The Ford Escape Hybrid (the first hybrid SUV) has been a big hit at dealerships across the nation in recent years and have become a common site on the streets of America. Even President elect, Barak Obama owns a Ford Escape Hybrid.

In an effort to determine how well this hybrid suv performs in day to day driving it was run through a grueling “commuter’s nightmare” road test at the New York International Automobile Show. During the road test, the Ford Escape Hybrid averaged over 38 miles per gallon in a nonstop 37-hour drive in and around New York City. Continue Reading »

Here come the Chinese! While most of us are familiar with the hybrid powered cars that are being offered by a number of well known asian automakers, there is a new force on the horizon.  Chinese automakers are aiming to get a piece of the world wide hybrid powered car market and have some interesting and innovative ideas about what a hybrid car should be.  One such car is the BYD F3DM, China’s first mass produced electric hybrid car, which is remarkable in many ways.

While in some ways it is a rather ordinary car,  it is said to have exceptional acceleration when you put your foot down. This hybrid car is a plug-in electric car, hence the acceleration, but when the electric battery runs out after 80 miles (128km) or so, the gas engine switches in seamlessly. Continue Reading »

In the 1990s, the U.S. Department of Energy collaborated with the “Big 3″ American car makers GM, Ford, and Chrysler, to challenge the dominance of their Japanese and European counterparts in the development of hybrid powered cars. Millions of dollars were put into a huge project specifically for the development of American hybrid cars and the technologies that are required.

Ten years later, Ford came up with one model entry into the market, competing against six Japanese hybrid cars. Ford started selling the Escape SUV Hybrid in September of 2004. The other two American hybrid cars manufacturers are having a hard time in delivering their hybrids to the consumer public. Continue Reading »