Automotive

Ford claims biggest US plug-in hybrid range with 2017 Fusion Energi

The Fusion Energi's all-electric range is around 21 mi (34 km), after which it will operate for about 1 mi (1.6 km) powered by both its battery and gas and then for a further 588 mi (946 km) on gas alone
The Fusion Energi's all-electric range is around 21 mi (34 km), after which it will operate for about 1 mi (1.6 km) powered by both its battery and gas and then for a further 588 mi (946 km) on gas alone

Ford says the new, 2017 version of its Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid has a bigger range than any other plug-in hybrid available in the US. The carmaker says it will do 610 mi (982 km) on a full tank of gas and with a fully charged battery, citing Environmental Protection Agency estimates.

The range is quite an increase from the 550 mi (885 km) that the 2016 Fusion Energy was capable of. Ford puts the improvement down to updated hybrid powertrain software and an improved regenerative braking system.

The Fusion Energi's all-electric range is around 21 mi (34 km), after which it will operate for about 1 mi (1.6 km) powered by both its battery and gas, assuming there is gas in the tank. The car can then travel for a further 588 mi (946 km) on gas alone. It has an combined city and highway efficiency of 42 mpg (5.6 l/100 km).

Based on data collected from its electric vehicles, Ford says drivers of its plug-in hybrids have an average daily commute of 42 mi (68 km). As such, it posits that the average plug-in hybrid driver could drive a Fusion Energi to and from work on a daily basis without using any gas at all, as long as its battery was fully charged both before they left for work and before they returned home.

The 2017 Fusion Energi is available to buy now for about US$31,000.

Source: Ford

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8 comments
VirtualGathis
What a waste. Ford still doesn't understand the purpose behind a hybrid. They keep building chimera's that are not truly hybrids, but a gasoline car and an electric car crammed together.
The purpose of creating a hybrid is to reduce the size of the engine to average load+~5%. Then run the gasoline engine at it's most efficient range all the time allowing the battery pack to take the peaks off the load. They clearly missed that point all together since this thing gets a pathetic 42mpg. In 1979 a guy in his garage converted an OpelGT using the average load hybrid. It got 79mpg with a 4500lb curb weight and the tech of that erra. The fact that the best modern materials and tech can produce in a ford is 42MPG is just plain stupid, and a clear indication that traditionalism has control of the engineering staff rather than innovation.
zr2s10
It's a bit misleading the way they state that. Basically, they put a bigger gas tank in a plug-in hybrid, which is kind of defeating the purpose. The Volt has more than twice the electric range (53mi), in case, you know, your company has a problem with you running your car off their electricity... It also get 42 mpg combined on gas, but with obviously a smaller tank, getting about 425 miles total range. MSRP is a little higher, but after a $7500 tax credit, it comes in a good bit lower. Don't get me wrong, the Fusion looks like a nice car, and it's a little bigger than the Volt from what I can tell. But them bragging about the best "range" for a plug-in hybrid, instead of the best all-electric range or best combined mpg is misleading to the general public.
guzmanchinky
42 mile commute? People need to stop living so far from work.
EH
Susan Ferengi? Terrible name for a car.
IvanWashington
not everybody makes enough money to live close to where they work.
Ronald Chappell
With only 21 mile electric range , who really cares?. buy a stylish road trip car and a little electric grocery shopping cart and have the best (actually better) of both worlds.
Michael Wilson
They need to bump the hybrid mileage up, but I love the range. Not since the mercedes E-class diesels of old have I seen such range. If they could get another 20 miles out of the hybrid range, this would make an ideal commuter car.
Synchro
I'm a bit confused by this too. Surely hybrids should be more, not less efficient than normal cars? I reliably get over 700 miles out of a tank in my 10-year-old, big, heavy Peugeot estate, and I know some obsessive hypermilers can get double that out of similar specs. The performance of this Ford is very unimpressive - they throw a load of expensive technology at it and achieve less than nothing!