ford escape hybrid plugin conversion

[J Bills]

Hey all - I'm starting to think about our next car purchase and keep
coming back to taking a perfectly good Ford Escape Hybrid and doing I
guess what I'll call the "CalCars" mod for lack of a better
description, beefing up the batteries and adding a charger/plug. I
know this is primarily done to the Prius platform but the Escape seems
like a viable option from my research and the form factor fits our
growing family and long term plans better. I already have an EV for
my commute to work, so I'm covered, but I like that this seems like it
would be something my wife could handle. Seems non-technical enough,
safe/modern car, auto trans, hybrid system for longer trips, etc.

I know there's the Enginer kit and a few others floating around out
there. Has anyone successfully attemped this mod and happily driving
it on the road? Experiences?

TIA
-j

[brucedp5]

I do not have experience with an Escape hybrid to pih conversion.
I from your post, I will make the following assumptions, and please
correct if wrong:

-you have a (non-pih) Ford Escape Hybrid that you currently drive

-the Escape's large passenger and cargo carrying capability you need
for your family and long term plans

-the pih would be mainly driven by your wife, as you mainly commute in
an EV

-you have the time, money, electro-mechanical knowledge, garage
space and you want to do the mod yourself

-price is not an object as you figure you are saving because to
already own the hev

-you want a 50 mile electric range, and a 100 mile mixed ice/EV range

-you will plug in only charging at home off a level2 220VAC 30A 5kW
dryer outlet, and will carry a level1 110VAC (5-15) cord in the pih
for emergency charging


I did find a couple Escape hev to pih conversions on the calcars map
http://www.calcars.org/where-phevs-are.html

Salem Electric http://www.salemelectric.com/
Salem, Oregon Sept 25, 2007
By: Hybrids Plus http://www.hybrids-plus.com/
PHEV Escape

Tom
Berkeley, CA
April 2008
By: 3ProngPower http://www.3prongpower.com/
(they do Escapes)


I also found an EAA site http://www.eaa-phev.org/wiki/Escape_PHEV
which might let you network with other people so you can gain
knowledge. Knowledge is key for a conversion project: whether you do
it yourself, or in my case (lacking a place to work or the time) used
a converter to complete the project.

I hope others posting on this topic do not try to talk you out of the
vehicle platform as it seems to be what you and or your wife want.
Many tried to talk me out of converting a S-10 Blazer back in 1991.

Large vehicle EV conversions were unheard of back then. All I got was
think-small, think-tiny. That is tough when you are a BIG as I am. An
S-10 Blazer was the largest-small or smallest-large vehicle that fit
my needs. I was able to achieve my goal because I did my research
first: I knew what my needs and requirements were, and then found a
conversion project that fit them.

Once I had achieved the goal, back in the early 1990's, suddenly many
other people also started thinking a large vehicle conversion was
possible (I was an pioneer). Similarly, I hope you do the same, and
you can be the pioneer that proved your pih project is viable.

Once completed, please add your pih to EValbum.com so others can
review your spec's and learn.




{brucedp.150m.com}

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[Childress, Matthew]

You might want to search the Prius Chat forums, as that seems the most
likely place for Enginer kit users (even though you're looking for a
Escape Hybrid owner, they might be able to point you in the right
direction). I would also flat-out ask Enginer if they could forward
your e-mail to their Escape Hybrid customer base.

I'm interested in using their Kit for an '07 Prius, due to the low cost
and ease of install and easy reversibility versus the CalCars method.
But the Calcars method results in a stronger electric hybrid than the
Enginer kit (read the Enginer FAQ closely especially items 4, 6 and 100
so you aren't disappointed http://www.enginer.us/faq/). In my case, I'm
an in-town flatlander, my wife (the main driver of the vehicle) drives
at most 8-10 miles to work/kiddos in the AM and similar in the evening
so it'd be possible for her to keep it under 35mph. Being able to
install an 'EV-mode-only' switch is key. And yes, the range makes a
pure EV more sense than a plug-in hybrid, but there are other factors
involved (happy marriage ;-) and the plug-in Prius is our
long-range/Mini-Van ;-)

M@

-----Original Message-----
From: ev-bounces-UWgVIey+***@public.gmane.org [mailto:ev-bounces-UWgVIey+***@public.gmane.org] On
Behalf Of J Bills
Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2011 11:34 AM
To: Electric Vehicle Discussion List
Subject: [EVDL] ford escape hybrid plugin conversion

Hey all - I'm starting to think about our next car purchase and keep
coming back to taking a perfectly good Ford Escape Hybrid and doing I
guess what I'll call the "CalCars" mod for lack of a better
description, beefing up the batteries and adding a charger/plug. I
know this is primarily done to the Prius platform but the Escape seems
like a viable option from my research and the form factor fits our
growing family and long term plans better. I already have an EV for
my commute to work, so I'm covered, but I like that this seems like it
would be something my wife could handle. Seems non-technical enough,
safe/modern car, auto trans, hybrid system for longer trips, etc.

I know there's the Enginer kit and a few others floating around out
there. Has anyone successfully attemped this mod and happily driving
it on the road? Experiences?

TIA
-j

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[Rick Beebe]

Post by J Bills
Hey all - I'm starting to think about our next car purchase and keep
coming back to taking a perfectly good Ford Escape Hybrid and doing I
guess what I'll call the "CalCars" mod for lack of a better
description, beefing up the batteries and adding a charger/plug. I
know this is primarily done to the Prius platform but the Escape seems
like a viable option from my research and the form factor fits our
growing family and long term plans better. [...]
I know there's the Enginer kit and a few others floating around out
there. Has anyone successfully attemped this mod and happily driving
it on the road? Experiences?

I think it will depend on the year of your Escape. A major advantage the
Prius has is a switch that will force the car to stay in electric mode.
I had an '06 FEH and it was fairly difficult to keep it in electric
mode. It took an exceedingly light foot under acceleration (and a level
or downhill street) and just wouldn't stay in EV mode over about 29mph.
Sometimes on a level street at 25mph or less it would go for a mile or
so. I just couldn't see how the Enginer kit (or similar) would give you
enough to warrant the price. At one point about 18 months ago I had an
email exchange with an FEH owner who was, in fact, being the guinea pig
for them. He wasn't particularly satisfied with the system (sorry, I
just looked but couldn't find his name).

Last year I traded the '06 in for a '10 and it's a world of difference.
The new one tries as hard as it can to stay in EV mode (it's still too
sensitive to acceleration). Not only is it more likely to stay in
electric mode, but it'll do it up to 44 mph (I get 10% better gas
mileage too). So the Enginer kit or their ilk might actually provide
some advantage on a newer FEH. The "force into EV" switch on the Prius
is what makes these kits work so well on that car. To my knowledge, no
one (other than Ford for their prototype plug-in Escape) has managed to
hack that into an Escape.

BTW, I do keep thinking a non-hybrid Escape might make a nice EV. After
all, it's basically a Ranger under the skin. The main difficulty would
be stuffing the batteries underneath it. On a Ranger, of course, you can
take the bed off.

--Rick