Ford to bring back ESCORT in 2010 with 100 mpg Hybrid:

Ford Motor Company has embarked on a bold mission to bring back the Escort name in a revolutionary new Plug-in Hybrid vehicle.

The new Hybrid only vehicle will compete with the highly successful Toyota Prius which has established a loyal cult-like following since its introduction 7 years ago. The new Escort Hybrid is planned for the model year 2011 and to be introduced in the fall of 2010.

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The System Ford has chosen is a single mode Hybrid instead of the Dual-mode Hybrid that is going to be offered by GM and Chrysler. The Dual-mode hybrid uses two smaller electric motors that assist the gasoline engine at different times in the acceleration cycle. Ford believes the Single mode Plug-in Hybrid system will be superior in the future with the introduction of
“Super Batteries” now being developed.

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Ford is in race with GM to bring out the new Escort before the Chevy Volt hits the market in 2010. Alan Mulally Ford’s new CEO realizes that Ford needs to hang on to their perceived lead in domestic Hybrid technology first developed and introduced for the Ford Escape.

Well, isn’t this a nifty surprise?

Assuming this report is accurate (a point I bring up only because of the lack of citations or quotations in the article), then it’s a great sign that Ford is finally showing some serious movement in the right direction. And sorry, Ford fans, but even with the Escape Hybrid, they’ve been wandering in the wilderness for far too long while other companies have received nearly all the attention for things like the upcoming Volt. (And the less said about their “perceived lead domestic Hybrid technology”, the better.)

Right now, we’re in a state of uncertainty with the US car companies. GM is a mix of very promising moves (the Volt) and some supremely awful ones (the reintroduction of the Camaro). Chrysler is still on big, honkin’ unknown, thanks to their recent buyout, although rumors are floating around the net that they’ll be making major product line changes quickly. Ford has been largely invisible. Yes, they talked about their hydrogen fuel cell series hybrid, which I think most people dismissed as being as likely to arrive soon as one of those flying cars from the Popular Science covers of the 1930’s. Could this announcement be a major move in the right direction for Ford and those of us who desperately want to shift transportation from oil to electrons?

I will ask the press people at Ford what’s going on here.