North American Car and Truck of the Year

The Ford Escape Hybrid, as the 2005 North American Truck of the year, represents what's possible with innovation - now and in the future. A true hybrid, it is a project that Ford has stuck to despite long odds and longer hours. The Escape Hybrid has the highest fuel economy numbers for an SUV, as certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (36 mpg city/31 mpg highway/33 combined in front-wheel-drive configuration; 33 mpg city/29 mpg highway/31 mpg combined for the four-wheel-drive model). As a full hybrid, Escape Hybrid is able to run on its gasoline engine or on its electric motor. It can drive in electric mode during slower speeds and does not need to engage the internal combustion engine as long as there is enough power stored in the battery. In addition, the full-hybrid system incorporates regenerative braking technology, which funnels energy generated from the brakes into the battery and stores it for use later on. The Ford Escape Hybrid produced 97 percent less hydrocarbon and oxides of nitrogen emissions than vehicles that meet today's nationwide Tier I emissions standard. That's clean enough to qualify the 2005 Escape Hybrid for the stringent Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) standards. Originally introduced in 2001 at the Los Angeles International Auto Show, the Ford Escape Hybrid is the first hybrid SUV - a trumpet call that Toyota and Honda can't match.

"The commitment to hybrid drive in a category that has long needed improved fuel economy finds solid expression in the Ford Escape Hybrid," said Dan McCosh, North American Truck of the Year jury member. "The drivetrain runs flawlessly, and provided both high mileage and good response on the highway. It's a turning point in SUV design and development."