Ford rolled its 100,000th hybrid SUV off the assembly line at its Kansas City Assembly Plant, where the hybrids have been produced since their introduction.
Ford started producing the Ford Escape hybrid in 2004. The hybrid continues to achieve the best fuel economy of any hybrid SUV, with today's models delivering 31 mpg on the highway and 34 mpg in the city. Ford introduced the original model by driving one through Manhattan for 37 straight hours, achieving 576 miles on one tank of gas.
In 2005, San Francisco and New York City began using the Escape hybrids as taxicabs. Today, San Francisco uses 250 of Ford's hybrids as taxis, while New York City uses 1400. In San Francisco, 45 customized Escape hybrids act as rescue vehicles for the Los Angeles County Ocean Lifeguards.
Ford's Kansas City Assembly Plant also produces the Mercury Mariner and Mazda Tribute hybrids, non-hybrid versions of those SUVs, and the Ford F-150. Ford will begin selling its latest hybrid technology - an evolution of the system implemented in the Escape hybrid - in the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans starting this summer.
Source: Ford