Archives

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg With its new Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids, Ford brings to market the best gas-electric hybrid cars yet. (http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/aug2009/bw20090824_018580.htm)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/SmartGauge_with_ECOGuide_in_practice.jpgAdam Aston - BUSINESSWEEK (http://www.businessweek.com) - August 25, 2009

Hopefully Ford will gain many more new customers with these cars. --Ed.

It's no secret that Detroit has had trouble breaking its addiction to SUVs. This has been true even in the market for green cars. In their push into hybrids, U.S. carmakers first focused on big, heavy models such as the Ford Escape Hybrid and the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid instead of compacts, such as Toyota's (TM) Prius, which pioneered and still dominates the market for high-mileage, gas-electric vehicles.

Detroit's first-effort hybrids have been technically impressive, and silenced any charges that the U.S. couldn't hack hybrid technologies, but it's no surprise sales have fallen short. Last year's oil price spike made one thing clear: When gas hits $4 and beyond, most buyers prefer hybrids with big mileage numbers, not just slightly more efficient versions of their old gas guzzlers.

With the rollout of the Fusion Hybrid sedan and its upmarket twin, the Mercury Milan Hybrid, Ford has a pair of world-beating hybrids that not only are ready for today's market but are also perfectly suited for when gas prices return to scary levels. Ford Motor's (F) new hybrids better the leader in this niche, Toyota's Camry Hybrid, with a no-compromise four-door sedan that delivers great mileage and impressive performance all while it whispers, rather than shouts, its hybrid street cred. Indeed, this month Consumer Reports rated the Ford Fusion Hybrid its top domestic sedan, tying with the Toyota Camry Hybrid for overall ranking.

With a mix of high mileage, mainstream styling, and standout performance, the $27,270 Fusion Hybrid and the more luxe $31,324 Milan Hybrid should have broad appeal, luring would-be buyers not shopping specifically for a hybrid. For mileage junkies, the models deliver 41 mpg city and 36 mpg highway. Compared with Toyota's Camry Hybrid, that's 8 mpg better in the city and 2 mpg better on the highway.

Ford has improved a lot from its first-generation hybrid system, used in the Ford Escape Hybrid. Its second version hits a new level of engineering sophistication, delivering quiet, smooth integration between electric and mechanical systems. Gone are the mysterious clunks and mushy brakes that—though improved in... http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/aug2009/bw20090824_018580.htm

I like my new Ford Fusion Hybrid (FFH) and it truly does get good MPG. The battery is very small and with a great effort I was once able to travel about 2 miles on just the electric motor alone. I have to work at it to get good gas mileage and it does make others on the road a little impatient. I am of the hope that hybrids are a test platform for the future and no gasoline is carried in the car and where MPG has no meaning.

John D

I like my new Ford Fusion Hybrid (FFH) and it truly does get good MPG. The battery is very small and with a great effort I was once able to travel about 2 miles on just the electric motor alone. I have to work at it to get good gas mileage and it does make others on the road a little impatient. I am of the hope that hybrids are a test platform for the future and no gasoline is carried in the car and where MPG has no meaning.Welcome to CleanMPG. Look at some of the articles to get an idea on how to maximize MPG. As counter-intuitive as it sounds, battery usage should only be a fall back position. The best way to save gas is to not use the battery at all (except to power components while the engine is off). Taking energy from the wheels to the battery and back to the wheels produces energy conversion losses.

Anyway, congrats on the FFH, that's one fine ride you got!

11011011

John D,

I've had my Fusion Hybrid since late July and I've driven 3,600 miles so far. I hear what you're saying about the mpg being harder than you thought. I've been about to achieve 43.5 mpg as recorded on the dashboard gauge.

The biggest increase in MPG performance for me is as follows in rank order:

1. turning off A/C and drive with sunroof open and rear windows open
2. concentrate on coasting long distances up to stoplights, especially when there is no one behind me
3. drive normal to gain speed up to 45 mph and then use pulse and glide with EV mode to extend mpg
4. when speed limit allows on my daily commute drive 50 mph, which on flat ground yields better than 50 mpg for me
5. learn traffic flow patterns...for me the middle lane allows me to lay off the brakes but still maintain 40 mph in 45 mph zone without holding folks up too much (I've only been honked at once since July)

I agree with all of the above and would add use neutral as often as you can as it will coast a very long way. Pulse and glide with neutral or you can pulse to about 5 mph below posted speed under 47mph and let up and then use EV mode to get the last 5mph. Doing this will gain a lot in the city mpg's.

For the highway, cruise control is your friend. Set it at 65mph and w/o AC you should see about 52-55 mpg's. If you are a bit hot tilt the moon roof at the back and crack one rear window about 1/2" and you will be cool and still get the same MPG's. No moon roof? crack one front window 1/4"-1/2" and the opposite rear window the same. Works great!

Any down hills get out of CC and slip it into Neutral and coast as long as you can. After you have dropped about 3 mph slip into Drive and set CC again. It loves even gentle down hills in N.

Hi Allen:

___A bit to much CC but otherwise good info...

___You may want to read the following: www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22218

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Wayne
I drive, not like a hypermiler who lives below 35MPH. I drive at real world speeds and try to go with others on the road. I could get much better MPG's but to do this would mean I would need to be 10-15mph BELOW posted speed limits and crawl from every light so that anyone behind will never get through the intersection without the lights changing on them. While boasting about hypermilers MPG's is what some live for I see a less extreme position and find that some simple things add up to fair returns with few if any down sides. 80MPG in a FFH = much slower driving then posted and crawling starts and stops. Fine for some just not for me. I drive a car to get somewhere and if I am willing to go 30MPH everywhere then a bike is starting to look far cheaper and cleaner and healthier too. YMMV :)

Last night I went for some fast food. 2 mile trip car was warmed up so I gained there. 64.8mpg in those 2 miles most stop and go and a lot of it in EV. It can be done with little impact on the traffic flow. It cannot be sustained in stop and go at posted speed or over longer distances at posted speeds. The freeway is another story. It is very easy to do w/o AC to get 50-55 mpg's.

Wife was bummed with my short trip MPG. ;) Told me to shut up. ;)

Hi Allen

There are some hypermilers that drive as you suspect but there are many hypermilers who drive the speed limits or just below when traffic permits and get the best MPG possible. You've got to know every technique and know when and how to use them for your vehicle. I test drove the new '10 FEH and FFH today and there is no reason why you can't accelerate with most traffic and use hypermiling techniques at higher speeds and still get killer MPG without affecting traffic or to much driving time.

Many times I've had to race downtown WPB (20 miles away) and get to the courthouse to pick-up work before it closed. The excitement of the pressure to maintain the best MPG possible above I-95 speed limits at times, proves it can be done over and over again. It takes extreme concentration and no time to think, only react. This happens in everyday driving because you must beat the time deadlines set throughout the day getting to work, going to lunch, getting back to work and driving in rush hour traffic on the way home.

If you think your World is different than mine and we don't ever exceed the speed limits a little, your wrong. It sounds like you gave up on hypermiling and only expect to hit a high trip MPG once in awhile. If that's all you want that's all you'll ever get. I know my '09 FEH is good for 70mpg plus in ideal conditions so I expect to average in the 50mpg range or better every day. I could expect to average 30mpg if I'd never seen my FEH do 70mpg, but I'd be cheating myself now that I have. It's all to easy now to use driving techniques that have become habit for me. All the rewards will last me for the rest of my driving life so why not hypermile and take the challenge yourself. I'm telling you that you can accelerate much faster than you think and most likely get better gas mileage than accelerating slow in your FFH. You have the same engine as my '09 FEH and I've recently found accelerating harder improved my tank averages. "Somebody Stop Me!"

GaryG

To back up what Gary has said, though I'm quite slow to speed in the Insight (because it just doesn't go that fast staying out of assist) in the Elantra I generally keep up with traffic off the line. I can usually keep up with highway traffic while still getting over 50mpg -- and I have done it at over the limit before as well. If you look at my logs, my very first 50+mpg tank in that car was achieved almost entirely on the highway at a P&G average of 67mph.

I don't like driving that fast, but it can be done in an efficient manner.

I have a tad of respect for this car. I really wish this hybrid could be bought in the MZ6 for a realistic price.