2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid: How Green Can You Drive?

By Shannon Arvizu

Shannon Arvizu

LATEST ARTICLE
U.K. Onboard For Electric Vehicle Deployment
The British government has announced a major plan for electric vehicle market penetration. The plan... Read More

• N/ALEADERBOARD RANK
• 10ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED
• 0COMMENTS POSTED

1,988 views Dec 30, 2009

Enlarge Photo

After six days and over 400 miles of real-world road testing of the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, I am happy to report that the car has earned its green cred. It travels over 600 miles on a single tank of gas and provides instantaneous mpg performance based on current driving patterns.

I took it all across Southern California during the holiday season, from the San Clemente shoreline to the San Bernardino mountains. All without stopping once at a single gas station. Check out the test drive video here.

As I've written elsewhere, the most appealing feature of the Fusion Hybrid is its unique Eco-Gauge digital dashboard. The display acts as an efficiency driving coach. Driving green is almost a game, as I aimed to maximize the number of digital green leaves I could earn by moderately accelerating and decelerating.

In terms of overall fuel economy, I averaged 36.6 mpg (in combined city and highway driving). On the highway, I averaged 44.4 mpg (a higher rating than the 41 mpg that the EPA reported). While driving up the mountains, my fuel economy dipped significantly due to the increased power needed to climb 3000 ft of elevation over 11 miles.

On the way down, however, I hardly used the gas pedal at all--just regenerative braking and cruise mode--and I averaged 99.9 mpg. Not bad, huh?

In terms of styling, many of the comments I received told me it was a smooth-looking mode of transportation. The model I drove came fully loaded with leather seats, satellite radio, and an 8-inch navigation screen, making this otherwise mid-size vehicle seem somewhat of a luxury car (with a sticker price of $30,000).

No doubt the Fusion Hybrid will also appeal to those who are turned off by the distinctive Prius shape. One family member who was visiting from the Midwest remarked, "I like it because it looks like a normal car."

Lastly, I have to say that the responsiveness of the vehicle to minimize emissions is impressive. Of course, like other full hybrids, the Fusion does use all electric mode when starting  or coming to a stop. This makes for guilt-free driving in stop-and-go traffic. Also, the Fusion takes a second or two longer to shut off when parking so that any fuel emissions left are properly evaporated at the right temperature.

The Fusion Hybrid is one of  Ford's latest generation of electric vehicles that will soon be on the market. Ford plans to have the Eco-Gauge installed in nearly all of its models by 2013, and plans to release a plug-in hybrid and full battery-electric vehicle in the next two years as well.

As one of my uncles said this morning, "I don't usually think of Ford when I think of hybrids, but now I do."