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The Ford Fusion Hybrid is a
gasoline-electric hybrid A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a type of hybrid vehicle that combines a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) system with an electric propulsion system (hybrid vehicle drivetrain). The presence of the electric powertrain is intended ...
powered version of the mid-sized Ford Fusion sedan manufactured and marketed by
Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...
, now in its second generation. A
plug-in hybrid A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a hybrid electric vehicle whose battery pack can be recharged by plugging a charging cable into an external electric power source, in addition to internally by its on-board internal combustion engin ...
version, the Ford Fusion Energi, was released in the U.S. in February 2013. The first generation was launched to the U.S. market in March 2009 for
model year The model year (sometimes abbreviated "MY") is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured. ...
2010, together with its
badge-engineered In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a ma ...
variants, the Mercury Milan Hybrid and the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. The second generation was launched under the Ford and Lincoln brands for model year 2013, went on sale in the U.S. in October 2012. The
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon pro ...
(EPA) rated the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid at combined city/highway. The second generation hybrid improved the fuel economy rating to for combined city/highway driving. The EPA rated the Energi's combined city/highway fuel economy in
all-electric mode Charge-depleting or EV mode refers to a mode of vehicle operation that is dependent on the energy from the battery pack. Battery electric vehicles operate solely in this mode. Most plug-in hybrids operate in charge-depleting mode at startup, and ...
at 88 miles per gallon gasoline equivalent (MPG-e) (2.7 L gasoline equivalent/100 km; 106 mpg-imp). In hybrid operation (
charge-sustaining A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a type of hybrid vehicle that combines a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) system with an electric propulsion system ( hybrid vehicle drivetrain). The presence of the electric powertrain is intend ...
mode), the Energi has a combined fuel economy of . The Fusion Hybrid has won the 2010
North American Car of the Year The North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year are a set of automotive awards announced at a news conference each January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The jury consists of no more than 60 automotive journali ...
Award, and the entire 2013 Ford Fusion line-up, including the Fusion hybrid and plug-in variants, won the 2013 Green Car of the Year. , over 285,000 units of the Fusion hybrid family have been sold in the United States since 2009, including the plug-in hybrid variant. , sales of the Fusion Energi totaled 43,327 units delivered in its main market, the U.S.


First generation


History and development

The hybrid electric version of the
Fusion Fusion, or synthesis, is the process of combining two or more distinct entities into a new whole. Fusion may also refer to: Science and technology Physics *Nuclear fusion, multiple atomic nuclei combining to form one or more different atomic nucl ...
was announced at the 2005
North American International Auto Show The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), also known as the Detroit Auto Show as of 2022 and prior to NAIAS, is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., at Huntington Place. The show was held in January from 1989 to 2019. ...
, along with the public introduction of the original 2006 Fusion. At that time Ford announced that the hybrid version was scheduled to be introduced in early 2009 for the 2010 model year, for a
suggested retail price The list price, also known as the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP), or the recommended retail price (RRP), or the suggested retail price (SRP) of a product is the price at which its manufacturer notionally recommends that a retailer ...
of US$27,270. The new Fusion Hybrid and Fusion Sport officially debuted at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2008. The Fusion Hybrid is manufactured at Ford's Hermosillo Stamping & Assembly plant, located in
Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into 72 municipalities; the ...
, Mexico. Ford set a modest sales target of about 25,000 vehicles a year for the Fusion Hybrid and the similar Mercury Milan. The Fusion Hybrid was made available for press testing in December 2008 and launched to the U.S. market in March 2009. During the same month two other new hybrid models also came on sale, the
Honda Insight The is a hybrid electric vehicle that is manufactured and marketed by Honda. Its first generation was a two-door, two passenger liftback (1999–2006) and in its second generation was a four-door, five passenger liftback (2009–2014). In its ...
and the Mercury Milan. During the few days that were available to the public, Ford's new Fusion and Milan hybrids sold a combined 451 units, representing 3.0% of all Fusion and Milan models sold in March 2009. The Fusion is the first new hybrid vehicle the Ford brand offered in five years, and is the second hybrid vehicle after the Ford Escape Hybrid. The Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids join the Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid for Mexican-built hybrid vehicles. The 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, launched in the U.S. market in September 2010, shares the hybrid powertrain from the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids, and delivers an estimated fuel economy of . The MKZ Hybrid offers several improvements of Ford's Smart Gauge with EcoGuide, first introduced in the 2010 Fusion Hybrid.


Design and technology

The Fusion Hybrid is a "full" hybrid because both propulsion sources, an electric motor powered by a
Sanyo , stylized as SANYO, is a Japanese electronics company and formerly a member of the ''Fortune'' Global 500 whose headquarters was located in Moriguchi, Osaka prefecture, Japan. Sanyo had over 230 subsidiaries and affiliates, and was founded by ...
supplied 275 V nickel-metal hydride battery, and a 2.5L
Atkinson cycle The Atkinson-cycle engine is a type of internal combustion engine invented by James Atkinson in 1882. The Atkinson cycle is designed to provide efficiency at the expense of power density. A variation of this approach is used in some modern auto ...
I4 156 hp 136 ft.lbs. gasoline engine with intake variable cam timing(iVCT), have substantial power ratings and either can be used alone to propel the vehicle. ''See boxes "Gas Engine Specifications (Hybrid Model)" and "Electric Motor Specifications (Hybrid Model)"'' When braking or decelerating, the Fusion's hybrid system uses
regenerative braking Regenerative braking is an energy recovery mechanism that slows down a moving vehicle or object by converting its kinetic energy into a form that can be either used immediately or stored until needed. In this mechanism, the electric traction mo ...
, where the electric drive motor becomes a generator, converting the vehicle's momentum back to electricity for storage in the batteries. Ford claims that nearly 94 percent energy recovery is achieved by first delivering full regenerative braking followed by friction brakes during city driving. Under ideal conditions, Ford claims the Fusion Hybrid can cruise at up to on battery power alone. Once perceived as a laggard in hybrid technology, Ford now claims nearly 500 hybrid patents that allow the Fusion Hybrid to achieve 41 MPG on the highway. According to Hybridcars.com, Ford has pointed to its talented inventors, making "special mention of Ming Kuang who has helped Ford since 2000 to expand its portfolio of hybrid patents from just 10 patents when he began to 461 today." Quoted in Autotrader.com, the veteran engineer says "it's about helping make the world my children live in-and the world my children's children will live in-a better place."


Safety

The Ford Fusion line-up was included in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 2010 "Top Safety Pick's" rating for the
mid-size Mid-size—also known as intermediate—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than compact cars and smaller than full-size cars. "Large family car" is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in ...
category. As of June 2010, Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids are the only two mid-size hybrid vehicles in the list. Due to the fact that
Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...
recently modified and strengthened the roof structure of the Flex, Fusion, and MKT vehicles, these 2010 ratings apply only to
Lincoln MKZ The Lincoln MKZ, is a four-door, five-passenger mid-size luxury sedan manufactured by Ford and marketed as the Zephyr ( MY 2006) and as the MKZ (MY 2007–2020) by Ford's Lincoln brand across two generations in both gasoline and hybrid gas/elect ...
s, Mercury Milan and Fusions built after April 2010.


Fuel economy and environmental performance

The
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon pro ...
(EPA) has rated the fuel economy for the 2010 Fusion Hybrid at city, highway. The following table compares fuel economy,
carbon footprint A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an individual, event, organization, service, place or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Greenhouse gases, including the carbon-containing gases carbo ...
, and petroleum consumption between the hybrid version and other drivetrains of the Fusion family as estimated by the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy: ''
Motor Trend ''MotorTrend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949. Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles published ''MotorTrend'' until 1998, when it was sold to ...
'' found that their Fusion Hybrid delivered only in of mixed driving, 5 mpg off the EPA combined rating. Over another of testing against a Toyota Camry Hybrid, the same car only achieved , while the Camry Hybrid delivered . "If our early numbers hold up, the Fusion Hybrid would be a rare instance of the EPA relapsing into the world of mileage make-believe." However, they noted that when driven very conservatively, the EPA numbers could be achieved. "In typical driving, you might as well throw the Fusion's EPA numbers out the window. But if you decide to really work at it, they're possible." ''
Car and Driver ''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011. It was f ...
'' also tested a Fusion Hybrid and achieved no more than over of driving, which was greater than the Camry Hybrid () or Nissan Altima Hybrid () though not by the margin indicated by the EPA ratings. According to Ford, the vehicle was built to have a
fuel efficiency Fuel efficiency is a form of thermal efficiency, meaning the ratio of effort to result of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier (fuel) into kinetic energy or work. Overall fuel efficiency may vary per device ...
of 41 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway by EPA standards. In December 2008, Autoblog Green staff reported they had obtained in-city mileage of 43.1 mpg on the streets of Los Angeles. In addition, a
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
reporter informed in December 2008 that he had obtained 52 mpg in mixed city-highway driving with little difficulty. On a single-tank publicity stunt conducted in April 2009, a Fusion Hybrid managed on a 1,445.7 mile trip. Edmunds' InsideLine received a 2010 Fusion Hybrid as a long-term test car. Over of driving, their vehicle had only averaged , with a best tank of and a worst tank of . Reduced Electric Vehicle Operation Of 2010 - 2012 Fusion Hybrid Many owners complained to Ford about greatly reduced gas mileage after 9 years of operation because of reduced electric vehicle operation and increased gasoline engine operation. Ford notified their dealers that they are investigating a fix: TSB #SSM 48238 "Oct 3 2019  8922 - 2010-2012 Fusion HEV, 2010-2011 Milan HEV, 2011-2012 MKZ HEV - Reduced ElectricVehicle Operation Some 2010-2012 Fusion hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), 2010-2011 Milan HEV and 2011-2012 MKZ HEV vehicles may experience reduced electric vehicle operation and increased gasoline engine operation. Do not attempt repairs at this time. Engineering is investigating, monitor OASIS for updates." Customer satisfaction program number is 22G04 was issued by Ford in September 2022. Ford will perform the BECM/PCM update free of charge through Sept 30, 2023. Owners are eligible for a refund if you paid to have this performed at a dealer previously, and can provide documentation. Title: Application Performance Upgrade 22G04 Certain 2010 – 2012 Model Year Fusion / MKZ / Milan Hybrid Vehicles Hybrid Battery Reduced Electric Vehicle Operation BECM and PCM Software Update


Payback time

According to Edmunds.com, the price premium paid for the Fusion Hybrid takes 5 years to recover in fuel savings as compared to its non-hybrid sibling, and is one of the quickest payback periods among top selling hybrids as of February 2012. Edmunds compared the hybrid version priced at with a comparably-equipped gasoline-powered Fusion priced at and found that the payback period is 6 years for gasoline at per gallon, 4 years at per gallon, and drops to 3 years with gasoline prices at per gallon. These estimates assume an average of annual driving and vehicle prices correspond to Edmunds.com's true market value estimates. For the same two vehicles, the U.S. EPA estimates the Fusion Hybrid annual fuel cost at while the gasoline-powered Fusion has an annual fuel cost of . EPA estimates are based on 45% highway and 55% city driving, over 15,000 annual miles, and gasoline price of per gallon, the national average as of February 2012. The Lincoln MKZ Hybrid has no price premium.


SmartGauge for eco driving

The Fusion Hybrid comes with a SmartGauge with EcoGuide which features two 4.3-inch high-resolution, full-color LCD screens on either side of the vehicle's
analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analog ...
speedometer A speedometer or speed meter is a gauge that measures and displays the instantaneous speed of a vehicle. Now universally fitted to motor vehicles, they started to be available as options in the early 20th century, and as standard equipment f ...
. The objective of these panel display is to coach drivers on how to optimize the performance of their hybrid by keeping track of their
eco driving Energy-efficient driving techniques are used by drivers who wish to reduce their fuel consumption, and thus maximize fuel efficiency. The use of these techniques is called "hypermiling". Simple fuel-efficiency techniques can result in reduction i ...
improvements. These screens can be configured to show different levels of driver information, including fuel and battery power levels, and average and instant fuel economy. When set in tutorial mode, the instrument panel in the right side "grows" leaves and vines on-screen to reward fuel-efficient driving. The more leaves and vines that appear, the more efficient the driving behavior is and the more fuel is being saved. Long-term
fuel efficiency Fuel efficiency is a form of thermal efficiency, meaning the ratio of effort to result of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier (fuel) into kinetic energy or work. Overall fuel efficiency may vary per device ...
can also be displayed as a traditional chart. The left side display shows when the car is in pure-electric mode, and shows the state of battery charge. The 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, launched in September 2010, offers an improvement of Ford's SmartGauge with EcoGuide introduced with the 2010 Fusion and Milan hybrids. In 2012, with the introduction of the second generation Fusion, Ford redesigned its SmartGauge with EcoGuide system giving it a newer look and new customizable MyView features. One of the new features, Brake Coach, gives instant feedback on the driver's braking habits and gives them advice to maximize the efficiency of the regenerative braking system.


Tax credit

The Fusion Hybrid qualified for a maximum
hybrid tax credit Many governments offer a hybrid tax credit or hybrid tax rebate as a financial incentive for consumers to purchase a hybrid vehicle. Canada Residents in Ontario
of US$3,400 if purchased by March 31, 2009. The credit dropped to US$1,700 if purchased by September 30, 2009, to US$850 if purchased from October 2009 and March 31, 2010, and phased out on April 1, 2010.


Other markets

The
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
ian version of the Fusion Hybrid was unveiled at the 2010 São Paulo International Auto Show. Sales began in November 2010 at a price of (). The Fusion Hybrid was the first full hybrid car sold in Brazil. Imported from Mexico, the Fusion Hybrid engine performance and fuel system durability was tested with the Brazilian mandatory E20 to E25
ethanol Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl group linked to a ...
blends.


Second generation

A complete redesign of the Ford Fusion lineup for the
model year The model year (sometimes abbreviated "MY") is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured. ...
2013 was unveiled at the 2012
North American International Auto Show The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), also known as the Detroit Auto Show as of 2022 and prior to NAIAS, is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., at Huntington Place. The show was held in January from 1989 to 2019. ...
. The new lineup includes three optional engines for the conventional four-cylinder-only gasoline model, a next-generation hybrid version, and a
plug-in hybrid A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a hybrid electric vehicle whose battery pack can be recharged by plugging a charging cable into an external electric power source, in addition to internally by its on-board internal combustion engin ...
version, the Ford Fusion Energi. The Ford Fusion became the first production sedan to offer these three powertrain options. In April 2012 Ford announced that an auto start-stop system will be available for the 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine non-hybrid version, at a price of . The expected fuel economy was a combined . Sales of the gasoline-powered and hybrid version began in the U.S. in October 2012. Sales in Europe and Asia, under the
Ford Mondeo The Ford Mondeo is a large family car manufactured by Ford since 1993. The first Ford model declared as a " world car", the Mondeo was intended to consolidate several Ford model lines worldwide (the European Sierra, the Telstar in Asia and Aus ...
name, were planned to start in 2013. Ford began taking orders of the Mondeo Hybrid in Germany in August 2014. Production of the Mondeo Hybrid began at Ford's
Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...
, Spain, plant in November 2014. The nickel-metal hydride batteries used in the hybrid first generation were replaced with lithium-ion batteries. The 2013 model year Fusion Hybrid is more fuel efficient than its predecessor, with a
US Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...
(EPA) rating of combined, in city and in highway driving. Initially, the second generation Fusion Hybrid was rated with the same rating for combined/city/highway cycles. However, in June 2014 Ford announced that it was downgrading the EPA fuel economy ratings on six of its 2013 and 2014 model year vehicles, including all its C-Max, Fusion and
MKZ MKZ or mkz may refer to: * Lincoln MKZ, mid-size luxury car from the Lincoln Motor Company * Makasae language, a Papuan language (ISO 639-3) * Malacca International Airport in Malaysia (IATA code) * MKZ Medienkulturzentrum Dresden e. V. (Center fo ...
full hybrids and its two plug-in Energi models. The ratings were lowered after an error was discovered in the company's internal testing data. Ford is making a goodwill payments to around 200,000 customers affected by its mistake. After the ratings were lowered the 2013/14 Fusion Hybrid still slightly outperforms the 2012/2014 Toyota Camry Hybrid LE by 1 mpg-US city and 2 mpg-US highway, and the Camry XLE by 4 mpg-US city and 3 mpg-US highway. The second generation hybrid has a powertrain with a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle inline-four – downsized from the 2.5-liter unit used in the first generation Fusion Hybrid. Total output is estimated at and , running to the front wheels via an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission. The lithium-ion battery pack saves weight and generates more power than previous NiMH batteries, and allows the second generation Fusion Hybrid to raise its maximum speed under electric-only power from . The 2013 Fusion Hybrid includes driver assistance and technologies based on sensors, cameras and radar that enable the car to see and respond. Fusion can help drivers maintain proper lane position (Lane Keeping System); adjust vehicle speed to changing traffic conditions through adaptive cruise control; active park assist to help identify suitable parking spaces and help park; and Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with cross-traffic alert, which consists of sensors in both rear quarter-panels that are able to detect traffic in a driver's blind spot, providing both audible and visual warnings if traffic unseen by the driver is detected. BLIS technology enables cross-traffic alert, even aiding drivers backing out of parking space where visibility is obstructed.


Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

During the 2012 North American International Auto Show Ford also unveiled the Lincoln MKZ concept model. Ford offers a hybrid option of the redesigned 2013 Lincoln MKZ, and like the previous MKZ generation, the MKZ Hybrid is available for the same price as the non-hybrid model. The EPA rated initially the 2013 MKZ Hybrid at with the same rating for combined/city/highway cycles. After the ratings of six Ford models were downgraded in June 2014, the MKZ was the model with the largest fuel economy reduction, 7 mpg-US in city/highway combined. The revised EPA ratings of 2013/14 MKZ Hybrid are combined, in city and in highway driving. Despite sharing the same powertrain, the 2013/14 MKZ Hybrid is rated 4 mpg-US combined less than its sibling the second generation
Ford Fusion Hybrid The Ford Fusion Hybrid is a gasoline-electric hybrid powered version of the mid-sized Ford Fusion sedan manufactured and marketed by Ford, now in its second generation. A plug-in hybrid version, the Ford Fusion Energi, was released in the U.S ...
, and 6 mpg-US less in city driving.


Ford Mondeo Hybrid

The Mondeo Hybrid shares the same powertrain of the Fusion Hybrid combining a 2.0-liter gasoline engine with an electric motor and 1.4 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery. Under the
New European Driving Cycle The New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) was a driving cycle, last updated in 1997, designed to assess the emission levels of car engines and fuel economy in passenger cars (which excludes light trucks and commercial vehicles). It is also refer ...
the Mondeo is rated at in combined driving, and for urban driving, with emissions of 99 g/km. Ford set a pricing for the Mondeo Hybrid that is competitive with Mondeo diesel powertrain variants. Retail deliveries are scheduled to begin in the UK in December 2014 at a pricing starting at .


Controversy over fuel economy ratings

In December 2012,
Motor Trend ''MotorTrend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949. Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles published ''MotorTrend'' until 1998, when it was sold to ...
reported that Consumer Reports and Green Car Reports have found that the 2013
Ford C-Max Hybrid The Ford C-Max (stylized as Ford C-MAX and previously called the Ford Focus C-Max) is a car produced by the Ford Motor Company from 2003 to 2019. It has a five-door compact multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) design. The Ford Grand C-Max has a longer wh ...
and 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid, which share the same powertrain, do not deliver their triple EPA ratings in real-world use. After running both vehicles through Consumer Reports real-world tests, the magazine found that 2013 Fusion hybrid achieved a combined fuel economy average of , with for city and highway. Consumer Reports concluded that the overall fuel economy for the Fusion Hybrid is off by 8 mpg, representing a deviation of about 20%. The consumer magazine said that their overall fuel economy results are usually close to the EPA's combined-mpg estimate, and among current models tested, more than 80% fall within 2 mpg margin. The largest discrepancy the magazine has previously found was 7 and 6 mpg for the
Toyota Prius c The Toyota Prius c (''c'' stands for "city"), named the (''" aqua"'' is Latin for water) in Japan, is a full hybrid gasoline-electric subcompact/supermini hatchback manufactured and marketed by Toyota. The Prius c is the third member of the P ...
and the Prius liftback/fastback, respectively. A few days later the Environmental Protection Agency said it will review claims that two new Ford hybrid vehicles are not delivering the advertised 47 mpg. Linc Wehrly, Director of Light-duty Vehicle Center Compliance Division at EPA's National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan commented that hybrids have far more variability in miles per gallon than a conventional vehicle. Most vehicles' real-world gasoline mileage is less than the EPA sticker number, and can often be 20% less than the sticker number depending on speed, temperature and other factors. The EPA explained that with hybrids the gap is much wider, as high as a 30% drop. Ford responded in a statement, saying that, "''Early C-MAX Hybrid and Fusion Hybrid customers praise the vehicles and report a range of fuel economy figures, including some reports above 47 mpg. This reinforces the fact that driving styles, driving conditions, and other factors can cause mileage to vary''." A Ford spokesman also said they followed EPA's test guidelines and the company is standing by the ratings as determined by the current testing protocols. Nevertheless, they are working closely with the agency to determine if any changes are needed for the industry relative to hybrid vehicle testing. In July 2013, Ford issued a voluntary software update for the 2013 model year Fusion, C-Max and MKZ Hybrid, that attempts to improve on the lower-than-expected MPG claims. Some of the changes include: * Increasing the maximum pure electric speed from , allowing increased use of electric-only mode on the highway * Optimizing the use of Active Grille Shutters to reduce aerodynamic drag under more driving and temperature conditions including cold weather, during air conditioner use and when the engine coolant temperature is higher * Reducing the electric fan speed as a function of coolant temperature to minimize the fan's energy consumption * Shortening engine warm-up time by up to 50 percent to enable electric-only driving and engine shutdown at stops sooner after cold starts * Optimizing the climate control system to minimize use of the air conditioning compressor and reduce the energy used in cold weather operation. In August 2013, and due to the criticism and after several lawsuits about the worse-than-expected fuel economy, Ford voluntarily lowered all three EPA ratings of the C-Max Hybrid and will pay about a rebate to some 32,000 C-Max owners. The revised fuel economy ratings for combined was lowered from to . Ford has no plans to change the fuel economy ratings on the 2013 Fusion hybrid, because the company used the Fusion hybrid test to generate the fuel economy label for the C-Max Hybrid following EPA's rules.


Ford Fusion Energi

The Fusion Energi is a
plug-in hybrid A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a hybrid electric vehicle whose battery pack can be recharged by plugging a charging cable into an external electric power source, in addition to internally by its on-board internal combustion engin ...
unveiled at the 2012 North American International Auto Show, and retail sales in the U.S. began in February 2013. Initially it was priced at , and in January 2014 the starting price was reduced to . Due to the capacity of its battery pack, the Energi qualifies for a federal tax credit up to and any applicable state and local incentives. Energi models purchased in or after 2010 are eligible for a $4,007 tax credit, which is based on the capacity of the battery used to fuel the vehicle. The 2013 Fusion Energi is eligible for access to California's high-occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV) with a solo driver, and also for a California state tax rebate. A refreshed 2017 Fusion Energi is scheduled to be released by mid-2016. In addition to a new fascia and other technological upgrades, the 2017 model year has more efficient electric motors, allowing the refreshed 2017 model year Fusion Energi to increase its all-electric range and to improve its EPA fuel economy ratings. , over 43,700 units have been sold in North America, with 43,327 units delivered in the U.S. and about 386 units in Canada. Unlike the regular hybrid there is no Lincoln MKZ version of the Energi.


Specifications and range

The Fusion Energi uses the same non-turbo 2-liter 4-cylinder engine supplements as the 2013 Fusion Hybrid to assist the electric motor. The Energi has a 7.6 kWh
lithium-ion battery A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also s ...
that powers the
electric motor An electric motor is an electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a wire winding to generate for ...
. The plug-in hybrid delivers total horsepower of 195 (145 kW) with a fully charged battery and has an electric-only top speed of , more than the
Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid (often abbreviated as the Prius and known as the Prius Prime in North America, South Korea, and New Zealand) is a plug-in hybrid liftback manufactured by Toyota. The first-generation model was produced from 2012 t ...
. The Fusion Energi,
model year The model year (sometimes abbreviated "MY") is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured. ...
s 2013 through 2016, has an official EPA all-electric range of and the total range with a full tank of gasoline and a fully charged battery is according to the EPA. The all-electric range of the refreshed 2017 model year Fusion Energi increases to , and thanks to a better fuel economy, the total range increases to . The EPA's 2015 edition of the ''Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends'' presents utility factors for plug-in hybrids to represent the percentage of miles that will be driven using electricity by an average driver, in electric only or blended modes. Both the Fusion and C-Max Energi models have a utility factor in EV mode of 45%, compared with 83% for the BMW i3 REx, 66/65% for the
Chevrolet Volt The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid manufactured by General Motors, also marketed in rebadged variants as the Holden Volt in Australia and New Zealand and the Buick Velite 5 in China, and with a different fascia as the Vauxhall Ampera in th ...
/
Cadillac ELR The Cadillac ELR is a two-door, four-passenger luxury plug-in hybrid compact coupé manufactured and marketed by Cadillac for model years (MY) 2014 and 2016 – with a hiatus for MY 2015. Using a retuned version of the Chevrolet Volt's Voltec E ...
, 43% for the
McLaren P1 The McLaren P1 is a limited-production mid-engine plug-in hybrid sports car produced by British automobile manufacturer McLaren Automotive. Debuted at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, sales of the P1 began in the United Kingdom in October 2013 and all ...
, 37% for the
BMW i8 The BMW i8 is a plug-in hybrid sports car developed by BMW. The i8 was part of BMW's electrified fleet and was marketed under the BMW i sub-brand. The production version of the BMW i8 was unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show and was rel ...
, and 29% for the
Toyota Prius PHV The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid (often abbreviated as the Prius and known as the Prius Prime in North America, South Korea, and New Zealand) is a plug-in hybrid liftback manufactured by Toyota. The first-generation model was produced from 2012 t ...
. In May 2016, Ford reported, based on data collected from more than 610 million miles (976 million km) logged by its electrified vehicles through its telematics system, that drivers of these vehicles run an average of annually on their vehicles, with about half of those miles operating in all-electric mode. A break down of these figures show an average daily commute of for Ford Energi plug-in hybrid drivers. Ford notes that with the enhanced electric range of the 2017 model year model, the average Fusion Energi commuter could go the entire day using no gasoline, if the car is fully charged both before leaving for work and before leaving for home. According to Ford data, currently most customers are likely charging their vehicles only at home.


Fuel economy

Initially, the EPA rated the Energi's combined city/highway fuel economy in
all-electric mode Charge-depleting or EV mode refers to a mode of vehicle operation that is dependent on the energy from the battery pack. Battery electric vehicles operate solely in this mode. Most plug-in hybrids operate in charge-depleting mode at startup, and ...
at 100 miles per gallon gasoline equivalent (MPG-e) (2.4 L gasoline equivalent/100 km). Later, due to complaints from owners not achieving the sticker fuel economy, and following a technical review, the official EPA rating in EV mode was downgraded to 88 MPG-e (). The Fusion Energi combined fuel economy equivalent is the same as the 2013
Ford C-Max Energi The Ford C-Max (stylized as Ford C-MAX and previously called the Ford Focus C-Max) is a car produced by the Ford Motor Company from 2003 to 2019. It has a five-door compact multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) design. The Ford Grand C-Max has a longer wh ...
. In a similar way, in
hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...
operation, initially the Energi had an EPA combined city/highway fuel economy of . It was later downgraded by the EPA to . EPA's rating for combined EV/hybrid operation is 51 MPG-e (4.6 L gasoline equivalent/100 km), which allowed the Fusion Energi to rank at the time in sixth place, together with the C-Max Energi, among the top ten EPA-Rated Fuel Sippers since 1984. The refreshed 2017 model year Fusion Energi has an increased EPA rated fuel economy in
all-electric mode Charge-depleting or EV mode refers to a mode of vehicle operation that is dependent on the energy from the battery pack. Battery electric vehicles operate solely in this mode. Most plug-in hybrids operate in charge-depleting mode at startup, and ...
to 97 miles per gallon gasoline equivalent (MPG-e) () for combined city/highway driving, with an energy consumption of 35 kWh/100 mi. The EPA rating in hybrid operation rose to . A police pursuit version achieves , whereas the regular Interceptor gets .


Awards and recognitions


First generation

* In April 2009, Kelley Blue Book included the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid among its 2009 list of "Top 10 Green Cars". * The 2009 U.S. News & World Report car ranking for best affordable mid-size cars is led by the 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid followed by the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The 2010
Toyota Prius The is a car built by Toyota which has a hybrid drivetrain, combining an internal combustion engine with an electric motor. Initially offered as a four-door sedan, it has been produced only as a five-door liftback since 2003. In 2007, ...
is ranked No. 4 together with the 2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid, and the 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid ranks No. 12. * In November 2009, the entire 2010 Ford Fusion line-up, including the Fusion Hybrid, was selected as the 2010
Motor Trend Car of the Year The ''Motor Trend'' Car of the Year (COTY) is an annual '' Car of the Year'' award given by ''Motor Trend'' magazine to recognize the best new or significantly refreshed car in a given model year. Background ''Motor Trend'', which debuted in ...
. * In December 2009,
Car and Driver ''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011. It was f ...
magazine listed the 2010 Fusion Hybrid among the "10 Best Cars". The magazine stated that the Fusion Hybrid was the most advanced of all the cars they tested. * In December 2009,
Automobile Magazine ''Automobile'' was an American automobile magazine published by the Motor Trend Group. A group of former employees of ''Car and Driver'' led by David E. Davis founded ''Automobile'' in 1986 with support from Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, u ...
named the Fusion Hybrid one of the 2010 Automobile All-Stars. * In January 2010, the Fusion Hybrid won the 2010
North American Car of the Year The North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year are a set of automotive awards announced at a news conference each January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The jury consists of no more than 60 automotive journali ...
Award at the
Detroit Auto Show The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), also known as the Detroit Auto Show as of 2022 and prior to NAIAS, is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., at Huntington Place. The show was held in January from 1989 to 2019. ...
. *In February 2010, Consumer Reports included the Fusion Hybrid in the "American Top Picks 2010" leading the Green Car category. * In April 2010, Kelley Blue Book again included the Ford Fusion Hybrid among its 2010 list of "Top 10 Green Cars". * In March 2010,
Mother Earth News ''Mother Earth News'' is a bi-monthly American magazine that has a circulation of 500,520 . It is published in Topeka, Kansas. Since its founding, ''Mother Earth News'' has promoted renewable energy, recycling, family farms, good agricultural ...
included the 2010 Fusion Hybrid in its list of "Best Green Cars of 2010". *In February 2011, Consumer Reports included the Fusion Hybrid in the "American Top Picks 2011" leading the Green Car category.


Second generation

*In November 2012, the entire 2013 Ford Fusion line-up, including the Fusion hybrid and plug-in variants, and the gasoline and EcoBoost engine options, won the 2013 Green Car of the Year awarded by the Green Car Journal at the Los Angeles Auto Show.


Sales


2009–2012

During 2009, the Fusion Hybrid sold in the U.S. market a total of 15,554 units and the Milan Hybrid 1,486 units, as reported by the manufacturers. Although the Fusion Hybrid helped Ford bypass Honda to become the second biggest seller of hybrids in the US market in the month of December 2009, for the whole year of 2009, Honda sold more hybrid vehicles (35,691 units) than Ford (33,520 units) and the 2010
Honda Insight The is a hybrid electric vehicle that is manufactured and marketed by Honda. Its first generation was a two-door, two passenger liftback (1999–2006) and in its second generation was a four-door, five passenger liftback (2009–2014). In its ...
also outsold the Fusion Hybrid, with 20,572 units. For 2010, U.S. sales of Ford Fusion Hybrid reached of 20,816 units, helping the model to become the third best selling hybrid in 2010 after the
Toyota Prius The is a car built by Toyota which has a hybrid drivetrain, combining an internal combustion engine with an electric motor. Initially offered as a four-door sedan, it has been produced only as a five-door liftback since 2003. In 2007, ...
and
Honda Insight The is a hybrid electric vehicle that is manufactured and marketed by Honda. Its first generation was a two-door, two passenger liftback (1999–2006) and in its second generation was a four-door, five passenger liftback (2009–2014). In its ...
. The Milan Hybrid sold 1,416 units in 2010 and its production was discontinued as part of Ford's decision to phase out the entire Mercury brand. Purchases by the US Government at the behest of the Obama administration accounted for almost a third of the Ford Fusion Hybrids produced between 2009 and late 2010. Ford reported that Fusion sales reached 151,004 units through July 2011, of which, 7,780 were the hybrid version, representing a 5.1% market share of all Fusion sales. During year 2011, the Fusion Hybrid sold 11,286 units and the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid sold 5,739 units, ranking sixth and tenth correspondingly, in hybrid sales for calendar year 2011. Fusion hybrid sales in 2012 increased 24.9% over 2011 sales, and hybrid models represented a 5.8% share of the 241,263 Fusion sold in 2012.


2013

The introduction of the redesigned 2013
model year The model year (sometimes abbreviated "MY") is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured. ...
Fusion, with a more fuel efficient second generation powertrain, resulted in increased sales of the hybrid version, and by August 2013, sales were up 275.2% over the same period in 2012. The Fusion Energi achieved record sales in August 2013. Also during this month, the Fusion Hybrid recorded its best sales month ever in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
,
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
and
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, and its second best-selling month in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, another key hybrid market. This rapid increase in sales contributed to Ford achieving its best August electric drive vehicle sales ever. The Fusion Hybrid sales increased 164.3% from 2012 and ended 2013 as the fourth top selling hybrid in the U.S. after the Prius liftback, the Prius c and the Toyota Camry Hybrid. The redesigned 2013 model year Lincoln MKZ hybrid also experienced somewhat stronger sales during 2013. In July 2013, Ford announced that for the 2014 model year MKZ hybrid it would increase the share of production allocated to the hybrid version, from 20% for the 2013 model year to 40% of the 2014 model year. The Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is popular among consumers in part because it has the same base price as the non-hybrid MKZ.


2014

Sales of hybrid electric cars in the U.S. in 2014 declined 8.8% from 2013. Following the trend of the hybrid market, Fusion Hybrid sales were down 5.0% from 2013, and continued to rank as the fourth top selling hybrid in the U.S. Sales of Lincoln MKZ Hybrid continued its growth trend with sales up 34.3% from a year earlier. The American plug-in hybrid market in 2014 was up 13.1% from 2013, while combined sales of both of Ford's Energi models (Fusion and C-Max) increased by 50.9% despite the reduction of their fuel economy ratings. Sales of the Fusion Energi were up 89.7% from 2013 while C-Mx Energi sales were up only by 17.9%.


2015

The American hybrid electric segment continued to decline in 2015, down 15% from 2014. Following the general U.S. trend, Fusion Hybrid sales were down 30.3% from 2014, and the Fusion continued to rank as the fourth top selling hybrid in the U.S. Sales of Lincoln MKZ Hybrid fell 16.2% from a year earlier. The American plug-in hybrid market in 2015 was up 5.8% from 2014, however, sales of the Fusion Energi were down 15.6% from 2014, and C-Max Energi sales were down by 10.0%. The Fusion Energi ranked as the second top selling plug-in hybrid in the country after the
Chevrolet Volt The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid manufactured by General Motors, also marketed in rebadged variants as the Holden Volt in Australia and New Zealand and the Buick Velite 5 in China, and with a different fascia as the Vauxhall Ampera in th ...
, up from third place in 2014, and passing the
Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid (often abbreviated as the Prius and known as the Prius Prime in North America, South Korea, and New Zealand) is a plug-in hybrid liftback manufactured by Toyota. The first-generation model was produced from 2012 t ...
.


2017

In 2017, after a redesign which improved efficiency, Ford Fusion Hybrid sales surged by 70.8%, making it the number two selling hybrid car in America, after the Toyota Prius Liftback, which had 12.5% more sales. In contrast, the newly released Prius Prime surged 745%, consuming all the growth in the PHEV market, and American PHEVs like the Fusion (-39.6%) and Chevy Volt (-17.7%) suffered steep declines as new PHEV models from Volvo, BMW, and Mercedes ate into American car sales.


Total US sales

Since 2009 a total of 356,534 units of the Fusion hybrid family, including the Energi plug-in hybrid, have been sold in the United States through December 2017. U.S. sales by year for each model and the share of hybrids out of total model sales are shown in the following table:


See also

* Ford CD2 platform * Ford CD4 platform * Ford Fusion (regular non-hybrid version) *
Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...
*
Hybrid electric vehicles in the United States The fleet of hybrid electric vehicles in the United States, with 5.8 million units sold through December 2020, is the second largest in the world after Japan (7.51 million by March 2018). American sales of hybrid electric vehicles rep ...
*
List of hybrid vehicles This is a list of hybrid vehicles, including both regular hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids in chronological order of first production: Automobiles Overview by decade Early designs: 1899-1917 *1899: Carmaker Pieper of Belgi ...
*
List of modern production plug-in electric vehicles This is a list of battery electric vehicles that are mass-produced, formerly produced, and planned. It includes only vehicles exclusively using chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs, with no secondary source of propulsion (e.g ...
*
Plug-in electric vehicles in the United States The adoption of plug-in electric vehicles in the United States is supported by the American federal government, and several states and local governments. , cumulative sales in the U.S. totaled 2.32 million highway legal plug-in electric ...


References


External links


Ford's Fusion Hybrid page (Click on Green)

Fusion Hybrid timetable on tax credits
{{Modern North American Ford vehicles Fusion Hybrid Front-wheel-drive vehicles Mid-size cars Hybrid electric cars Plug-in hybrid vehicles Sedans Police vehicles Partial zero-emissions vehicles Cars introduced in 2009 Cars introduced in 2013 Fusion Hybrid Vehicles with CVT transmission