Ford debuts Escape PHEV at Fieldays

The Ford Escape plug-in hybrid (PHEV) on display at Ford’s Fieldays stand will attract the $5750 government Clean Car rebate for customers, selling from $60,990 plus on-road costs.

Customers can place orders at the Ford Fieldays stand in the Mystery Creek Automotive Precinct on I Road or at their local Ford dealer.

Ford has added an EV section to its Fieldays stand this year, showcasing current and future electrified Fords including the Escape PHEV (along with the Escape ST LINE X PHEV from $66,990 plus on-road costs), Transit Custom PHEV and the all-electric E-Transit Cargo arriving in 2022.

All Blacks vaptain Sam Cane will be on the stand from 10am to noon on June 16 to meet and greet, take photos and sign autographs.

“Fieldays is a unique event for both our head office and dealer teams where people can come in to check out our latest vehicles, get information, ask questions or just have a yarn,” Ford New
Zealand managing director Simon Rutherford says.

The Escape PHEV is Ford New Zealand’s first entry into the EV passenger market and delivers the driving range and freedom offered by a traditional combustion engine alongside the efficiency and refinement of an electric powertrain.

The power-split architecture combines a 2.5L four-cylinder Atkinson-cycle petrol engine, electric motor and generator with a 14.4kWh lithium-ion battery.

 The battery can be charged using a front fender-mounted charging port and is automatically replenished on the move using regenerative charging technology that captures the kinetic energy normally lost during braking.

Drivers can choose when and how to deploy battery power using EV Auto, EV Now, EV Later and EV Charge modes. When the battery reaches its lowest state-of-charge the battery from an Escape will automatically revert to EV auto mode supplementing petrol engine power with electric motor assistance.

A full range of Fords in the Commercial Zone and SUV and Passenger Zone will be on site for customers to check out, including the just-arrived Mustang Mach 1. 

A number of variants of the Ford Ranger will be on display, including the Ranger FX4 Max, Ranger Wildtrak X, Ranger Raptor and a new ComTRUK Ranger from Fully Equipped.

Ford will also have experts on hand to show customers the benefits of the new connected Ford vehicles using the new FordPass smart phone application. 

Drifting champion Fanga Dan will have his drift racing Mustang featuring new livery on display and he will be making appearances throughout the event to meet fans.

The Ford Burger Fuel Diner returns, serving burgers and chips and great music with the in-house Burger Fuel DJ. Show your Ford keys and you can get a voucher from one of the Ford team on site while supplies last.

Fieldays runs from June 16-19.