How far can the Fusion run on its battery?

[probowler]

So I'm REALLY really interested in buying a fusion hybrid, I think it's a pretty cool car for what it is, and the gas millage is great! I was wondering though, how far can this thing actually go on just the battery alone? Lets say 45mph, good city traffic speed.

 

I've read that the battery can only go a few blocks without the engine, is this true? That's kind of a letdown, it would be so nice if I get through town to my destination all on the battery.

 

 

So I have two questions:

 

1. How far can the fusion hybrid travel on it's battery at city traffic

 

2. What's the best millage you've gotten out of it? Example, going 55mph on the highway

 

 

My Bronco is my daily driver, so I really do drive 55 on the highway for fear of my wallet withering away. So doing the "Slow ride" thing is fine by me :)

 

Thanks for any input!

Edited March 13, 2010 by probowler

[chriscard25]

Hello,

 

Mile tops. Sorry--it is not an electric vehicle. What you do get is style and performance with above average gas mileage.

 

Mileage truly varies based on climate and driving style. Hybrids dont like cold weather. My FFH is only 2 months new, but I am getting 35MPG in 30 to 40 degree weather, 10% ethanol gas. I expect to get approx 45MPG during the summer--75 to 85 degree weather. My predictions are based on owning and driving a Prius for two years.

 

I did not pay the "hybrid premium" for better gas mileage or because I am a tree hugger. One thing the media always neglets when discussing how much hybrids cost---I bought one mainly because I am a tech junkie :), and because it lessens our dependence on foriegn oil. Sorry--off on a tangent there:)

 

Good luck in your decision. Hope this helps.

[lrymal]

...

1. How far can the fusion hybrid travel on it's battery at city traffic

 

2. What's the best millage you've gotten out of it? Example, going 55mph on the highway

 

This is NOT an electric car....

 

Level, non-hilly road.... not stop 'n go, stop 'n go............ I'd guess about 1 1/2 minutes at 45 mph. I think that is pretty close.

 

At 55 mph on a thirty minute ride, minimal hills, you should easily hit the mid 40s. With hills, you should get high 30s, low 40s. If you really nurse the accelerator while going 55 mph, you could hit the low 50s.

 

On a comical note, there is one hilly main road with a long and gentle decline, but punctuated with a lot of traffic signals. On a very rare day, I hit almost every traffic signal green............ nearly every one. The end result is that I traveled about four miles on this road at the traffic flow of 35 mph or so. HA! My gas mileage on the gauge was about 95 MPG! Oh, if this was only typical!

[lolder]

ICE/EV duty cycle below 47 mph is about 50%; ICE for 1/2 mile, EV for 1/2 mile. Maximum EV with a high SOC of the HVB is maybe 1 1/2 miles. It's unimportant. EV mode is inefficient because of the generator, charge, discharge, motor looses. But EV IS more efficient than running the ICE continually at low power at lower speeds. EV mode is one of the techniques to improve the thermal efficiency of the ICE. Even if the HVB deteriorates with age, it will not affect mpg so long as it lets the ICE cycle on and off.

This is not an electric car. And it does not have the problems that electric cars are going to have. The LIon battery technology is nowhere near as mature as NiMhd even though it has more promise.

[VonoreTn]

Hello,

 

Mile tops. Sorry--it is not an electric vehicle. What you do get is style and performance with above average gas mileage.

 

Mileage truly varies based on climate and driving style. Hybrids dont like cold weather. My FFH is only 2 months new, but I am getting 35MPG in 30 to 40 degree weather, 10% ethanol gas. I expect to get approx 45MPG during the summer--75 to 85 degree weather. My predictions are based on owning and driving a Prius for two years.

 

I did not pay the "hybrid premium" for better gas mileage or because I am a tree hugger. One thing the media always neglets when discussing how much hybrids cost---I bought one mainly because I am a tech junkie :), and because it lessens our dependence on foriegn oil. Sorry--off on a tangent there:)

 

Good luck in your decision. Hope this helps.

 

Excellent response. It's not an electric vehicle, and it took me awhile to get over with my fascination with trying to stay in electric mode, since it barely makes any difference if your in and out at 45 mph on rolling hills, or cruising at 48 with the ICE on continuously. It's about mileage, not being in electric mode.

 

My FFH now has 12K miles on it, and I experienced the cold weather blues, and it only got Camry hybrid mpg's through the winter (35 ish). But now that it is warm again, I am in the low 40 mpgs. If you want 45 mpg you might be disappointed, I think 42 might be the max without hypermiling. We averaged 40 on a 1000 mile trip to Texas last Sept. with the AC running continuously, on fairly flat terrain. I'm not a tree hugger either, but I appreciate that my fuel bill has been cut in half, and if everyone's new car was a FFH or Prius, we would really set the standard of living back in Saudi Arabia, as our gas prices go down and our standard of living goes up. (Supply and demand) :)

[probowler]

I'm not stupid, I know it's not an electric car... The Volt can do that. I guess the whole "Fusion Hybrid can go up to 47 miles per hour in Electric Vehicle (EV) mode" is just some shady advertising by ford. To me that sounds like I could drive around flat little eagle river on just battery and save some serious fuel. Anyone else think that's kinda bad advertising? It's Good to know though.

 

I gotta say thanks for all the great info! I Especially the cold weather bits.. I live in Alaska, so it gets pretty col! . My camaro is hiding in the garage next to an old VW bus. So it would be sitting outside in the driveway all night in the cold. Hopefully I'd like to get the bus in storage to make room for another car, maybe the fusion if i got one, but it's still gonna be cold weather driving.

 

:car:

 

Speaking of my Camaro... ^^^this is fucked up!

 

 

 

 

(Can see the old bus too)

Edited March 13, 2010 by probowler

[chriscard25]

Excellent response. It's not an electric vehicle, and it took me awhile to get over with my fascination with trying to stay in electric mode, since it barely makes any difference if your in and out at 45 mph on rolling hills, or cruising at 48 with the ICE on continuously. It's about mileage, not being in electric mode.

 

My FFH now has 12K miles on it, and I experienced the cold weather blues, and it only got Camry hybrid mpg's through the winter (35 ish). But now that it is warm again, I am in the low 40 mpgs. If you want 45 mpg you might be disappointed, I think 42 might be the max without hypermiling. We averaged 40 on a 1000 mile trip to Texas last Sept. with the AC running continuously, on fairly flat terrain. I'm not a tree hugger either, but I appreciate that my fuel bill has been cut in half, and if everyone's new car was a FFH or Prius, we would really set the standard of living back in Saudi Arabia, as our gas prices go down and our standard of living goes up. (Supply and demand) :)

 

 

I live in the Chicago area, and I am confident I will get 45 to 50 in the summer without hypermiling. Really dependant on your area and average commute, stops, etc. I was getting 55 in my prius.

[chriscard25]

I'm not stupid, I know it's not an electric car... The Volt can do that. I guess the whole "Fusion Hybrid can go up to 47 miles per hour in Electric Vehicle (EV) mode" is just some shady advertising by ford. To me that sounds like I could drive around flat little eagle river on just battery and save some serious fuel. Anyone else think that's kinda bad advertising? It's Good to know though.

 

I gotta say thanks for all the great info! I Especially the cold weather bits.. I live in Alaska, so it gets pretty col! . My camaro is hiding in the garage next to an old VW bus. So it would be sitting outside in the driveway all night in the cold. Hopefully I'd like to get the bus in storage to make room for another car, maybe the fusion if i got one, but it's still gonna be cold weather driving.

 

:car:

 

Speaking of my Camaro... ^^^this is fucked up!

 

 

 

 

(Can see the old bus too)

Sorry oif you took it wrong--dont think you are stupid--I am used to people coming up to me and asking me how I plug my car in:)

 

Shady--not any more than advertising in general.

 

Good luck--BTW---I would NOT expect this car to perform well in Alaska. Hybrids perform best at about 60 degree average temp.

[Scott A320]

A few comments related to the OP questions......

 

The FFH will achieve 47mph in the electric mode for a respectable distance, particularly with a fully-charged drive battery. Keep in mind the only method to achieve more than a roughly 50% charge is with regenerative braking. Careful planning for upcoming stops with a barely-depressed brake pedal below the threshold of conventional braking yields a rapid charge.

 

My highway driving at 65mph on mostly level freeway yields a range of 39 to 43. The lower figure results from a cold-start in the morning while the upper value is the result of a mid-day jaunt. My typical highway drive is at least 50 miles.

 

Best mileage to date is achieved with city driving at low speeds with lots of regenerative braking. I often see values in the hi 40's with an occasional 50+.

[lolder]

Probably not the best car for Alaska.

[Oman]

Actually the 47MPH is a big deal, not a gimmick. If you are in a Prius going down a hill at 45MPH the ICE has to stay on, even though it is providing no power at all. The fact that the FFH's ICE can stay off at higher speeds means that it stays off longer. It is not about how far you can go on the battery because the battery only holds recovered energy. If you put in a battery that was 10x the size it would not hold anything more than the current one does because there isn't 10x the power to recover. What would help mileage is a battery that holds the same energy but is 50% lighter. That is one reason the Prius gets better mileage. It has a much smaller ICE (lighter), a lighter chassis, and slightly lower drag coefficient. You give up ride, power, and handling though.

 

 

Jon

 

 

A few comments related to the OP questions......

 

The FFH will achieve 47mph in the electric mode for a respectable distance, particularly with a fully-charged drive battery. Keep in mind the only method to achieve more than a roughly 50% charge is with regenerative braking. Careful planning for upcoming stops with a barely-depressed brake pedal below the threshold of conventional braking yields a rapid charge.

 

My highway driving at 65mph on mostly level freeway yields a range of 39 to 43. The lower figure results from a cold-start in the morning while the upper value is the result of a mid-day jaunt. My typical highway drive is at least 50 miles.

 

Best mileage to date is achieved with city driving at low speeds with lots of regenerative braking. I often see values in the hi 40's with an occasional 50+.

[Juris]

I get my best mileage staying in the draft of a semitrailer. Not recommended as a general strategy. But this is just to indicate that the surrounding traffic affects your mileage, too, and sometimes positively.