In one of the roughest years in automotive history, Ford has managed to climb technological heights, maintain its footing and thrive. The proof is in the product as Ford has several new and upcoming vehicles that are real contenders.
Do you want proof?
Simply examine the surprising, award winning Ford Fusion Hybrid. Although hybrids are not the most exhilarating drives available to consumers, Ford has swung for the fences and built a genuinely entertaining, midsized hybrid – which happens to be the most fuel efficient midsized hybrid in the country.
The electric motor can propel the Fusion Hybrid up to 47 miles per hour. If you are gentle with the gas pedal, you can cruise around without using a DROP of gas. Achieving 47 mph just using 275 volt nickel-metal hydride batteries? That is a lot more than most of the competition.
Impressive.
EPA official economy numbers are 41 mpg city and 36 mpg highway. On their own, these figures would be remarkable enough; however, I know for a fact that these are conservative estimates as better mpg is easily obtainable. When I finished my juvenile performance testing and went to economy testing, I easily averaged 44 mpg. This was a fairly even mix of mountain driving, highway cruising and city driving in downtown Denver.
Running on electric ‘only’ power is challenging (any mild strain on the electric motor will trigger the gas engine), requires patience and an open roadway containing few vehicles. If you need the extra power to charge the batteries or for real acceleration, the newest edition of the 2.5L Atkinson Cycle inline 4-cylinder hybrid engine will seamlessly spin on.