Ford's answer to GM Volt

Ford's Escape Hybrid has been on the market in the US since 2004. Now comes the next generation -- a plug-in version. It's early days, but the blue oval is clearly staking out a very different tract of terrain in the future auto market to major rival GM.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) are a logical next step in the trend away from internal combustion towards electric power. Hybrids like the current Toyota Prius and Escape Hybrid integrate the two power sources in ways where they assist one another from the moment of take-off.

The basic idea behind PHEV technology is to allow the user to run on electric power for as long as possible before firing up the burner.

That's why Ford has given the next generation of its Escape Hybrid five times the battery capacity of the existing Escape Hybrid -- to let it collect power from the household electricity grid while it's parked in the garage.

Power here comes care of a 10kW lithium-ion battery, giving it range of about 48km at speeds of up to 60km/h. When the charge level drops to 30 per cent, the 2.5-litre Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine kicks in, with continuing assistance from the batteries even as they recharge.

In other words, it collects a larger reserve of battery power than its predecessor, giving it the ability to run the electric motor much further standalone. When it runs the batteries down enough, it turns seamlessly back into a normal Escape Hybrid.

US press test drives yielded 4.3L/100km in snow-laden, hilly urban terrain with plenty of hard acceleration and wheel spin. In fact, as the LA Times pointed out, the Escape's traction control didn't rein in the spin completely, given its usefulness in some circumstances.

Around the time of its initial unveiling a year ago, Ford was claiming as little as 1.9L/100km city cycle wasn't out of the question under moderate pedal in friendlier conditions, with 2.9-3.3L/100km highway cycle, where the car spends more time under -- well, not just petrol power. Because the four-cylinder engine is flex-fuel configured, allowing it to run on any fuel from standard unleaded to E85 ethanol blend.

PHEV technology has a way to go yet, however before it hits the market in cost-viable, reliable form. There are also many questions surrounding the environmental impact of tens of millions of people coming home and plugging their cars in at night.

Ford is currently delivering a demo fleet to Californian electricity supplier Southern California Edison for evaluation in "in typical customer settings," according to Ford.

"Although the energy infrastructure is in place, significant challenges remain for widespread adoption of PHEVs," sustainability VP Sue Cischke told US press. "Cost, durability and reliability issues all need to be addressed before these vehicles can make a significant impact on the global issues of climate change and energy security."

Notable in the reporting of the Escape PHEV was a receding interest in the internal combustion engine specs. To date, even when they're referring to hybrids, scribes have retained their interest in the size and power of the burner.

In reporting the Escape PHEV, virtually none of them bothered with any such detail beyond the fact that it's a four-cylinder...