly from a Sales Manager, he assigns me a salesman, who provides weekly updates.

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On 8/19/2022 at 11:03 AM, Rangers09 said:

Your dealer has all the information available 24/7 in the VVR and other reports.

...

Although I purchase directly from a Sales Manager, he assigns me a salesman, who provides weekly updates.

 

What kind of info do you get in your weekly reports?

 

I called the dealer and asked for an update, and my salesperson said that my order is at priority 02 and is still unscheduled. That was all the info he seemed to have.

 

He added that the holdup seems to be that it's a PHEV, not attributable to any one feature like heated seats or roof rails or trailer hitch.  He said the only Escape PHEV they've ever been able to get was the '21 SEL PHEV that I test drove 9 months ago.  They've never had another one on the lot.  The only PHEVs they see are retail orders, and the retail orders arrive very infrequently.

Edited by MrCurvedLimos
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23 hours ago, MrCurvedLimos said:

 

What kind of info do you get in your weekly reports?

 

I called the dealer and asked for an update, and my salesperson said that my order is at priority 02 and is still unscheduled. That was all the info he seemed to have.

 

He added that the holdup seems to be that it's a PHEV, not attributable to any one feature like heated seats or roof rails or trailer hitch.  He said the only Escape PHEV they've ever been able to get was the '21 SEL PHEV that I test drove 9 months ago.  They've never had another one on the lot.  The only PHEVs they see are retail orders, and the retail orders arrive very infrequently.

 

Until it was serialised, the priority code, status and any information they had received on commodity restraints. After it was serialised, the production status and once shipped the car # and location.

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