New Escape is First Ford SUV to Have Windshield Wiper De-icer

The 2017 Ford Escape, which is due in showrooms this spring, is a really special vehicle. Being the first to feature an innovative windshield wiper de-icer in Ford’s SUV lineup, drivers can now steer clear of winter headache brought by windshields smothered in snow. This means that wiper blades freezing to the glass will just be a thing of the past, and there is no more need to pull wipers off the windshield and point them to the sky.

The windshield wiper de-icer is part of a Cold Weather package that comes standard on Titanium models and as an option on SE models.

In a statement, Ford fixed glass engineer, Jennifer Gauthier, commented that the windshield wiper de-icer is a great solution to one of the more nagging problems of winter. She added that Escape drivers in the USA are going to wonder how they ever got along without it.

Much like conventional rear window defrost systems, the base of the windshield where the wiper blades rest comes with a local heating element.

The system is intended for clearing light snow and ice from the wiper blades in less than 10 minutes at -27°C. Drivers of the 2017 Escape featuring SYNC® Connect can activate it from their smartphone as part of the FordPass experience. Thanks to SYNC Connect, owners can start, lock, unlock, and locate their vehicle from anywhere using a smartphone. In fact, drivers can even schedule a certain time to start remotely so the vehicle is ready to hit the road, de-iced and warmed up.

The Escape Cold Weather Package includes other features such as supplemental powertrain conditioning heater, heated seats, heated side mirrors and all-weather floor mats.

Already a standard feature on Escape models sold in Canada, the revolutionary windshield wiper de-icer will migrate to other vehicles in the Ford lineup in the USA.