2007 Ford Edge HySeries Concept Road Test

If you want to look at promising cars that are on sale today, look no further than

Looks like an Edge, but there's much more to it. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

the Ford Edge. It currently stands proudly in the number one position atop the crossover sales charts, selling a remarkable 130,000 units in the United States last year since it was launched - and a handful or two in the Middle East and Asia. But if you want to look at what cars hold promise for tomorrow, also look no further than the Ford Edge... this Ford Edge.

Besides looking a little like an earth-bound space ship, this particular Ford Edge is special. It's the only one in the world that's been converted from gasoline to run on hydrogen and electricity. It's one of over two-dozen hydrogen-powered vehicles that Ford has built over the past decade, and like the rest it's out on the road being tested for durability, gathering data. What makes it even more special is that it integrates the much-talked about series hybrid drivetrain with a Ballard fuel cell.

Without getting to in depth and technical, a series hybrid isn't at all like the

There's no gasoline - or tailpipe emissions - here. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

hybrid that roams about on streets today; those are parallel hybrids. It shares the same rough definition of hybrid in that it runs on more than one type of power, but unlike, say, a Prius which uses both a gasoline-powered engine and an electric motor to propel it, a series hybrid's propulsion comes strictly from its batteries. When the charge of the batteries is on the way to depletion, a power source - an internal combustion engine, or, in the case of the HySeries, a hydrogen fuel cell - fires up, acting like a generator to charge the batteries back up. In much fewer words, it's like an electric car that's got its own hydrogen-fueled power station. Conceptually, it's the same sort of thing you'll find in GM's much hyped E-Flex system in the Chevrolet Volt, though there are two key differences, the first being that the Edge HySeries is fully functioning and has racked up nearly 10,000 miles in the process, and two, that it runs on hydrogen, not gasoline (though a fuel-cell Volt has appeared in concept form, with China as a targeted market).

Being a series hybrid, the need for a conventional fuel cell is reduced, making it easier to package inside an Edge shell. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

In the immortal words of the infomercial, but wait - there's more. The Edge HySeries also happens to be plug-in capable, which is crucial to its execution and performance. Without factoring in the replenishing qualities of the hydrogen fuel cell, the HySeries' lithium ion batteries are good for about 25 miles, which doesn't seem like much, but it's enough to sufficiently cover most peoples' commutes. The benefits of the HySeries' plug-in function is that if it's driven within this range, you won't use an ounce of hydrogen, and thus your fuel consumption is effectively infinity mpg. Because not everyone's place of work has a power outlet to charge on, Ford says that you'd expect to get about 80 mpg on a 50 mi trip, which is pretty darned good.

When the fuel cell is factored in, the HySeries' range extends to a much more impressive 225 mi, which means unlike a regular electric car, you won't be left at the side of the road, stranded. And although hydrogen is doled out in pounds and not gallons, when the math is done it equates to an average consumption of about 41 mpg, which is still

An 8-hour charge means extra-high mileage, especially if your trip isn't longer than 25 mi. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

vastly better than the current Duratec 35-powered crossover on sale, not to mention that the only thing that comes out of its neat, trapezoidal tailpipes is water vapor. Filling the 9.0 lb tank with hydrogen takes about five minutes. Charging the batteries from 40-percent to full on a standard 110-volt household socket takes eight hours.

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