Ford claims 81.5 mpg in Fusion hybrid

[Bozita]

Source: Detroit News

Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Ford claims 81.5 mpg in Fusion hybrid
Bryce G. Hoffman / The Detroit News


Ford Motor Co. claims it has set a new world record for fuel economy in a midsized sedan, driving an unmodified production Ford Fusion hybrid 1,445 miles on a single tank of gasoline.

That translated into a whopping 81.5 mile-per-gallon average, nearly double the certified mileage of the new sedan. The Ford team, which included NASCAR driver Carl Edwards, accomplished the feat by practicing fuel-saving driving techniques, such as coasting to red lights and accelerating smoothly on greens.

"Not only does this demonstrate the Fusion hybrid's fuel efficiency, it also shows that driving technique is one of the keys to maximizing its potential," said Nancy Gioia, director of sustainable mobility technologies and hybrid vehicle programs at Ford.

Read more: http://www.detnews.com/article/20090428/AUTO01/904280424/1361/Ford+claims+81.5+mpg+in+Fusion+hybrid

[provis99]

1. unfortunately, too little, too late.

Ford is likely to go under within the next year.

[high density]

2. lol

Damned if they do, damned if they don't!

[SeeHopeWin]

5. NNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Ford is doing well

I test drove one of these cars - WAY WAY awesome! Beatiful car and top performer.

I ended up buying an Escape Hybrid! Top rated Hybrid SUV IN THE WORLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLD.

In my garage: a Toyota Prius and an Escape - Both Hybrids!

[harun]

6. Ford is doing very well, which is why they didn't need more money from the gov't.

They have a number of nice models. Why their stock is doing so well now too.

[blue_onyx]

7. I wouldn't say they're doing "very well."

Ford just had the foresight to take out loans before the financial markets collapsed. That's really why they didn't need government money. Not needing government assistance has been great PR for Ford.

They do have some nice vehicles (as does GM) and I plan to look at the Fusion hybrid when I purchase a new car.

[Lucky Luciano]

8. Bingo!

I remember when Ford issued a massive slug of convertibles at the peak of the credit bubble in 2006 (or maybe it was early 2007?) - it was very prescient of them. I thought it was a good idea too to get while the gettin' was good!

[quiller4]

31. They also sold off a large part of their ownership of Mazda

Their debt to equity ratio is in great shape--best in the auto industry and better than in many other industries , too. Ford isn't heavily leveraged.

[goclark]

39. I just got a Fusion and I like it

People ask me why I went from a Mercedes to a Ford.


My answer.... "because I wanted to- I don't drive freeways, don't drive at night and I'm not trying to impress anyone."

So far -- I love it and love the gas mileage. I've had it since April 3rd and I still have 1/4 of a tank.

:bounce:

[reggie the dog]

61. why not drive on freeways or at night?

[goclark]

63. My eye condition does not allow it at night

And freeway driving is way too busy for me.

I am blessed to have dear friends and family members that drive and help me out for freeway/night driving.

Just part of my Senior Personality. : )

[noonwitch]

62. Ford started restructuring a few years ago, when they hired Mullaley

They went outside of the auto world to hire a CEO with a record of turning companies around.

I'm a loyal Ford customer. Next spring, my 05 Focus will be paid off and I'll be replacing it by the end of the summer of 2010.

[Romulox]

24. Ummm, you have no idea what you're talking about. That is all. nt

[w4rma]

33. Nope. This is good. Not too little or too late. My next car may be a Ford, now. (nt)

[Canuckistanian]

42. It's never too late to learn

And I have more confidence in Ford than GM.

I just realized a while ago that I've owned 3 Fords and not one GM car.

I just think Ford has more of a "vision" of creative car ideas.

[itsrobert]

3. That's pretty good

Also noted, Carl Edwards tail gated a Semi Tractor Trailer for a dozen miles. Jeff Gordon rammed the back of the Fusion to push it a few extra miles per gallon.

[Ikonoklast]

12. Hypermiling behind a T/T is a good way to die.

Drivers doing that risk their lives for a few cents worth of gasoline.

Unsmart.

[NickB79]

41. I would disagree, for several reasons

I wouldn't describe myself as a devout hypermiler, but I do accelerate gently, coast when I can, and will tail a semi-trailer when I'm on the highway if the opportunity presents itself. I follow the three-second rule to stay back (which is more than I can say for most drivers on the roads here), which gives me ample time and distance to brake if needed, yet still gets me noticeably better fuel economy.

It all depends on if the driver is paying attention to his surroundings.

[Kolesar]

51. Big rigs draft closer than that

What are you, chicken?

[FlaGranny]

52. Mythbusters actually did a segment

on that technique. They found that to improve fuel economy you have to be within 2-3 FEET of the back of a big rig. That is suicidal.

[Lance_Boyle]

55. that's not what they found at all!

They found a noticeable (measurable) improvement at 90 to 100 FEET behind the trailer. This improvement increased up to a certain shorter distance to the trailer, at which point turbulence knocked the mileage down to worse than no draft. But it picked up again within even shorter distance (mere 2-3 feet). I'd hardly call driving 90 feet behind a tractor trailer at 65MPH "insane risk taking." But both I and the mythbusters would call it an improvement in fuel mileage.

[FlaGranny]

68. I guess I forgot that

2-3 feet provided the BEST mileage. Sorry, I don't remember everything all the time. I can't drive 90 feet behind anything on a highway because assholes keep pulling in front of me with about 2-3 feet to spare from hitting my fender. If I slowed down for all the speeding assholes pulling into the safe zone I'd have to slow down to a a crawl. By the way, I drive about 75 in a 70 mph zone and the assholes deem that too slow for their suicidal driving. So, like most drivers, the safe zone doesn't exist for me because of assholes. Driving on a highway in Montana is probably my only hope. By the way, it is also not a good idea to drive close enough to a big rig that they can't see you.

[Ikonoklast]

59. Three seconds will not let you take radical evasive action

as you cannot see what is happening in front of the vehicle in front of you. In my line of business, you have allowed yourself to be 'billboarded'.

For every ten miles per hour, you should allow one second of distance, at the bare minimum.

Sixty mph = six seconds of following distance. Three seconds at freeway speeds is a recipe for disaster.

If the operator of the t/t has to avoid a situation in front of him by emergency braking, or a radical lane change, you have no clue as to why that is happening and will react mostly by guessing, as you will not be able to ascertain exactly why he is doing so.

Most drivers vastly over-estimate their skills when it comes to defensive driving techniques. Paying attention matters not if there is a deficit of information with which to make a sound driving decision.

Distance = Safety.

[crimsonblue]

60. so YOU'RE the asshole going 50 in a 70 zone....

Considering student drivers are taught in Driver's Ed to follow a two second rule, I'd have to say that you are a nervous nancy driver.

[Canuckistanian]

43. Hypermiling! Thanks, I was looking for that term

I read some posts a wile back about this technique that saves gas. I just couldn't remember the word they used.

Hypermiling! I just found it on Google.

Thanks!

[thereismore]

4. I wonder where was Ford when Toyota took the market with Prius. nt

[doc03]

10. It's made by an American company so

bash it. Ford has had a Hybrid SUV for a few years.

[TommyO]

11. They were developing their own hybrid technologies

Technologies so similar to Toyotas, even though developed separately, that they entered into a patent cross-licensing agreement.

[Romulox]

25. The Fusion tech. is not licensed from Toyota, (Escape was...) nt

[TommyO]

45. The technology wasn't licensed from Toyota

It was developed independently, but was similar enough that Ford and Toyota entered into a cross-licensing agreement so that their respective patents weren't infringed on. Toyota also got access to Ford's direct injection and diesel patents as well.

[Romulox]

56. Yes, it was licensed from Toyota. It was also, however, developed independentally.

"The technology wasn't licensed from Toyota"

"Ford and Toyota entered into a cross-licensing agreement"

:hi:

(Licensing is a legal term that means that Ford granted consideration to Toyota in return for the latter's formal permission to use its intellectual property. It doesn't speak to development.)

[doc03]

9. I would like to try the Fusion Hybrid

but so far no local dealer has been able to get one. If you could get one by April 1 there was a $3500 tax credit on it. I think it is now $2650 then after a few months it goes to $1750 then on April 1st next year it is phased out, lotta good that dose when there aren't any. With the premium you have to pay for any Hybrid today with gas at $2.00 they are just not competitive.

[Dr.Phool]

13. When the credit ran out on the Prius, Toyota dropped the price.

Ford will do the same. The price is where it's at, because it can be.

And, whether the gas is two bucks, or four bucks, you're still using only half of what you would have.

[doc03]

36. Yes but you pay a hefty premium for the Hybrid and

when those batteries go bad you are looking at $4000 and up to replace them. I could pick up a conventional Ford Fusion for about $8000 less than the hybrid, that would buy one hell of a lot of gas at $2.00. I am thinking of just going for a conventional Civic, Corolla or a Ford Focus all good reliable cars that get 30 plus MPGs.

[mule_train]

66. for overall thrift, nothing beats something like a 5+ year old ford taurus

bought in good condition

little cost outlay, acceptable milage, low maintence costs

[RedCloud]

14. Did they cheat?

Like put it on a truck and only drive it downhill while coasting? Or put it on a train and count that distance as well?

Babe Ruth once hit a ball at Yankee Stadium (old one) all the way to Nevada. Turns out that a fan at the stadium who caught the ball was named Stanley Nevada.

[benld74]

15. I call BS! see below.

accomplished the feat by practicing fuel-saving driving techniques, such as coasting to red lights and accelerating smoothly on greens.

[joshcryer]

53. In other words, driving sanely saves gas.

[Grinchie]

16. Just a reminder for the Ford Cheerleaders

Ford Will Sell Its Electric Pickup Trucks to Lessees

Los Angeles Times
January 22, 2005
By Eric Bailey

SACRAMENTO — After a weeklong sit-in here by environmentalists, Ford Motor Co. announced Friday that it would halt plans to scrap its last surviving electric pickup trucks and instead sell them to customers.
The current going rate: $1.

A Ford spokeswoman said a deal was struck at that price with two customers who joined a demonstration at a Sacramento dealership this week to protest plans to repossess their leased electric Rangers.

Facing a swirl of media attention, Ford executives made a U-turn and sold the zero-emission pickups to the pair of electric vehicle aficionados: Mariposa County rancher Dave Raboy and William Korthof of Pomona.

"It's unfortunate it took this level of effort to get them to do the right thing," said Raboy, who had manned the picket line for most of the week.

Ford officials portrayed the deal as an effort by a big company to address the needs of a tiny group of consumers.

"We realize these folks are extremely passionate about their vehicles, and we've decided to work with them," said Cheryl Eberwein, a company spokeswoman. "This is Ford's effort to address the needs of very dedicated and devoted customers."

Eberwein said Ford would consider similar deals with other Ranger lessees "on a case-by-case basis."

The half-ton pickups represented the centerpiece of Ford's electric-vehicle pilot project during the 1990s. Of about 1,500 produced, most went to commercial fleets, while about 200 were leased to individuals and a few were sold outright.

But the Detroit automaker abandoned its EV foray in favor of gas hybrids and research into hydrogen fuel cells for the future.

Raboy said he has paid $22,000 in lease payments over the last three years, and thought the $1 price to buy his truck was more than fair.

The turnaround was the second time in recent months that Ford reversed course on plans to scrap electric vehicles. Last fall, it halted efforts to junk 350 TH!NK electric cars and instead sold the little vehicles back to a former subsidiary in Norway that made them.

Activists say they will hold an "EV parade" today in Sacramento to call on Ford to revive electric vehicle production and improve the environmental performance of its auto fleet.

We cannot allow any of these asshats to forget the terrible decisions that they made in order to ride the Bush Oil train. The Electric Pickup was extremely popular, yet Ford tried to emulate "The Leader" i.e. GM by phasing it out.

It is unacceptable for a company to make decision that go contrary with public demand and assume that they will prevail in the goal for better profits. Of course, these large corporation were probably aware of the fraud in the economy long before we were.

[WriteDown]

18. More of this bunk???

Urban legends never seem to die.

http://blogs.edmunds.com/karl/2006/06/gms-ev1----who-killed-common-sense.html

[Romulox]

26. Turns out basic economic REALITY killed the electric car. nt

[WriteDown]

29. That does not make for as interesting a story

it seems though.

[Psephos]

46. lol - that's got to be at least the fourth or fifth time you've swatted that fly

Not only do those hoary old legends never die, they seem to grow stronger. :smoke:

[WriteDown]

48. Not a fly...

A cockroach. They never seem to die.

[Tab]

17. "Coasting to red lights"??

Do they mean they put the car in neutral? That's a bit on the dangerous side. If you're just looking for bragging rights on how many miles per gallon you can get, that's one thing, but that wouldn't be anything they should recommend to the public.

Hell, why not put it on top of Mount Washington, put it in neutral, and "coast" all the way to the bottom?

[dothemath]

19. 3 down, 1442 to go ................

eom

[Kolesar]

21. How is coasting in neutral *dangerous*?

I push the clutch in and coast to red lights in our manual transmission car. It is the same thing.

[Xithras]

30. I was wondering the same. We stick drivers do that every day. n/t

[Tab]

38. If it's in neutral, and something happens and you have to move the car quickly

you're in trouble

(and I'm guessing this is an automatic, so you'd have to shift it to neutral)

One of my cars is a manual (and for years, that's the only kind I drove); just keeping your foot on the clutch will let you engage it quickly, but it won't help the life of your clutch any if it isn't fully depressed.

Maybe they're building a manual transmission for testing purposes - if it's just for bragging purposes, they could, although when it goes to market, most of them will have to be automatics because 90% of Americans under the age of 35 haven't the slightest idea how to drive a clutch.

[Kolesar]

50. So, coasting in neutral is probably not a good thing to teach new drivers

Is that what you are saying?

In my opinion, there are a lot of skills that take years to learn. For example, we in the snow belt learn how to accelerate slowly and to brake slowly so that the weight distribution does not shift abruptly and cause a total loss of static friction on one axle. Happy motoring

[high density]

22. I assume by coasting they mean taking their foot off the accelerator

In a hybrid with a CVT I don't see the need or function of using a "neutral" in this situation. The gas engine is already probably off at this point.

[quiller4]

32. It just means you take your foot off the accelerator n/t

[joshcryer]

54. "Overdrive" in Fords disengages when the accelerator is let off.

You coast naturally without having to go into "neutral."

[Thegonagle]

67. When the accelerator is released, hybrids are programmed to "put it in neutral"

automatically, allowing for nice, long coasting distances, and when not needed for battery recharging or interior heat, the engine stops completely, instead of idling at 800 RPM.

So by coasting, they mean simply taking their foot off the accelerator.

[rollingrock]

20. Stunning European looks

My neighbor has an 07 Fusion. I thought it was a BMW or Volkswagen Jetta when I first saw it an person. It looks nothing like a typical boring Ford (and that's probably because it's a rebadged Mazda 6 lol). But really the Fusion is an amazing looking car inside and out that screams quality fit and finish, with great attention to detail. It will be high on my list when I shop for my next car.

[Psephos]

47. Just a reminder, but Ford owns a third of Mazda

Which blurs the line over the Fusion being a rebadged Mazda, or a variation on a Ford-partnered vehicle.

[ingac70]

23. Last I heard the Fusion was assembled in Mexico...

If the Fusion hybrid is being built in the US I'll buy one, otherwise they can kiss my ass.

[Romulox]

27. Nope. Mexico. And I agree with you. But Americans could give a damn, so meh... nt

[quiller4]

34. Ford will assemble Fusion Hybrids in Kansas City as well

as in Hermosillio, Mexico despite a March 13 report in the Washington Post that all production will be in Hermosillio. WP printed a correction to the March 13 article on March 16 but buried it deeply in the paper edition and never put the correction online.

[Romulox]

58. Good news, but the difficulty of getting one these at all, multiplied by "No one made in KS!"

= no thanks.

[high density]

28. Hermosillo, yes

The Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ also come from the factory.

[quiller4]

35. Some are produced in Hermosillo but the Milan I rented

last weekend had an Assembled in Kansas City badge.

[high density]

44. Was it a 2010 model year?

The older model may have been built in a different place. This link seems to indicate it is a F-150 and small SUV plant: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City_Assembly

[steven johnson]

37. Camry hybrid got 78.9 mpg

Wayne Gerdes, father of hypermiling, predicted the Camry Hybrid should max out at about 80 mpg.

Considering this is the latest generation of hybrid synergy drive, the 81.5 mpg figure isn't that impressive.


http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/sister-bought-camry-hybrid-78-9-mpg-us-144.html

Especially when you consider Wayne Gerdes was one of the team that set the record.

The team that set out this past weekend to cover 1,000 miles on a single tank of gasoline succeeded and then some. When the team of race drivers, engineers and hyper-milers crossed the 1,000 mile a little after 9 a.m. on Monday morning, there was still more than a third of a tank left. Over 47 hours of running, the team led by NASCAR driver Carl Edwards and including record braking hyper-miler Wayne Gerdes averaged over 80 mpg. The plan is to drive the bone stock Fusion until the tank runs dry. Along the way team members are running public clinics to help teach people how to drive more efficiently even if they can't necessarily match the antics of Gerdes. They are also raising money for the Juvenile diabetes Foundation. While it is no doubt possible to achieve these kinds of lofty mileage numbers in the Fusion, it certainly isn't something most people will be doing on a regular basis.

Even considering that hypermiling techniques were employed to reach these numbers, we're quite impressed. I mean, this is a production midsize sedan that got over 80 mpg driving on regular streets, including many in Washington, D.C. The entire event took 69 hours and raised $8,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. You can read the details of how the driving teams managed the 80 mpg after the jump - no, they didn't find a thousand-mile downhill road.


http://www.autobloggreen.com/tag/ford+fusion+hybrid/

Carl Edwards-No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion
WHAT WAS YOUR OVERALL IMPRESSION OF DRIVING WITH WAYNE? "Wayne's a professional, right off the bat he had his game face on. I knew it was serious when he told me to take off my right shoe so I could feel the throttle pedal. When a guy is telling you, 'hey let it drop down to 28 miles an hour' he knew all the numbers. There's a reason he's the champion of hypermiling. We got over 80 miles to the gallon my first time driving with him -- that's how good he is."

http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=325828&FS=NASCAR-CUP

[salin]

40. fantastic! And driving habits do make a difference in hybrids

I regularly exceed the 'certified mileage' of my prius. In the summers (if it isn't too hot - keeping the gas motor running longer to cool down the car before switching back and forth between the systems) I can get in the mid 50s (I have done a couple of consecutive tanks at 57 - but its usually closer to 54). One time I did a fifty mile highway trip at 70mpg. But I have never been able to repeat that trick.

This car, if within a reasonable cost range per the Prius, could grab me back to Ford (the first two cars I ever drove were Fords.) Kudos to Ford.

[Lorien]

64. According to the "car talk" guys, driving habits make a difference in any

vehicle. The same techniques that work for fuel savings in hybrids also work with standard vehicles, which the additional benefits of less wear and tear on the engine and the need for fewer repairs. Funny thing; I have a friend who drives a Prius but he ALWAYS accelerates to the red light, then slams on the brake. When the light turns green he slams on the accelerator. He still gets about 50mpg with his Prius, but I wonder how much better it would be if he made those simple changes to his driving technique?

[fujiyama]

49. The car sounds great

but always be wary of any car manufacturer's fuel economy claims.

[wordpix]

57. just saw this car at Earth Day event in DC - spokesman said it gets in the 30 mpg range

:wtf: I cannot remember the exact no. but something in the 30's. I recall thinking, "That's not so good," and asked him if Ford will put the technology in a small car similar to the Civic or Prius. He said he didn't know of anything like that.

:wtf:

[DCKit]

65. Despite the fact that the track was designed by M.C. Escher....

these are great numbers.

[Ms. Toad]

69. Hey - if that kind of mileage holds up,

and the repair record is decent, my next car might not only be made in the USA - it might have a US name.

[steven johnson]

70. THE AVERAGE SPEED WAS 21 MPH

Sorry for shouting. This record was more hype than substance. They took 69 hours to drive 1445 miles! That's really slow.

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2009/04/ford-fusion-hybrid-sets-world-record-driving-1445-miles-on-one-tank-of-gas.html