Ford unveiled the world's first fuel cell/electric plug-in hybrid at the Washington Auto Show. The vehicle, a modified Ford Edge, is a practical application of the HySeries Drive powertrain seen earlier this month in the Ford Airstream concept at the Detroit Auto Show.
Power is supplied primarily by a lithium-ion battery, with a fuel cell-powered generator kicking in when the battery is depleted to 40 percent. The battery can also be recharged by plugging the vehicle into a power outlet.
The vehicle has a nominal range of approximately 225 miles on a full charge and 4.5 kg tank of hydrogen. Ford says that this range can be extended to up to 400 miles with plug -in charges if only short distances are driven.
The company also announced a demonstration fleet of 20 flex-fuel Ford Escape Hybrids that will be deployed across six states later this year. The vehicle is the first hybrid capable of using E85.