Image courtesy of The Ford Motor Company.

    The success of the DIY Ranger series has convinced us that there is a need, and a very capable group of people out there wanting to convert their own vehicles.  For this reason we have decided to add the DIY Escape Hybrid PHEV series.

    As you can see from the above graphic, the Escape Hybrid is a very clean vehicle.  It is well designed, and an extremely easy upgrade.  That empty space that appears to be located behind the engine.....is actually an empty space that is located right behind the engine.  Who would have thought?

    There are two levels of conversion.  Simple upgrade to PHEV, which increases the effective MPG from about 40 to about 60 in the city.  Total upgrage to PHEV, which increases the effective MPG to 140MPG plus in the city.  Both are easy to do, but the latter does require a bit of heavy lifting, so buy some pizza and invite over some friends.

    You do not need a lift to perform either conversion!

    As this graphic shows, not everyone can afford the fancy graphics software that Ford Motor Company can....but they do get by.

    Items 1 through 9 show the general items that are Hybrid related.  Item 1 is a vent that in 2008 is located in the window behind the driver's side passenger seat.

    For the conversion you are going to need a 20 piece bag of UV resistant wire ties  (8 inch or longer).  A 25 foot SO rated round black extension cord 14 gauge.  A Grounding heavy-duty connector (GE part Number 52153)  A dab of silicone sealant.  A conversion kit 1, or conversion kit 2 from LionEV or one of its dealers.  A one pound bag of sterile topsoil, or potting soil.

    The above connector and cord are typical of what is available.  Any hardware store will carry both items.  Walmart carries the two shown above at a cost of less than $30.00.

    You are going to be glad you bought the more expensive black cord and connector when you are done.  It makes the power port virtually invisible on the vehicle.

    Do not fall prey to the discount power cords.  Get a good quality weather proof oil resistant.  This type of cord will last about the life of the vehicle.  The cheaper cords will of course carry the current about as well since it is a trickle style charger, but the insulation will break down and crack rather quickly.  This could produce a problem that would force you to spend next Christmas living on a park bench because your insurance company has a dufus clause in your homeowner's policy.

    The connector is now seperated in to its three elements.  The upper left is the clamp, the center is the back portion electrode element, and the front is the business end of the plug.  Back to the upper left clamp, this clamp is used to secure a cable in the connector, but this connector will never see a cable.  If you put it back on the plug it is just going to rust off.  Since it serves no purpose from here on, and you will probably not ever use it in your lifetime......so you should......

A.  Throw it in the trash.
B.  Put it in the junk drawer with the twist ties and spare screws.

    If you chose B then your gender has been firmly established, though this was strongly suggested when you threw the instruction sheet away in step one.

    Ok, now, put a small piece of clear tape over the end of the back piece, and then set in on a flat surface with the prongs up.  Fill the cable inlet just to the top of the shoulder with silicone sealant (avoid getting any on the electrodes, this could transfer to your plug).  This will only take just a little dab.  If you decide not to use the tape this will require 4 tubes of sealant, three trips to Walmart, and 17 hours of your life that you will never get back.

    After filling to the shoulder, set the connector aside for a full day to cure.  There is very little surface area exposed so it will take longer than normal to cure, don't rush it.

    Once the caulk has cured install the front back on the connector.  Fill the three screw holes just to the top with caulk, and then run a tiny bead of caulk around the top edge of the connector to form a seal when plugged in to another cable.

    
    Every time I look in to the engine compartment of a Ford product I think the same thing, "these guys are just not paid enough".  Everywhere you look you see innovation and brilliance!

    The Escape Hybrid has a particularly roomy engine compartment, enough room to add the charger under the hood.  At this point you are going to have to make one of your first decisions.  Do I put the charger here?  Or do I port up to it in the back.  This decision is up to you, and the reason for going with the 25 foot extension cord.

    This is the rear seat, passenger side, lifted up to reveal the inlet for those orange power lines that were shown in the last picture.  To lift the seat just tug up a bit on the front and then swivel the back up and over.  The seat bottom will swing forward and set up right in front of the rear passenger seat.  The seat bottom remains attached via hinges.  This is true for all models except the special edition "Teddy Kennedy Deluxe".  See note below for more details on this model.

    This is the point where you make a decision.  IF you elected to not put the charger in the engine compartment, then you have two options here.  Bring your power chord up from below here, and then follow the trim to install it under the front passenger seat, or bring your power chord up here, to install it in the rear cargo section.

    Before you proceed any further you have to ask yourself a question......"Do you feel lucky?"  If you don't, then you can kill the high voltage power from the pack by swinging this switch to the service/shipping position.  This switch is located under the carpet in the cargo area.  

    The missing screws in this picture were removed to access the battery box.  You will need a special type of bit to remove these screws.  Technically it is called a Torx Center Pin Rejection tip.  You can get these in a standard security screw kit.

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At this point we are going to have to issue a gentle reminder.

The voltages you will work with from this point are at lethal levels.
In the type one conversion you are dealing with 1.8KWh.
In the type two conversion you will then work with 4.5KWh.
Both of these packs are equally dangerous to the untrained.

If there is any question in your mind, call in backup.  Contact an electrician for assistance.
The orange disconnect switch is not going to offer you any protection
from shock as you are going to be working ahead of that safety device.

The above picture shows one of the hidden screws.  Directly across from this one, on the left, is the second hidden screw.  You cannot get this screw out without lifting the battery module out, and you need a picker to do that.  It is also going to be much easier on you if you can put this module on a bench to finish up the next phase.
There are two connections provided for lifting out the traction module.  The first are two steel loops, the second, in the same location, are nylon straps.  So depending on what type of lift you have, you are all set with these two lift points.