First Drive: Behind the Wheel of Ford's $2 Million Hybrid

Every day in suburban Detroit, Mujeeb Ijaz makes what could be considered the typical rush-hour commute — except that he’s driving a $2 million plug-in hybrid prototype that emits no trace of tailpipe pollution.

Ijaz, the manager of Ford’s fuel-cell vehicle engineering, brought his one-of-a-kind Ford Edge HySeries to Manhattan on Tuesday, which we test-drove prior to its public appearance beginning Friday at the New York Auto Show.

This special version of the Edge crossover SUV, a joint project between Ford and the U.S. Department of Energy, won’t be coming to showrooms. Instead, it’s part of an ongoing effort by the world’s automakers to make plug-in hybrid technology — in this case, battery-powered electric motors mated with a hydrogen fuel cell — practical and affordable enough for people to buy.

Like General Motors’ Chevrolet Volt concept car, the Edge HySeries is a so-called series hybrid, which runs entirely on electricity, while using a secondary fuel to generate electricity to keep the batteries charged. The Volt relies on a more-conventional gasoline engine for that power. In contrast, the Edge HySeries employs a fuel cell that generates electricity from hydrogen stored onboard. The only thing emitted from the tailpipe is water vapor, seen as a rush of steam when we stepped from the vehicle.

“You could stand behind it and get your pants pressed,” said Nick Twork, a Ford technology spokesman.

A pair of aluminum ports on the side of the vehicle feature one plug for electricity and one for hydrogen fueling. The Edge can fully recharge in about eight hours on a standard household current, or more quickly via a 220-volt connection.

On the road, the Edge can travel the first 25 miles on electricity alone, at speeds up to 85 mph. After that point, the onboard hydrogen tank — which holds 4.7 kilograms of pressurized hydrogen, containing about as much energy as five gallons of gasoline — begins recharging the battery, allowing up to 200 more miles of driving range. Fuel economy depends on how often the vehicle is charged and how it’s driven, but Ford estimates the five-passenger Edge would deliver more than 40 mpg in overall driving — nearly double the mileage of a gasoline vehicle of this size and weight.

Where similar vehicles from only a few years ago were packed to the gills with science-fair gear, everything that makes the Edge go fits neatly in an unseen “sled” mounted below the body so there’s no reduction in the vehicle’s passenger or cargo space. A battery pack of 90 lithium-ion cells — the same technology found in laptops and cell phones — is on one side of the sled, the hydrogen fuel cell on the other. In between is a crash-resistant tank of hydrogen, pressurized to 5,000 pounds pre square inch.

During our test-drive, the Edge was no drag racer, but it certainly accelerated quickly enough to work as a commuter car. The Edge cruised effortlessly at 70 mph, with a central LCD screen showing when the vehicle was either using its batteries, juicing them up with the hydrogen fuel cell or recharging via the regenerative brakes, which capture energy as in a Ford Escape Hybrid, Toyota Prius or other conventional hybrid.

Twin electric motors, creating a total of 174 hp, divvy power equally between the front and real wheels. The motors emitted a soft whir and hum and were far quieter than a gasoline engine.

A young Ford designer, Jeff Nield, added features to make this unique Edge more of an attention-getter on the road: massive 22-inch wheels, Aston Martin-like flush-mounted door handles, a black tailgate and funky exterior graphics.

Like other plug-in hybrid proponents, Ijaz stressed that the technology is ideal for typical Americans who commute only modest distances to work. By charging cars via a plug, especially at night when there’s a surplus of available power, the government, industry and environmentalists say that they can focus efforts on moving the electric grid away from coal to cleaner sources such as hydroelectric, geothermal, wind or even nuclear power. Some say that task may prove easier than significantly reducing emissions of gas- or diesel-powered vehicles. Another argument that plug-in hybrid proponents give is that moving cars from oil to electricity could also help cut the United States’ umbilical cord to the Middle East.

While hydrogen could be the ultimate zero-emissions solution, Ijaz said that the HySeries system could just as easily use another power source, including small, high-mileage gasoline or diesel engines.

Ijaz acknowledged that getting Americans used to the idea of plugging in instead of pumping up will take some doing.

“I’d hang a sign on people's garages next to the plug that says ‘65 cents a gallon,’” Ijaz said with a smile, referring to the plug-in’s estimated price for electricity. “If you see your fuel bill go from $200 a month to $50 a month, you begin to see plug-in hybrids as a money-saving tool, not just for what they can do for the environment.”