Jim, I can't speak for the hybrid Ford Escape, but I do know two people who own Honda Insight hybrids here in Fairbanks, Alaska. They have survived two winters in which temperatures have plunged to -50 �C, and they continue to operate with normal car maintenance. This is all the more amazing when you consider that these were among the first (if not THE first) hybrid cars put on the market.
The only problem the owners reported was that the cars' stock heaters were inadequate for our winter temperatures (the small 4-cylinder engine doesn't put out as much heat as bigger engines). Adding an extra 12 volt heater solved this problem. I don't blame the car's design--most Japanese and US automotive engineers don't think about Alaska conditions when they're designing car heating systems! -- Jason
