Fire concerns halt Ford Escape PHEV sales in the UK
Ford’s first foray into electrification in Australia has hit a fiery hurdle – at least from a publicity perspective.
The Escape Plug-In Hybrid that’s due here late in 2020 has been pulled from sale in the UK over concerns it could catch fire when recharging.
A statement provided to media outlet Autocar confirmed the Escape PHEV – known as the Kuga Plug-in Hybrid in the UK – had been temporarily removed from sale because “information from the field indicates that four vehicle fires are likely to have been caused by the overheating of the high-voltage batteries”.
Ford in the UK has also told owners already driving a Kuga PHEVs not to charge them while they implement a fix; they must instead run purely on petrol.
The alert only applies to vehicles sourced from Ford’s Spanish factory prior to June 26, with all vehicles manufactured after that date claimed to have the fault rectified (the Escape PHEV is also sold in America but it is sourced from a separate factory in the US which has not undergone the same recall and safety alert).
In a statement supplied to EV Central, Ford Australia said it was still planning to launch the Escape PHEV locally in October or November.
“We envisage no disruption to Australian supply,” a spokesman said, adding that the launch schedule hadn’t changed. “We don’t see this affecting our supply and causing any issue for Australian customers.”
Ford Australia said the most likely cause of any potential delays were to do with local shutdowns and shipping delays due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Based on the all-new Ford Escape that arrives late in 2020, the Escape PHEV is the first rechargeable vehicle for Ford Australia and goes up against the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and hugely popular Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.
Whereas the RAV4 runs purely on petrol – using less of it due to the hybrid system capturing energy normally lost during braking – the Outlander and Escape can be run purely on electricity for short distances.
The Escape PHEV teams a 2.5-litre Atkinson cycle four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor for a combined power output of 167kW (Ford doesn’t quote torque figures).
A 14.4kWh battery is claimed to provide an electric driving range “in excess of 50 kilometres”.
AC charging takes place via a Type 2 plug near the front-left wheel and progress can be monitored via a smartphone app as part of the FordPass Connect system being rolled out on new Fords.
Petrol-only Escapes – which are priced between $35,990 and $49,590 before on-road costs – have an all-wheel drive option, but the Escape PHEV drives only the front wheels.
The PHEV system brings a hefty price premium.
The Escape PHEV will be sold only in ST-Line trim – with partial leather trim, 18-inch wheels and sideskirts, sports grille and bumpers – and cost $52,940, plus on-road costs.
