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Ford is supplying experimental plug-in Escape hybrid SUVs, for a study of user behaviour, battery technology and grid infrastructure over the next three years in the United States and Canada in a partnership with Hydro-Quebec and the Electric Power Research Institute.

The prototype uses a plug-in lithium-ion battery, unlike the nickel-metal hydride battery in the current Escape hybrid, but doesn't provide completely gas-free motoring, even after being fully charged.

A full charge will take the vehicle up to 48 km before the gas motor kicks in, for a fuel economy rating of about two litres/100 km, Ford says. At current rates, this puts the cost of fuelling the Escape plug-in for 18,000 kilometres in a year is $244 in electricity, versus $1,383 for a regular Escape, Ford estimates.

Hydro-Quebec is the only Canadian company taking part in the three-year research and demonstration program; it's one of the cleanest utilities in North America, generating 98 per cent of its electricity from renewable hydro-electric power. Canadian utilities are generally less dependent on coal than U.S. utilities, and more dependent on nuclear or hydro-electric sources, blunting some criticism of electric cars as simply moving vehicle emissions from tailpipes to utility smoke stacks.

But another long-term test of plug-in aftermarket systems by the U.S. government suggests that current lithium-ion plug-in technology may not provide the 100-plus mpg utopia that even well-informed folks like U.S. President Barack Obama are touting on popular mediums such as The Tonight Show.

After a year or longer of testing two fleets of Toyota Prius models modified with lithium-ion batteries and plug-in capability kits provided by conversion firm Hymotion, the Idaho National Laboratory found that the first fleet averaged an overall 46 miles per U.S. gallon (5.1 L/100 km), while the second fleet of modified Priuses averaged 49 mpg (4.8 L/100 km) - compared to the stock Prius hybrid's official government mileage figure of 46 mpg.

The test, done for the U.S. Department of Energy, was not small in scale either: the fleets consisted of 40 and 75 modified Priuses altogether, collectively covering 484,682 miles (780,020 km). And remember, the U.S. government's official fuel economy figures have been revamped to be closer to real-world use, such as testing with the use of A/C and at real highway speeds, unlike the Canadian government's outdated but car company-friendly figures.

Granted, Hymotion never said the vehicles would average 100 mpg (2.35 L/100 km) in overall driving, but they did claim that the cars "can achieve up to 100 mpg for 30-40 miles" after a full charge, with the usual disclaimers that actual mileage depends on driving style, route, climate conditions, etc. But the Idaho researchers found that although the cars would occasionally touch figures above 100 mpg, even the around-town, fully charged figure was closer to half that, going higher or lower by about 15 mpg in concert with the aggressiveness of the driver's right foot.

FORTE KOUP BREAKS

NEW GROUND FOR KIA

The Kia Forte Koup will break new ground for the South Korean brand when it goes on sale in mid-August, as its first two-door and its sportiest offering in North America.

Kia Canada announced that the slick-looking Koup, the brand's Civic coupe-fighter, will start at $18,495 for the base 156-hp, 2.0-litre EX, while the sportier $21,495 2.4-litre SX will make 173 hp.

The performance numbers mean it's not going to be a challenge for its corporate cousin, the recently introduced Hyundai Genesis Coupe, with its proper rear-wheel-drive and turbocharged, 210-hp, four-cylinder engine. Granted the Hyundai starts at $24,495, which is significantly more than the Koup.

What the Forte Koup may do is give the Honda Civic two-door some slickly styled competition in the compact coupe market, since Ford, Toyota, Mazda and a host of others have abandoned their two-door coupe or hatchback offerings on this side of the ocean in the past decade.

The Koup's economy car roots are easily seen in the base car's five-speed manual or four-speed automatic, but these can be upgraded to six- and five-speed automatics in the SX, which is more than can be said for quite a few cars with Canadian price tags of more than 30 grand.

Kia has visions of becoming the Honda of Korea, while Hyundai fashions itself as a closer competitor to Toyota - and yes, that does seem to be slicing the meat of the market unnecessarily thin. But it's hard to argue with the sales numbers that Kia and Hyundai have been posting in this country so far this year, up 14 and 21 per cent so far this year, in an overall market that's down almost 20 per cent to the end of May.

NEW JAGUAR LOOK

TO CONTINUE WITH NEXT XJ

The futuristic Jaguar XF's coupe-like lines not only meant a trashing of Jag's traditional slavery to its classically curvy forms, but its success has also apparently brought similar plans for the brand's largest sedan, the XJ, with cues derived from Jag's C-XF concept that debuted in 2007.

That concept was of course seen as a precursor to the production XF sedan that soon followed, but apparently the form doesn't stop there, as the 2010 XJ will use similar cat's-eye xenon headlamps and a similarly steeped rear window, Autoweek magazine reported this week.

The car will receive an all-new body, new interior - again taking XF cues like the rotary gear selector that rises out of the floor - and similar engines to the XF, meaning 5.0-litre V-8s in either naturally aspirated (385 hp) and supercharged forms (510 hp).

There will also be a smaller, 250-hp, 3.5-litre V-8 available to better compete with the V-6s offered by its rivals, according to Autoweek, although why Jag would think offering a V-8 that makes less horsepower and likely uses more fuel than similar-sized mainstream V-6s seems bizarre. Extra torque? Perhaps. More smoothness? Possibly. Typo in the report? Most likely.

The car is scheduled to be revealed in a global event next month, with sales starting in North America early next year.

MAZDASPEED3 JUMPS

IN PRICE, NOT POWER

Coming next month, the next-generation 2010 Mazdaspeed3 will jump in price to start at $32,995, compared to a current starting price of $29,360 for the 2009 model that shares the same lively 263-hp, four-cylinder turbo engine.

Various Mazda and online enthusiasts hoped that this second-generation Speed3 would offer the European Focus RS's 300-hp, five-cylinder turbo mill, itself derived from a Volvo engine, of all places, though this appears not to be. Still, it's 280 lb-ft of torque suggests some serious juice under the hood, with a horsepower rating perhaps slightly underrated to appease sharp-pencil insurance types.

Regardless, the Mazdaspeed3 promises to be among the most powerful front-wheel-drive cars sold in this country when it arrives in July - if not the most powerful, by the time you strap one onto a dyno against the 285-hp Dodge Caliber SRT4.