Ford Celebrates 100,000th Hybrid SUV

After just five years in production, Ford Motor Company recently held a celebration marking the 100,000th hybrid SUV to roll off the production line of its Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Mo. First introduced in 2004, the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner were the world’s first hybrid sport utility vehicles combing the best attributes of SUVs with the benefits of a small, hybrid-electric car. As a silver Ford Escape hybrid rolled off the assembly line on March 10, Ford took the opportunity to recognize the milestone. Now, as hybrid vehicles are popping up from just about every manufacturer, the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner soldier on with impressive fuel economy and technologically advanced drivetrains despite using a chassis and design almost a decade old.

Just days after announcing a host of technological advancements being added to the 2010 Ford Escape and its Mercury counterpart, the hybrid versions are now getting their own time in the spotlight. Ford’s compact SUV hybrid vehicles have been a popular alternative to gas-guzzling SUVs or subcompact hatchbacks. The Ford Escape Hybrid still offers the same off-road capabilities and passenger comfort with similar cargo space and towing abilities as the non-hybrid models. Ford claims that the Escape and Mariner hybrids continue to be the most fuel-efficient hybrid SUVs on the planet as the market has grown in recent years. The hybrid SUV market now includes the Saturn VUE, Toyota Highlander, Lexus RX, Dodge Durango, Chrysler Aspen, Volkswagen Touareg, Porsche Cayenne, GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Tahoe and Cadillac Escalade.

As fuel efficient as the early models were, Ford gave the second-generation Escape and Mariner hybrids an increase in horsepower and a slight bump in fuel economy. Both hybrid SUVs now get 34 miles per gallon in the city and 31 mpg on the highway for front-wheel drive models and 29 mpg city/27 mpg highway for four-wheel drive models. Although the Escape hybrid starts at $29,645 and the Mariner hybrid starts at $30,090, both vehicles qualify for a maximum $3,000 federal tax credit (if purchased before March 31, 2009). The Mazda Tribute, another cousin to the Ford Escape, is also available as a hybrid model but is only available in limited production in certain areas of California. All three hybrid models are produced alongside the non-hybrid models in Ford’s plant outside of Kansas City, which employs 4,100 workers. Building such a useful, fuel-efficient vehicle like this, these workers probably don’t have to worry about a plant closure anytime soon.

As proof of how rugged and durable Ford’s hybrid SUVs are, taxi fleet in cities ranging from New York to San Francisco use them on a daily basis. The future of Ford’s hybrid vehicles looks even brighter than the Escape’s successful first five years. Joining the Escape and Mariner, hybrid versions of the 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan will launch later this year with the best fuel economy in its class. In addition to spreading the hybrid technology to other vehicles, Ford has announced plans for a plug-in hybrid electric version of the Escape in the near future. In city driving, the Fusion and Milan hybrids will get an estimated 41 mpg – an increase of 8 mpg over its main rival, the Toyota Camry Hybrid.