Ford Vehicles

Ford is ready to show the world what they are made of and in doing so have released a fleet of ethanol fueled hybrids on the street. The first three of the E85 Escape Hybrids were delivered to the Department of Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition (GEC).

A total of 20 Ford E85 Escape Hybrids will be delivered to select fleet customers in six states, staking Ford’s claim to another important industry first. These are the world’s first hybrid vehicles capable of operating on blends of fuel containing as much as 85 percent ethanol. Ethanol is a renewable fuel that can be produced from American-grown corn or sugar beets.

The E85 Escape Hybrid produces about 25 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a gasoline-fueled Escape Hybrid. It also runs on a completely renewable fuel, which can help reduce this nation’s dependence on imported oil.

If all of the more than six million flexible fuel vehicles now on America’s highways operated on E85, more than 3.6 billion gallons of gasoline could be displaced a year. For its part, Ford has committed to making half of its annual vehicle production capable of running on alternative fuels by 2012.

A major challenge in the promotion of renewable fuel use is availability of infrastructure. Less than 1 percent of the 170,000 retail gas stations in the country carry E85 ethanol. Expanding the availability of E85 is a critical element in moving America toward energy independence.