DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. said its Escape plug-in hybrid will offer 37 miles of electric range when the electrified variant goes on sale this summer, in line with what the automaker expected when it unveiled the vehicle last year.
That’s less than the 42 miles the upcoming Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid is expected to produce on a single charge. But Ford says the Escape plug-in’s 100 mpg equivalent will best its rivals in the compact-crossover segment, including the RAV4, which will have a 94 mpg equivalent.
The Escape PHEV is a key piece to Ford’s electrification strategy, which involves a combination of hybrids as well as battery-electric vehicles. Ford is in the midst of investing more than $11.5 billion in electrified vehicles through 2022.
The vehicle’s importance in Ford’s lineup — it’s Ford’s second-bestselling nameplate behind the F-Series — has grown in recent months as the automaker continues to cut sedans from its lineup. Ford plans to split the compact-crossover segment with the fourth-generation Escape, which was redesigned last year with a more premium look, and the upcoming Bronco Sport crossover, geared toward off-road enthusiasts.
Ford hasn’t offered a hybrid variant of the Escape since 2012.
The vehicle starts at less than $35,000 and has an EPA-estimated 47 mpg combined.
