Two Decades In, the Ford Hybrid Vehicle Plan is Hitting its Stride

By Anand Sankaran, Director of Ford Ion Park

As a senior hybrid systems engineer at Ford, I've worked on many cutting-edge vehicles and technologies over my three-decade career. One of my favorites: when we created the world’s first hybrid SUV, the Escape Hybrid, which we launched this week in 2004.

Years of research on electric drive units and power electronics culminated in a vehicle with the versatility of an SUV and EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of up to 30 miles per gallon city, unheard of for SUVs at the time.

Creating this combination wasn't easy. We developed the hybrid system ourselves and worked through countless challenges to integrate the electric motor, power electronics, high-voltage battery, and regenerative braking system. The final product – and enthusiastic response from customers – helped show the promise of hybrid vehicles, now in full force 20 years later.

Today, a key part of the Ford strategy is to offer customers the freedom to choose vehicles with powertrains – gas, hybrid, and electric – that meet their needs. We’re also sharing another type of power – our hybrid knowledge – with competitors who want to make hybrids by licensing our patents. We’ve got more than 2,800 patents globally related to hybrid and electric vehicle technologies.

These patented innovations have appeared on hybrid and plug-in hybrids like the Ford Fusion, Mondeo and C-Max, and the first pursuit-rated hybrid police car.

We used them to deliver the first and only pursuit-rated hybrid police utility vehicle that can save agencies up to $17,500 in fuel over six years of ownership. And we’ve used them to help business customers reduce fuel costs and their environmental impact with the Transit Custom plug-in hybrid in select markets.

Four years ago, we used hybrid technology to introduce the idea that a truck could also serve as a mobile generator. With Pro Power Onboard on the F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid, customers can comfortably power a campsite complete with an electric heater, portable speakers, portable air compressor, flood lights, mini fridge and an electric griddle through up to 7.2 kW of exportable power1.

Our most popular hybrid today is the Maverick compact pickup. The 2024 Maverick Hybrid offers the utility of a truck with a combined EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 42 miles per gallon city, impressive fuel economy for a vehicle its size2.

On the way is a new Ranger plug-in hybrid pickup. The new model is set to launch across Europe, Australia, and New Zealand in spring of 2025, offering customers up to 508 lb.-ft. of torque – the most of any production Ranger – with an EV-only driving range of over 27 miles3.

Each new generation of hybrids brings even more performance, power density, efficiency, and integration innovations. In fact, nearly one-quarter of all Ford patents in the last five years are tied to batteries, electrification, and hybrid technology.

 We're working to make our hybrid powertrains even more compact and lightweight, and exploring ways to better control the operation of the gas engine, electric motor, and battery to further maximize performance and fuel economy.

We're evaluating new battery solutions, creating more powerful and efficient electric motors, and advanced power electronics solutions to make the system even better and lighter while reducing costs.

These continued improvements will help us reach our goal to grow the Ford global hybrid portfolio.

We're also investigating how hybrid tech can complement and enhance electric vehicles. Electric vehicles are a big focus, and we recognize hybrids will continue to play an important role in the transition away from traditional gas-powered vehicles.

 After two decades of hybrid innovation and nearly 1.3 million hybrid vehicles sold in the U.S. alone, we’re more energized than ever about the future.