Ford Fusion Hybrid 1,000 miles on a single tank

i always hated these maximum mpg tests... who really cares? What people care about is what kind of mpg will they get on their daily commute.

This was very much evident when new diesels entered market 10 years ago... At first everyone was talking how at two line highway thet got some crazy nice mpg - for instance i could get 3.2l/100km on old Avensis diesel without even trying... just cruising at 45 mph.

Of course average was 5.5l-6.0l wich is still great result, just 100% more than "best" possible.

 

This was just a publicity stunt by Ford.

That said, the final figures are still pretty impressive. Hats off to Ford!

Ford's Twitter feed mentioned traffic during the day. I wonder if they could average 85 to 90 mpg if they if the course were more level and had no traffic probs.

 

Fusion Hybrid Averages 81.5 MPG

WASHINGTON, April 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Drivers trained in mileage-maximizing techniques such as smooth acceleration and coasting to red lights were able to get an extraordinary 1,445.7 miles out of a single tank of gas during a fund-raising effort in Washington, D.C. that concluded today. They did it by averaging 81.5 miles per gallon in an off-the-showroom floor, non-modified 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, the most fuel-efficient midsize car in North America - nearly doubling its U.S. certified mileage

Fusion Hybrid Averages 81.5 MPG, Sets World Record with 1,445 Miles on Single Tank of Gas - Forbes.com

Now, all we need is to have someone from Toyota post a similar news story on a Hypermiler with the 2010 in the ECO mode, and blow this away...

 

Re: Fusion Hybrid Averages 81.5 MPG

The Fusion hybrid is a fantastic effort by Ford. They hypermiled but its a great accomplishment and PR.

I hope consumers buy the Fusion hybrid and don't automatically dismiss it b/c "its a Ford".

 

Re: Fusion Hybrid Averages 81.5 MPG

The rest of the article is here, for those who do not want to click on the link:

The Fusion Hybrid 1,000-Mile Challenge started at 8:15 a.m. EDT on Saturday, April 25, from Mount Vernon, Va., and ended this morning at 5:37 a.m. on George Washington Parkway in Washington, D.C. After more than 69 continuous hours of driving, the Fusion Hybrid finally depleted its tank and came to a stop with an odometer reading of 1,445.7 miles - setting a world record for gasoline-powered, midsize sedan.

The challenge team, which included NASCAR star Carl Edwards, high mileage trailblazer Wayne Gerdes and several Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) engineers, raised more than $8,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) by exceeding the goal of 1,000 miles on a single tank of gas. The Fusion Hybrid's official estimated range is approximately 700 miles per tank.

"Not only does this demonstrate the Fusion Hybrid's fuel efficiency, it also shows that driving technique is one of the keys to maximizing its potential," said Nancy Gioia, director, Ford Sustainable Mobility Technologies and Hybrid Vehicle Programs. "The fact that we were able raise much needed funds for JDRF while raising the bar on fuel efficient driving performance made the effort doubly worthwhile."

Maximizing mileage

A team of seven drivers prepared for the challenge by learning a few mileage-maximizing techniques, most of which can be used in any vehicle to improve fuel economy, but are especially useful in the Fusion Hybrid where the driver can take advantage of pure electric energy at speeds below 47 mph.

CleanMPG.com founder Wayne Gerdes, an engineer from Illinois who coined the term "hypermiling" to describe the mileage-maximizing techniques, provided the pointers. They include:

-- Slowing down and maintaining even throttle pressure; -- Gradually accelerating and smoothly braking; -- Maintaining a safe distance between vehicles and anticipating traffic conditions; -- Coasting up to red lights and stop signs to avoid fuel waste and brake wear; -- Minimize use of heater and air conditioning to reduce the load on the engine; -- Close windows at high speeds to reduce aerodynamic drag; -- Applying the "Pulse and Glide" technique while maintaining the flow of traffic; -- Minimize excessive engine workload by using the vehicle's kinetic forward motion to climb hills, and use downhill momentum to build speed; and -- Avoiding bumps and potholes that can reduce momentum
"You become very aware of your driving because you're constantly looking for opportunities to maximize mileage, and a more aware driver is a safer driver, too," said Gil Portalatin, Ford hybrid applications manager.
In addition, it is important for Fusion Hybrid drivers to manage the battery system's state of charge through the use of regenerative braking and coasting, and balancing the use of the electric motor and gas engine in city driving to avoid wasting fuel.
Fusion Hybrid drivers also can stay more connected to the hybrid driving experience with Ford's SmartGauge(TM) with EcoGuide, a unique instrument cluster that helps coach drivers on how to optimize performance of their hybrid.

The Challenge

The Fusion Hybrid 1,000-Mile Challenge team took turns driving several routes in and around the national capital over the course of approximately three days and nights. The route involved elevation changes, and ranged from the relatively open George Washington Parkway to a 3-mile stretch in the heart of the city that is clogged with roughly 30 traffic signals.

"The Fusion Hybrid works brilliantly," Gerdes said. "When you don't need acceleration power while driving around town, the gas engine shuts down seamlessly. There's not another hybrid drivetrain in the world that does that as effectively. The Fusion engineering team really knocked it out of the park."

Ford NASCAR star Carl Edwards took time away from the high speed world of professional car racing to contribute to the Fusion Hybrid team's success in D.C.

"It was exciting to be an active part in this challenge. The fact that it will help spread the word about the Fusion Hybrid's great mileage, and help out a great charity, makes it even more special," said Edwards, whose '99' team has used fuel-saving techniques to win races.

"There's no question that the Fusion Hybrid will help consumers save fuel when they drive it. Having driven the car, I feel strongly about how great it is - so strong that I've purchased one myself."

 

Re: Fusion Hybrid Averages 81.5 MPG

When I read the title of this thread my first thought was "Really? Fusion? Like the car in 'Back To The Future?'" Then I remembered the Ford. Oh, well, never mind....

 

eep:

 

This is very impressive for the Ford Fusion. It is a tremendous achievment. The prius in the same conditions would top of 100 MPG though.

 

Re: Fusion Hybrid Averages 81.5 MPG

The current Prius is also midsize.
I've reported a Japanese hypermiler achieved 1619miles/tank at 106.6mpg.
http://priuschat.com/forums/fuel-economy/52311-new-world-record-1619-miles-per-tank.html

Ken@Japan

 

Which is why the new 2010 Prius exhaust heat recovery system is so important. The thing that limits daily driving fuel economy is warmup time!

I would be near this mileage in my daily commutes in suburban Chicagoland, even using the highway half the time, IF the Prius was fully warmed up in 1/2 mile, rather than 5 miles. As it is, I am at 64.7 mpg a few days into this tank, while I finished the last tank at 62.9 mpg (lots of sub-freezing mornings, and then driving in heavy rain and wind).

 

Re: Fusion Hybrid Averages 81.5 MPG

yeah, that false advertising is really...