Ford is to put its new hybrid Escape Hybrid to the test from the morning of April 5 to determine how many miles and how many consecutive hours the SUV can cover on one 15-(US) gallon tank of petrol.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


“We are going to drive up, down and across the island of Manhattan in some of the heaviest traffic possible,” said Mary Ann Wright, Ford’s chief engineer for the hybrid model.


“Escape Hybrid can provide an economical solution to a problem commuters face every day – bumper-to-bumper gridlock that can bleed a normal car’s fuel tank dry,” Wright said.


Several New York ‘celebrities’ and journalists will each drive a short leg of the epic “Manhattan On a Tank of Gas” challenge. The drive will start at a hotel on Central Park South, in midtown.


“No other vehicle that can carry five adults along with all their gear could take on this kind of traffic and get very far,” Wright said. “Other vehicles might start out with more fuel but they will go through it a lot more quickly.”

Just Auto Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Auto Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Continental has secured the Window Displays Innovation Award in the 2025 Just Auto Excellence Awards for its Window Projection solution, transforming side windows into dynamic, data-rich canvases. Discover how this compact projection technology and intelligent software are reshaping in-car UX and opening fresh revenue streams for OEMs and mobility providers.

Discover the Impact