New Ford Plug-in Hybrid Boasts 610-Mile Range

Interested in driving from Washington, DC to Montreal, Canada on a single tank of gas, with room to spare?

That’s what’s so cool about the new Ford plug-in hybrid, the 2017 Fusion Energi.  Get this: it can travel 610 miles on a full tank of gas and battery charge – according to EPA estimates posted to fueleconomy.gov – the highest combined range of any plug-in hybrid sold in America.

Still, according to a Harris Poll, mostAmericans significantly underestimate typical plug-in hybrid vehicle range, with most respondents believing the longest-range plug-in hybrid can travel just 261 miles.

Ford seems to have a good grasp of the big picture and now offers six electrified vehicles and is the No. 1 seller of plug-in hybrids.  What’s more, itis investing $4.5 billion to add 13 new ones to its product portfolio by 2020; more than 40 percent of Ford’s nameplates globally will be electrified by the end of this decade.

“Plug-in hybrids are electric vehicles until you run down the battery,” said Wade Jackson, marketing manager for Ford Fusion, “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.”

Changes to the car’s hybrid powertrain software and regenerative braking, which recycles energy to the battery otherwise lost when drivers hit the brakes, means the 2017 Fusion Energi can travel up to 610 miles on a full tank of gas and battery charge – up from 550 miles for the 2016 model.

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. If there is gas in the tank, the car will then operate for about a mile using both battery and gas. After that, the gas engine kicks in for another 588 miles of range – according to EPA estimates.

Category: General Update, Green