as elevation changes, varying speed limits, two-lane and three-lane highways or no asphalt at all, plus whatever weather happens to be overhead at that moment, makes for a most challenging but enjoyable test drive. That’s important while driving through the interior of B.C. Inside, the look and feel is similar to other new Escape models which means it is a very comfortable place to spend copious amounts of time. Finally EV Charge allows the battery to keep recharging for future electric power use. EV Now mode is for using electric power exclusively, while EV Later let’s the driver save electric power. Auto EV allows the vehicle to decide what mode it wants to run in. My time was split over the course of two days in the SEL and Titanium models, both of which come well-equipped with the standard features drivers looking for this type of vehicle insist on.Ī total of four unique drive modes are available on all Escape PHEV models. The plug-in hybrid Escape is available in three different models: SE, SEL and Titanium. A 240-volt Level 2 charger reduces the time to an estimated 3.5 hours, which seems reasonable. It’s not going to take you far, but for many commuters, it falls well within the acceptable range for getting from home to work and back with a few stops in between.Ĭharging takes between 10-11 hours using a 110-volt Level 1 charger. It cruises effortlessly at highway speeds and above, but for those times when you only need electric power, it offers a maximum range of 60 km. Total system output is rated at 211 horsepower and 155 pound-feet of torque. ![]() Together with the floor-mounted 14.4-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery, power delivery is smooth and feels capable in the city or accelerating quickly to merge on the highway and get up to speed. An all-new 2.5L Atkinson cycle hybrid engine is matched to an electronic continuously variable transmission. 2021 Ford Escape PHEV TitaniumĮngine performance is delivered via a combination of gasoline and electric power. It will be interesting to see how this decision impacts sales as the many other competitors in the PHEV sport utility market offer AWD. It’s a curious choice on their part to not offer all-wheel drive and when asked about, they can’t provide a great answer other than to say a compromise was necessary to get it to market quickly and offer affordability. Ford goes down this path with the Escape PHEV by offering it only in front-wheel drive. PHEVs are the middle ground when it comes to fuel efficiency and doing something good for the world around us. “The all-new Escape plug-in has more power and more passenger space than the Fusion Energi plug-in, as well as up to four times the cargo volume behind its second-row seats.” 2021 Ford Escape PHEV Titanium “The original Ford Escape was the world’s first hybrid SUV and the all-new Ford Escape PHEV represents how far we’ve come in technology and efficiency,” said Hau Thai-Tang, Fordchief product development and purchasing officer. I see no trace of the forest fires that dominated the news over the summer, but imagine that just over the mountains that surround me, the blackened evidence of what we drive today has a chance of being renewed by the more planet-friendly vehicles coming over the next few decades. ![]() As the world continues its slow but steady retreat away from the use of fossil fuels to motivate the vehicles we drive, it seems especially fitting that I am piloting a new plug-in hybrid SUV in fire-ravaged B.C. Good is one of the main goals the new Escape PHEV is looking to accomplish. A deep breath of fresh mountain air and life feels good again. Having spent far too many days remembering what it was like to travel before things changed in 2019, it is a poignant reminder of how beautiful this part of Canada really is and what I have been missing. It is a stunning sight, made more ethereal by the fog and pine-covered mountains in the background. 2021 Ford Escape PHEV TitaniumĪt one point as we are being transported on a ferry across one of many lakes that dot this part of the province, a brilliant rainbow breaks out over the water. “If you don’t like the weather, just wait 5 minutes – it’ll change!” On this particular day, we have experienced everything from bright sunshine and a cloudless sky, to clingy, damp drizzle and an all-out downpour as we pass the kilometres from Kelowna to Revelstoke in the 2021 Ford Escape PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid). There is a saying in British Columbia that goes like this.
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