Ford is delaying production of the Escape Plug-in Hybrid to 2021 as its cousin, the Kuga faces unexplained fire issues in Europe.
The company already recalled as many as 20,500 models after seven fire cases were reported in European Kuga models. Consequently, the upcoming Escape production has been immediately suspended, fearing it could have the same problems as its European twin.
Interestingly, the coronavirus pandemic had already forced the American manufacturer to stop production of Ford Escape earlier this year, delaying the spring production to summer. Adding insult to injury, Ford is now forced to postpone it even further, with an expected start date somewhere next year.
Read more: Ford Must Purchase CO2 Emission Credits to Meet EU Targets
Ford’s real concern here results from the similarities between Escape and Kuga. Several major components in both models are quite similar, including the motor and battery, suggesting that any issues in the European Kuga models might also appear in the upcoming Escape PHEV.
Production delays are never good news. However, in this case, halting the production now seems to be a very smart move from Ford to avoid further complications.
Now, from a practical perspective, the resolution of the not-so-evident issue could take months, meaning that the future of the Escape PHEV could be less certain.
Reports suggest that the heat emission from the batteries could just be the reason for the fire incidents. However, an in-depth inspection of the whole mechanical system might still be required.
With that being said, Ford’s decision seems to be in the best interest of everyone. Although a slide in the sales figures can be expected as delays never favor any business.
The Escape PHEV was a much-anticipated model, but we’ll have to wait and see just when this model will actually see the light of the day. The future sure is uncertain, and the pandemic ain’t over yet.
To be continued…
