Quincy

The specs listed by the Ford Dealers all say the Ford Fusion Hybrid's transmission is the Aisin PowerSplit eCVT automatic transmission. The name should be pretty descriptive of what kind of transmission that is. :) The Power Split Device in the Ford Escape Hybrid and Fusion Hybrid are both manufactured by Aisin Seiki in Japan. I don't have the particular Aisin model number for the Fusion Hybrid's Power Split Device yet, but the ones used in the Escape Hybrid are the Aisin T-030 and T-031. Aisin does have a Power Split Device transmission listed in their current catalog with an "HD-10" model number, with a 65kw (which is 86hp) MG2 electric motor. Sounds awfully like the specs for the FFH MG2. Check out the attachment. That is the Ford Power Split Device. And check out the Prius Power Split Device: http://www.eahart.com/prius/psd They are the same kind of animal. B)

Oy, the hybrid electronics are already covered by warranty for 8 years / 100,000 miles standard, 10 years / 150,000 miles in the eight states with California emissions laws. That Premium care package is rather expensively redundant if you are worried about the hybrid electronics!

They share the same kind of Power Split Device drivetrain, though the various components are different. The 2nd-Gen Prius has a 1.5L engine and a 60hp MG2 traction motor, while the Fusion Hybrid has a 2.5L engine and a 90hp MG2 traction motor. Plus the battery pack (their control electronics and software, how they charge, and their capacity) is different between the Prius and Fusion Hybrid. How the power split device system works is pretty universal among Toyota, Lexus, Ford and Nissan hybrids though (these are the four carmakers that uses the PSD drive system in their hybrids). These all use the Planetary gearset with the MG2 turning the outside ring gear (which directly drives the car's wheels), the gasoline engine turning the middle planetary gears (through the planetary carrier assembly), and the MG1 countertorque motor connected to the sun gear at the center of the PSD gearset. This webpage can explain how the three mesh together much better than I can: http://www.eahart.com/prius/psd\ Hope this helps!

Just an update! One month later, we see that Lexus is doing exactly what Ford did with the Fusion Hybrid drivetrain-- Going more aggressive on the electrical side. Check it out: http://www.leftlanenews.com/lexus-hs-250h-...ive-review.html The new Lexus HS250h will sport a 120hp MG2 electric motor. The Fusion Hybrid has a 90hp MG2. All the previous PSD hybrid sedans like the Camry Hybrid and Nissan Altima Hybrids had just 50hp MG2s. I guess with such a big MG2, the Lexus HS250h will be able to cruise on electric alone at even higher speeds, if that's the case!

Engine wear is not an issue.. Here in New York City we got Ford Escape Hybrids working as taxi cabs since 2004. Many have exceeded 200,000 miles with no problems. Ditto in Vancouver where they got plenty of Priuses as taxi cabs (same kind of drivetrain as the Escape Hybrid and Fusion hybrid.)

I wouldn't do it. Maintenance for the Fusion Hybrid is nothing like the regular Fusion. We don't need brake servicing until after 100,000 miles because of regenerative braking, there are no timing belts to change, and no need to replace alternators or starter motors or solenoids. If you have the things in the Fusion Hybrid maintenance schedule done on your own at the prescribed intervals, you will find that it will cost you MUCH LESS than $1400!

If the performance of the Ford Fusion and Toyota Prius are of any indication, I think the odds are in our favor that they will last past 200,000 miles with very little problems. :) In Vancouver, they have been using Toyota Priuses as taxi cabs for years. Those have regularly exceeded 200,000 miles with zero battery issues, and only those that have been badly abused (involved in accidents) have subsequent problems (not a surprise). Where I am here in New York City, they have been using Ford Escape Hybrids as taxis since 2005 and many have also exceeded 200,000 miles no problems, and nobody abuses the cars like the notorious NYC cabbies. Since the Fusion Hybrid uses the same hybrid system as the Escape Hybrid, I think it gives us a pretty good indication how long the FFH will last. I'm keeping a very close eye on how the rest of NYC's hybrid fleet will do-- We also got plenty of Camry Hybrids, Altima Hybrids, Highlander Hybrids and Priuses as taxi cabs here. I'll be watching with interest to see when the Ford Fusion Hybrid will start showing up on the streets of NYC as medallion cabs!

Just want to make you guys aware that the Premium Maintenance Service Package is TOTALLY UNNECESSARY. It's a complete waste of money. The Fusion Hybrid uses regenerative braking and needs no brake pad change until well after 100,000 miles. (Not a typo!) And it has no timing belt, no alternators, no starter motor or solenoid that needs replacement. The hybrid drivetrain is already covered for up to 10 years / 150,000 miles depending on where you bought and registered the car. The 30,000 and 60,000 mile service are simply multi-point inspections. Nor worth the $1,900 at all!

Well, I own a Prius too, but I do like the Fusion Hybrid very much because it's like a Prius on steroids. :lol: Fusion Hybrid owners can learn a lot from Prius owners. All of the driving techniques they developed on the Prius like Pulse and Glide is entirely applicable to the Fusion Hybrid since they share such similar drivetrains, and we can also learn a thing or two like winter operations (where the Prius owners often partially block grills or have engine block heaters installed to improve fuel economy). Any PSD-equipped car is fine by me! And that includes hybrids from Ford, Nissan (they licensed the PSD system for their Nissan Altima Hybrid too), Lexus and Toyota. B) They are all birds of the same feather, so to speak.

Congratulations! The Fusion Hybrid is indeed a fine choice. Now you will be going through the 5 stages of your ownership experience: 1 - Fascination with your new car, the honeymoon period. 2 - Discovering all the neat things about the Fusion Hybrid, like how you don't need to change the brake pads until after 100,000 miles. 3 - Learning and fine-tuning your driving techniques to get the most out of your Fusion Hybrid. 4 - Nirvana-- As you mastered everything your Fusion Hybrid has to offer. 5 - and the realization that it can be SO MUCH BETTER... And hoping Ford will keep improving the Fusion Hybrid in the future with new technologies like smaller, lighter Lithium-powered battery packs and Plug-In options so we can drastically decrease our need to visit a gas station to fill up. B)

The Power Split Device system has two electrical motors, MG1 and MG2. The MG1 is the smaller countertorque motor (about 20hp), and is used to crank the gasoline engine into motion, which is why the Power Split Device-equipped cars do not need a separate starter motor and solenoid like a regular car does (which is what cranks the engine in a regular car when you turn the key in the ignition). MG2 is the 90hp main traction motor geared directly to the drivewheels, both to provide direct electrical motor torque to the wheels and to electrically brake the car by spinning it as an electrical generator. The PSD does not need an alternator because both MG1 and MG2 can be run as electrical generators (MG2 by recovering kinetic energy into electricity through regenerative braking, MG1 as the countertorque motor spun by the gasoline engine when the gas engine is turning.) The hybrid system includes a solid-state inverter and the hybrid computer system to manage the electrical system and monitor the battery charge states. As far as engine wear goes, the gas engine in a PSD car experiences LESS engine wear because 1) it's an Atkinson Cycle engine that always operates at lower RPMs compared to regular Otto-cycle engines, and 2) it's in operation only when it's needed, so it experiences less heat stress and less mechanical friction wear. The cons of the PSD system are : - the motors do weigh a lot-- 200 pounds of copper windings, magnets and armature. The battery pack is a bit heavy too, so the hybrids do pay a penalty in weight. On average, a PSD hybrid car will weigh around 200-300 pounds heavier than its conventional counterpart. - In cars that are not designed from the ground up as hybrids such as the Fusion, the battery does take up trunk space. The cars designed from the ground up as hybrids like the Prius don't pay that penalty though. - The computer-controlled traction system is not particularly good at managing high-slip conditions, which is why the PSD system is not good for off-road 4-wheel-drive vehicles. During excessive slip, the traction-control will override your throttle input to prevent an MG2 electrical overload (so as not to burn out the MG2 traction motor). - You do have to take care not to drain the main traction battery. The hybrid system computer always tries to keep it in a charge state between 60-80%, where the battery will last almost indefinitely. It is not designed to be deep-discharged. If you do anything stupid like run out of gas so you are running on just electric alone, which drains the battery, it will decrease its lifespan (and that kind of damage is NOT covered by warranty.) This is easy to avoid of course--- Just don't ever run out of gas! And no, battery life is NOT an issue, in contrast to all the crap you hear from hybrid-haters. Ford warranties that battery for up to 10 years / 150,000 miles if you are in one of the eight states with California-standard emissions laws. They'd be nuts to back it for that long if they don't have confidence in the pack. And plenty of Prius and Escape Hybrids used as taxi cabs in places like Vancouver and New York City have routinely exceeded 200,000 miles with ZERO battery issues. Personally, I think for a passenger car (that is not used for off-roading), the PSD system's advantages far outweigh its more-than-manageable disadvantages. Hope this helps.

The Fusion Hybrid should cost LESS to maintain than a regular Fusion. Here's why: - The Fusion Hybrid uses a Power Split Device transmission. It has just one planetary gearset with about 30 moving parts. No gear-shifting wear-and-tear. It has no clutch, no hot-running torque converter, no CVT belts. That is why it is lower-maintenance and more durable than regular-car multiple-gear transmissions with 100+ moving parts. It is the same kind of transmission used by Toyota hybrids like the Prius. How the PSD Transmission works: http://www.eahart.com/prius/psd - A big side benefit of the PSD transmission is that the big 90hp MG2 electrical traction motor in the Fusion Hybrid can be used to electrically brake the car to slow it down. This electrical regenerative braking converts the car's forward momentum into storable electricity (which goes into the battery pack), and saves brake pad wear tremendously. The Fusion Hybrid won't need a brake pad change until after 100,000 miles. (Not a typo.). Try that in a regular Fusion and see what happens. B) - The Fusion Hybrid also does not have a timing belt. It does not have an alternator. Nor does it have a starter motor or solenoid. Less things to wear out and need replacement. Regular cars have those. - The Fusion Hybrid uses 87-octane regular gas. You don't use higher octanes because the Atkinson-cycle engine leaves their valves open longer, so you DO NOT want the delayed combustion characteristics of the higher-octane fuel. And 87-octane is cheaper. The fuel economy is nice, but I think the best thing about the Power Split Device-equipped hybrid cars are their decreased maintenance requirements. After driving a Power Split Device car, regular cars feel downright primitive. I am NEVER going back to a regular car. :)

I don't think we have to worry about Honda.. The last time they tried selling a midsize hybrid sedan, it was a total disaster. The Honda Accord Hybrid was on the market for all of 3 years (2005, 2006, 2007) before they decided to pull the plug. :P The HAH was beset with transmission problems and the fuel economy was abysmal. I think it'll be a while before Honda tries to market a midsided hybrid sedan again. Toyota is a different story though. The Camry Hybrid is due for a redesign in another 2 years. Remember it uses the same Power Split Device drivetrain as the Ford Fusion Hybrid, so Toyota can easily modify it to match the Fusion Hybrid's performance by enlarging the MG2 traction motor and using a more powerful battery pack (Lithium Ion battery packs are expected to be available by then). Meanwhile, Ford should enjoy its day in the sun with the Fusion Hybrid, which is definitely the best midsized hybrid sedan to own right now. Definitely need to keep improving the technology though, because Toyota ain't sitting idly by.

Heya Newnole, Yep, Ford has indeed went more aggressive on the electric side of the PSD system, by enlarging the size of MG2, which is the main AC traction motor directly geared to the wheels (90hp if I remember right), and increasing the capacity of the HV battery. In contrast, the MG2 motor in the Camry Hybrid is only 50hp. The elegant simplicity of the PSD system used by Ford and Toyota continues to amaze me. The complexity of Honda and GM's hybrid drivetrains are nightmarish in comparison!

Oh, forgot to add what I was going to say about cold weather.. In the winter, it's harder for hybrids like the Prius and the Ford Fusion Hybrid to keep their engines warmed up since they are not running all the time the car is in operation. That is why in the winter you will notice the gasoline engine turning on more often to keep the coolant heated so you can get heat in your cabin. Also, a car engine runs most efficiently when it has been warmed up, so if the engine is always running cold, it won't be as efficient. Those are the reasons why in the winter you will see your MPGs decrease by quite a bit. That's also why an Engine Block Heater is standard equipment for Toyota Priuses sold in cold areas like Canada and Alaska. You plug that into a 110VAC outlet in your garage so your engine is already warmed up when you drive out the door. Hopefully Ford will offer something like that for the Fusion Hybrid if it turns out to be necessary.

Actually, the Toyota Hybrid system is the same type of system as the Ford Fusion Hybrid. The Prius gasoline engine does not run unless it's needed. Both the Prius and Ford hybrids use the same Power Split Device system-- Gasoline engine and two electrical motors (MG1 and MG2) connected to a planetary gear system, allowing the car to run on electric alone at low speeds. How the Power Split Device system works: http://www.eahart.com/prius/psd You can almost say the Fusion Hybrid is a Prius on steroids. ^_^ The Honda IMA system is the one that needs to have the gasoline engine run whenever your foot is off the brake pedal. That's because its drivetrain is much closer to a regular car, with a conventional CVT-belt transmission and torque converter. You can apply the same P&G techniques long used by the Prius owners to great effect on the Fusion Hybrid, since they share the same kind of drivetrain.

It's a vicious circle.. It's tough to turn a profit on hybrids because of those production constraints due to costs and such. Personally I think Ford should put more PR and marketing effort behind the Fusion Hybrid-- Toyota realized very early on that the only way they will ever make a profit on the Prius is to sell A LOT of them, and they did-- They sold more than a million worldwide in the past 10 years since the Prius was first introduced in 1997. Unless Ford can sell a million Fusion Hybrids like Toyota did with the Prius, this can very well turn out to be of those "we tried but nobody wants it so we are going to kill it" sort of tragedies. :-(

Read all about it here! We got a new fuel economy record for a nice piece of American steel! http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/23...d-at-41-mpg/?hp 41mpg City / 36mpg Highway! I would have been pleased if the Fusion Hybrid matched the Toyota Camry Hybrid (33mpg city / 34mpg highway), but the FFH's 41/36 just blew me away. NICE! This basically puts the Fusion Hybrid squarely between the Toyota Prius (48/45) and Camry Hybrid (33/34)-- A worthy challenger to Toyota's offerings. For those who can't get into the Prius's quirky styling but wants fuel economy that approaches that of the iconic Japanese hybrid, I think the Fusion Hybrid is just about perfect. Now if Ford would stop screwing around with the "25,000 per year only" production numbers and start cranking the Fusion Hybrid out en masse!

Hi Milan, Here's the Internal Revenue Service webpage on Federal Tax Credit for hybrid vehicles: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=157632,00.html They started a page for model-year 2009 vehicles that qualify for the tax credit (the Ford Escape Hybrid and Mariner Hybrids are already on there), and the IRS should be updating the 2009 page as the new model-year hybrids reach the market. You claim the tax credit by filing a Form 8910 with your 1040 Tax Return come April 15, 2010 (when the tax return for Fiscal Year 2009 is due). The tax credit amount will be applied to your tax return total, so if you have a balance in your favor on the 1040, you will get it in the tax refund check from Uncle Sam. :) Hope this helps!

Looks like you very well might be right. http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...190380/1001/BIZ That article says Ford intends to produce only 25,000 Fusion Hybrids/Milan Hybrids per year. Dang it, doesn't Ford realize if they want to make money off hybrids, they need to jump in with both feet? Toyota could never make a profit selling just a few thousand Priuses per year-- They had to sell a hundred thousand (and they did!). Why is it that I get the feeling I might not be able to drive a Fusion Hybrid off a dealer's lot anytime soon in 2009 (when it supposedly goes on sale)?

Hey Milan, The Federal Tax Credit depends on the total number of hybrid vehicles a particular carmaker has sold to private buyers. Once a particular carmaker sold 60,000 total hybrid cars of all models in their lineup, the tax credit is phased out. Toyota reached their 60,000-cars-sold limit back in 2006, which is why now no Toyota or Lexus hybrids can receive a tax credit. Honda reached their 60,000 limit this December. After December 1, no Honda hybrids are eligible for federal tax credits anymore. Ford hasn't reached the 60,000 limit yet. It is projected that the IRS will start phasing out the tax credit for Ford hybrids in December 2009 when they approach the 60,000-cars-sold limit. The typical Federal Tax Credit for a hybrid car with a 2.5L engine is between $2,000 to $3,000. The Nissan Altima Hybrid qualifies for $2,300 (Nissan is also nowhere near their 60,000-car-sold limit). Considering the similarities between the Altima Hybrid and the Ford Fusion Hybrid, that's most likely what the Ford Fusion Hybrid and the Mercury Milan Hybrid will receive when it goes on sale in 2009 before the Phase-Out in December 2009. Hope this helps!

Check it out! http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/19/la-2008...ke-their-debut/ I'm particularly excited about the 2010 Fusion Hybrid. This is a very promising car. I've always been a big fan of the Power Split Device drivetrain developed by Ford and Toyota for use in their hybrids. The PSD system just makes so much sense-- A very simple planetary gearset that combines power from the gasoline engine and two electric motors, no gear-shifting wear-and-tear, no clutch, no hot-running torque converter, no CVT belts. The PSD also allows the car to run on electric alone at low speeds, regenerates electricity for later use when you brake (which also saves brake pad wear tremendously), and because the PSD is such a simple device it is darn near indestructible (i.e. very low-maintenance). (for those techy gearheads, here's how the PSD transmission works: http://www.eahart.com/prius/psd ) And now we got word that the Fusion Hybrid will out-Camry the Camry Hybrid in fuel efficiency and power because of its more efficient battery pack and bigger traction motor. WOW. For the past 10 years Toyota has seen success with its PSD-powered Hybrid Synergy Drive (particularly in the Prius). I think it's about time Ford gets a chance to showcase its PSD car and grab its share of the limelight! And the Fusion Hybrid will qualify for at least a $2300 Federal Tax Credit refund for hybrid vehicles. Yes, Uncle Sam will actually help pay for it when you buy the car! Where do I sign up to buy one! :wub:

AKirby: I think you won't have to worry about the power of the Fusion Hybrid's engine. Consider the Nissan Altima Hybrid-- It also uses a 2.5L engine mated to the Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive, and it's rated at 190 horsepower. That's pretty good, better performance in fact than their Altima 3.5SL (a 6-cylinder 3.5L engine). The Ford hybrid system is very similar to the Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive, using the same Power Split Device transmission, so the Altima Hybrid can actually give you a pretty good idea of what the Fusion Hybrid is capable of. The fuel economy WILL be 34mpg in the city. That's because PSD-equipped cars like the Toyota Prius, Escape Hybrid, Altima Hybrid, etc. can shut off their gasoline engines at low speeds and run on electric alone, and the PSD system allows the car to recover energy that would otherwise be lost through braking. This process is called regenerative braking and has one additional benefit-- It saves wear on the brake pads. That's why the Prius doesn't need a brake pad change until 100,000 miles (not a typo). The PSD transmission is a very nice and simple setup-- Just one single gearset, no torque converter, no clutch, no CVT belts, no gear-shifting wear-and-tear. Info on how the PSD transmission works here: http://eahart.com/prius/psd/ Frankly, after driving a PSD-equipped hybrid car with all those features like on-the-fly engine shutoff and regenerative braking, normal cars just feel downright primitive. :D