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Gadgets Ford Seeing Green with SUVs
Brandon Hill (Blog) - November 27, 2006 9:16 AM
Print E-mail del.icio.us 37 comment(s) - last by techhead97.. on Nov 28 at 7:52 PM

2008 Hydrogen Fuel Cell Explorer Limited

2008 Ford Escape Hybrid "spy shots"

Spy shots courtesy car online
Ford to unveil two new environmentally-friendly SUVs at this year's L.A. Auto Show

At this year's L.A. Auto Show, Ford is expected to show two eco-friendly SUVs -- one of which will be soon available for the public to purchase. Later this week, Ford will unveil a fuel cell-powered Explorer and a second generation Escape Hybrid.

Ford has been secretly testing its 6-passenger fuel cell Explorer for the past year in Motown and has logged over 17,000 test miles with the vehicle. The vehicle features a  50 kW hybrid battery and two 65 kW electric motors -- one on each axle. As to not impede on cargo/passenger space, hydrogen tank is mounted within the central tunnel normally reserved for the transmission, transfer case and driveshaft.

The fuel cell Explorer is said to achieve 350 miles on a single tank of hydrogen. For comparison, a V6-powered 4WD Explorer can travel 337.5 miles/450 miles (city/highway) on a single tank of gasoline and a V8-powered 4WD Explorer can go 315 miles/ 450 miles (city/highway).

Also on display will be Ford's new 2008 Escape Hybrid. The previous generation compact hybrid SUV has been quite popular due to its attractive price tag and many can be seen zipping through New York City as taxi cabs. With the help of its second generation hybrid drivetrain, the 2008 Escape Hybrid is sure to improve on the current AWD model's 33MPG/29MPG (city/highway) figures.

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Where's the hydrogen stations?
By cyberguyz on 11/27/2006 9:51:23 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
The fuel cell Explorer is said to achieve 350 miles on a single tank of hydrogen . For comparison, a V6-powered 4WD Explorer can travel 337.5 miles/450 miles (city/highway) on a single tank of gasoline and a V8-powered 4WD Explorer can go 315 miles/ 450 miles (city/highway).


Where would you get the hydrogen? I haven's seen any service stations that can offer you a fill-up. If there are any I am sure they are more than 350 miles apart...




RE: Where's the hydrogen stations?
By d33pblue on 11/27/2006 10:03:52 AM , Rating: 2
The only real problem with hydrogen vehicles right now are lack of an infrastructure to fuel and service them. That, ultimately, may be the hardest part of hydrogen adoption. Hydrogen storage, fueling, and metering are currently non-existent to the general public and completely uncompatible with their analogous gasoline counterparts.

It is going to be *very* expensive to equip gasoline stations for hydrogen distribution. Hopefully the cost will primarily fall on the fuel companies and not the gas stations themselves. If we get stuck waiting on country mom-and-pop stores to spend many thousands of dollars on hydrogen equipment, adoption will be very slow indeed.


RE: Where's the hydrogen stations?
By sdedward on 11/27/2006 10:42:44 AM , Rating: 5
Thats not the only real problem. Another problem is the fact that currently fossil fuels, the ones we are trying to decrease dependance on, are a major source of hydrogen. Until there is a way to economically, financially and resource-wise, to create hydrogen fuel, we are robbing Peter to pay Judas.


By heulenwolf on 11/27/2006 12:36:58 PM , Rating: 2
Chicken or the egg. This is just a first step. Car companies have a research budget. Gas stations don't. If they are going to sell any H-fueled Explorers anytime soon, maybe they'll start with fleet customers who would rather keep their fuel dispensing centralized (e.g. existing Natural Gas fleets). It may turn out, it may not. Its certain to never turn out if nobody builds any H-fueled cars, however.


RE: Where's the hydrogen stations?
By walk2k on 11/27/2006 1:18:33 PM , Rating: 3
Hydrogen comes from water , not oil.

The energy to split it can come from any source. Wind, solar, geothermal, coal, etc etc etc...

The reason you don't see hydrogen tanks at every gas station is SURPRISE the oil companies own them all!


By doctor sam adams on 11/27/2006 1:36:06 PM , Rating: 2
Hydrogen does come from water, but the energy required to produce it is so great the source generally has to be fossil fuel to enable mass production (at the moment).


RE: Where's the hydrogen stations?
By Whedonic on 11/27/2006 4:30:22 PM , Rating: 1
There's currently much more economical to crack hydrogen from fossil fuels than from water.


By ChristopherO on 11/27/2006 6:42:26 PM , Rating: 3
Actually Honda had a really cool concept... They would attach a hydrogen extractor to the natural gas line of every house... If your home got NG service, then the extractor would replenish itself of the course of the consumption of normal NG usage.

The device wasn't cheap, but I think this is really the way to go and eventually optimal for commuters.


RE: Where's the hydrogen stations?
By AaronAxvig on 11/27/2006 10:04:38 AM , Rating: 2
Here is the government's station locator page: http://afdcmap2.nrel.gov/locator/


By marvdmartian on 11/27/2006 11:48:42 AM , Rating: 1
Oh, good deal! I only have to travel 750 miles, to Phonix, AZ, in order to find hydrogen!!

Good thing I'll be driving an SUV, as I'll need to tow a crygenic trailer behind me, with enough capacity to go another (minimum) 800 miles, just in order to be able to do the round-trip to the filling station! ;)


RE: Where's the hydrogen stations?
By TomZ on 11/27/2006 10:05:49 AM , Rating: 2
http://www.google.com/search?q=hydrogen+fill+stati...

You're right - they're not exactly as plentiful as gas and diesel stations. Hydrogen-fueled vehicles are not generally viable for the public at this point due to lack of infrastructure. Ford's hybrids are much more practical in this regard.


RE: Where's the hydrogen stations?
By zsouthboy on 11/27/2006 10:07:45 AM , Rating: 2
That's a chicken and egg problem, though.


By copiedright on 11/27/2006 4:14:16 PM , Rating: 2
In Japan I know of two hydrogen refilling stations.
One is owned by Mazda and allows a grand total of two cars refilled per day!


Looks Good
By Mazzer on 11/27/2006 10:09:36 AM , Rating: 2
Getting away from the hybrid/fuel cell debate this is the first picture I have seen of the new Escape. As a car guy I love that it has a much more aggressive front end but still has the same 'cute' back end.




RE: Looks Good
By TomZ on 11/27/2006 10:15:05 AM , Rating: 4
A guy would never talk about a car's "cute back end." :o)


RE: Looks Good
By DigitalFreak on 11/27/2006 11:10:49 AM , Rating: 3
'less he was gay.


RE: Looks Good
By gsellis on 11/27/2006 3:35:46 PM , Rating: 2
Cars are girls.


RE: Looks Good
By killerroach on 11/27/2006 11:49:34 AM , Rating: 4
Agreed that it isn't too bad for a glorified station wagon (which is about all these smaller, lower-to-the-ground SUVs for the soccer-mom crowd really are), although the gas mileage still isn't particularly impressive for being a hybrid. I know I shouldn't be expecting miracles or anything, but 33/29 is only really a slight improvement over the non-hybrid 2007 Escape XLT, except for the city mileage (the XLT nets 20/24).

So, all things considered, it's meant as more of an urban vehicle, I take it. Nothing wrong with that, just would probably stick with something noticeably smaller if I was spending a lot of time in city traffic (probably along the lines of a Honda Accord, Ford Fusion, or Chevy Malibu, which would be more maneuverable, cheaper, and have comparable to better gas mileage).

But when was a hybrid SUV necessarily about being practical?


RE: Looks Good
By Myrandex on 11/27/2006 3:44:58 PM , Rating: 2
Those figures were only on the old model, as this model is supposed to improve upon those figures.


RE: Looks Good
By tfranzese on 11/27/2006 4:30:34 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
I know I shouldn't be expecting miracles or anything, but 33/29 is only really a slight improvement over the non-hybrid 2007 Escape XLT, except for the city mileage (the XLT nets 20/24).


I believe you're reading that wrong. The current AWD is 33/29 and the numbers for the hybrid are not listed.


MPG estimates are a joke
By DigitalFreak on 11/27/2006 11:08:27 AM , Rating: 2
The MPG estimates for the gasoline powered vehicles are a joke. The testing is done in a controlled environment, so they are the "best case". Rarely does anyone hit those numbers.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/c...




RE: MPG estimates are a joke
By TomZ on 11/27/2006 11:12:07 AM , Rating: 2
That's true of all cars, hybrid or conventional. The reason for this is that EPA sets objective standards for the industry, and individual manufacturers self-certify their MPG ratings based on these standardized tests. On the plus side, at least the tests are objective, so they can be used to compare between different models and manufacturers. On the down side, maybe the EPA tests could be made more realistic, although this is technically challenging.