Auto start-stop is finally showing up on non-hybrid cars.
The 2013 Ford Fusion will be the first non-hybrid midsize sedan available in North America with the fuel-saving technology, and will offered its on the new sedan as a $295 option.
According to Ford, combined with the Fusion’s 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine, the Auto Start-Stop system will help drivers save as much as $1,100 over five years at today’s fuel prices.
Yesterday Ford revealed its high-mileage, mid-sized 2013 Fusion, Fusion Hybrid and Fusion Energi at the ongoing North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Economy for the hybrid model is said to be 47 mpg city, 44 mpg highway, beating out the 2012 Camry Hybrid’s 43/39 EPA mpg numbers.
And if that is not enough, the plug-in Energi model is promised to reach 100 MPGe or higher, topping the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf.
Ford’s updated Escape line due early next year will lack a hybrid option but yesterday the company said its pending 2012 Focus Electric and 2013 C-Max Hybrid and C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid will offer best-in-class efficiency.
Citing “expected” mileage figures, the Focus Electric is said to achieve 100 MPGe.
Of the C-Max Energi, Ford says it is expected to beat fuel economy delivered by the Prius plug-in hybrid in electric mode and top the Chevrolet Volt in range with 500 miles estimated.
Similarly, the C-MAX Hybrid is supposed to achieve better fuel economy than the Prius V in both city and highway driving.
During the early days of hybrids, potential buyers worried about performance problems or the reliability of the battery pack. Those days are long gone, and hybrids have a proven track record of safety and reliability. Now, for Sherif Marakby, Ford's director of electrification programs and engineering, it’s all about bringing down the cost.
The U.S. auto market experienced its weakest August sales since 1983. Overall sales dropped by 21 percent compared to last August, when the Cash for Clunkers programs gave an all-too-brief boost to car sales. Gas-electric hybrids, which disproportionately benefited from Clunkers a year ago, took a harder fall in August, dropping by 38 percent compared to last year. In a rare bright spot, the Ford Fusion Hybrid—a vehicle that racked up numerous “Car of the Year” awards in 2010—saw big gains in sales in August.
It’s not a great way to generate buzz, but Ford Motor Co. is taking a common sense approach to building greener cars. In contrast to trying to build an eco-friendly “halo” car—or betting big on a single technology—Ford is preparing to weave a range of electric-drive and efficiency technologies into its mainstream global vehicle lineup. Check out our exclusive interview with John Viera, Ford's director of sustainability and environmental policy.
We just got back from Chicago Auto Show where we presented the inaugural Hermance Vehicle Efficiency Award. The winner was the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, which took the prize for its use of a sophisticated hybrid powertrain in a highly competitive and appealing package. The Hermance Award judging committee, comprising a who's who of leading automotive efficiency experts, also selected the Fusion Hybrid for its solid positioning in the middle of the North American market and its promise of making high efficiency technology more broadly accessible to the public. The essays deserve a careful read from anybody who wants to understand the benefits of hybrid technology.
Coming at the heels of Toyota’s problems with sticking accelerator pedals, news of potential braking problems on the 2010 Toyota Prius and Lexus HS250h hybrid has raised legitimate concerns among hybrid owners. Yet, media coverage of Toyota’s safety issues may be blurring the lines between a potentially fatal problem with the accelerator pedals and the hybrid braking issues that may largely be based on perception.
A day after Toyota admitted to a software problem with its hybrid braking system, Ford Motor Co. says that it will update the brake-related software on the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrid.
Last year was the worst for auto sales in decades, but might be recorded in history as the breakthrough year for gas-electric hybrids and other small efficient cars. Connect the dots from global sales stats.
