You’ve probably heard of the Department of Energy’s new requirements and incentives for automakers to make plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Ford has heard and listened. As a result, the automaker has delivered a high-quality PHEV to the DOE to join the fleet of others that are undergoing testing and research.

With the 10 kilowatt lithium-ion battery installed in this new Escape, the vehicle can go up to 30 miles when travelling under 40 mph before the electric engine kicks in. Once that kicks in, though, this hybrid truck can get up to 88 mpg through the city and 50 mpg on the highway with an E85 blend.

How does this type of vehicle sound to you? If you’re like the average driver, you’d probably only need to use the fuel a couple times a week and run it on the battery all the other times. In addition to using less fuel, the ne Escape Flex-Fuel PHEV emits 60 percent less CO2 then today’s gasoline-powered engine.

The Department of Energy also announced that it was making $30 million available over the next three years to help automakers and engineers research and develop PHEVs that meet the federal government’s standards. The goal is to make these vehicles easy enough to mass-produce so they can be more common on the roads and highways. The way it looks right now, the Escape and other Ford trucks are leading the way to creating a better and less polluted environment.