Hydro-Quebec, the largest electricity generator in Canada, has recently received a Ford Escape plug-in hybrid and will be partaking in the three-year North American Ford PHEV Program. The test program, which Ford put together with the Electric Power Research Institute, will use the Ford Escape PHEV testers to develop and evaluate technical approaches for an efficient integration of PHEVs into today's electric grid. The three-year program has tapped nine utilities across North America to take part in the testing and Ford will be providing a total of 21 vehicles for testing. Hydro-Quebec is the only Canadian company to be a part of the program.
The Ford Escape PHEV is essentially a Ford Escape Hybrid utilizing high voltage, lithium-ion batteries that are capable of recharging through standard 120V household currents. With the batteries fully charged, the Escape PHEV sips fuel like no other hybrid SUV on the market, capable of achieving 120 mpg for the first 30 miles following a full charge, when driven on surface streets. The Escape PHEV's city range is about 3.5 times greater than a standard Ford Escape Hybrid, and once the batteries are depleted, the Escape PHEV seamlessly switches to operate as an Escape Hybrid. A Ford Escape Hybrid with FWD is rated at 34 city/31 highway.
Supplying the lithium-ion batteries for the Ford Escape PHEV is Johnson Controls-Saft. Once depleted, the batteries require six to eight hours to recharge fully. According to Ford, the use of PHEVs would save over $1100 in refueling costs over the course of a year, assuming an annual mileage rate of 11,200 miles ($244 versus $1383).
Source: Ford Motor Company