Changes to the Fusion Energi powertrain software and regenerative braking has taken the range up from 550 miles for the 2016 model.
Ford has rolled out a plug-in hybrid which is equipped to go further. The 2017 Fusion Energi can travel 610 miles on a full tank of gas and battery charge, according to EPA estimates—the highest combined range of any plug-in hybrid sold in America.
The March 2016 Harris Poll of more than 1,000 adults in the US found that Americans believe the longest-range plug-in hybrid can go 261 miles, less than half the Fusion Energi’s range. The significant underestimation shows a disconnect between reality and what consumers believe.
Changes to the car’s hybrid powertrain software and regenerative braking, which recycles energy to the battery otherwise lost when drivers hit the brakes, has taken the range up from 550 miles for the 2016 model. The new Ford variant alleviates the worry over how far the vehicle can go.
Plug-in hybrids use both electric batteries and gas-powered engines. Normally, a vehicle owner will run on all-electric mode until the electricity is depleted, at which point the engine turns on automatically. The Fusion Energi’s all-electric range is an estimated 21 miles.
“Plug-in hybrids are electric vehicles until you run down the battery. Then they work exactly like a conventional hybrid. Fusion Energi, with a full battery and a full tank of gas, can go from San Diego through Los Angeles and all the way up to San Francisco, and still have up to 110 miles of range remaining,” said Wade Jackson, Marketing Manager for Ford Fusion.
Ford was a winner at the 2014-2015 World Branding Awards under the Automotive (National) category.
