2013 Ford Fusion Energi - Dreaming in Electric
July 12, 2013
By: Anthony Murdoch
What can I say, I am a convert to this car. What I mean in specific is, I am now open to at least realizing that a car powered by an electric motor is not a bad thing. In fact it is not a new thing either, as in the beginning most cars were either electric or steam powered. The almighty gasoline fired internal combustion engine took over in quick order, and by the early 1920's it was king.
Move to 2013. Hybrids and green cars in general are all the rage these days, but I really don't understand them or really like them that much because I always felt that there is no point on having a car powered by both an electric and gas motor unless it can be a bit of both. The Fusion Engeri is a plug in hybrid, so in theory that means you can drive it solely on electric power alone! Imagine that, a hybrid you can actually plug in!
My week with the Fusion put it to the test. I used it every day and made darn sure that I plugged it in as much as I could, both at the office and at home. With a standard 110 volt house current the battery takes just a tick over 7 hours to charge from dead. Ford can sell you an optional 240 volt charger which cuts this time down to 2.5 hours, but really if you plug it in over night or during your work day, the battery is ready to go once you are.
The Fusion Engergi can run in either pure hybrid mode, pure electric mode, or a bit of both. There is small button marked "EV". Pushing it lets you pick your mode, however pure EV mode is only available if the battery has a charge in it. Selecting pure electric mode gave me on average an estimated range, according to the dash display of around 35 kms. This is more than enough to get one to work, or around town. For me, being light on the throttle, I was able to get very close to the estimated range. In fact, in stop and go traffic, thanks to the regenerative brakes, I actually gained some kms! If you run it on the highway in pure EV Mode, you might only get around 20 kms from the charge. Pure EV mode is good for around 135 km/h according to Ford, although the gas engine will kick in if the pedal is floored for a sustained amount of time. Overall, I average a truly astounding 4.7 litres per 100 kms. I went 950 kms on one tank of fuel. This included about 7 recharges of the battery, meaning that around 300 kms or so was pure EV.
So in the city, in stop and go Calgary traffic, the Fusion Energi is at its best. This is really what I think it is good for. In pure EV mode the car is so quiet that it defies belief. Powered by a 141-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder Atkinson-cycle engine (the same as the regular Fusion as well as C-Max hybrid), the engine is mated to a front-drive, electronic continuously variable transaxle which contains a 118-hp traction motor. This means that the total combined system power is Combined 188 horsepower. The difference is that the Energi has a much larger 7.6-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that takes up half the Energi’s trunk! Yes, there really is no trunk in this car (see pics) but this is really the only price to pay for having what is in essence a pure electric as well as gas powered car.
The new Fusion is such a good looking car. The jury is still out on whether or not the grille is a complete and blatant rip-off of Aston Martins, but it does look sleek. The interior is a nice place to be as well. The general fit and finish along with materials was very good. I did notice some small panel gaps on the A pillar, and there were a few places where there was hard plastic, but overall I thought it was very good. I did find the seats to be somewhat lacking in support however.
On the road, the Fusion handled very well. The steering is quick and precise, and I love the way the car tracks. Straight and true all the time. Loaded to the gills, my tester had both laser guided cruise control (which matches the speed to the car in front) as well as lane keeping assist (this steers the car to keep you in your lane). It's as tested price was $47,889! But the Government of Canada will give you a big rebate if you buy one!
Overall, my week with the Fusion was a great one. I love the fact that it feels and looks like a normal car. It does not scream "I'm Green" but at the same time is very easy on fuel. A great car overall, but I still find the price way to high. Time will tell if these kinds of power trains become the norm. I for sure liked driving in pure EV mode when I could!
By: Anthony Murdoch
What can I say, I am a convert to this car. What I mean in specific is, I am now open to at least realizing that a car powered by an electric motor is not a bad thing. In fact it is not a new thing either, as in the beginning most cars were either electric or steam powered. The almighty gasoline fired internal combustion engine took over in quick order, and by the early 1920's it was king.
Move to 2013. Hybrids and green cars in general are all the rage these days, but I really don't understand them or really like them that much because I always felt that there is no point on having a car powered by both an electric and gas motor unless it can be a bit of both. The Fusion Engeri is a plug in hybrid, so in theory that means you can drive it solely on electric power alone! Imagine that, a hybrid you can actually plug in!
My week with the Fusion put it to the test. I used it every day and made darn sure that I plugged it in as much as I could, both at the office and at home. With a standard 110 volt house current the battery takes just a tick over 7 hours to charge from dead. Ford can sell you an optional 240 volt charger which cuts this time down to 2.5 hours, but really if you plug it in over night or during your work day, the battery is ready to go once you are.
The Fusion Engergi can run in either pure hybrid mode, pure electric mode, or a bit of both. There is small button marked "EV". Pushing it lets you pick your mode, however pure EV mode is only available if the battery has a charge in it. Selecting pure electric mode gave me on average an estimated range, according to the dash display of around 35 kms. This is more than enough to get one to work, or around town. For me, being light on the throttle, I was able to get very close to the estimated range. In fact, in stop and go traffic, thanks to the regenerative brakes, I actually gained some kms! If you run it on the highway in pure EV Mode, you might only get around 20 kms from the charge. Pure EV mode is good for around 135 km/h according to Ford, although the gas engine will kick in if the pedal is floored for a sustained amount of time. Overall, I average a truly astounding 4.7 litres per 100 kms. I went 950 kms on one tank of fuel. This included about 7 recharges of the battery, meaning that around 300 kms or so was pure EV.
So in the city, in stop and go Calgary traffic, the Fusion Energi is at its best. This is really what I think it is good for. In pure EV mode the car is so quiet that it defies belief. Powered by a 141-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder Atkinson-cycle engine (the same as the regular Fusion as well as C-Max hybrid), the engine is mated to a front-drive, electronic continuously variable transaxle which contains a 118-hp traction motor. This means that the total combined system power is Combined 188 horsepower. The difference is that the Energi has a much larger 7.6-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that takes up half the Energi’s trunk! Yes, there really is no trunk in this car (see pics) but this is really the only price to pay for having what is in essence a pure electric as well as gas powered car.
The new Fusion is such a good looking car. The jury is still out on whether or not the grille is a complete and blatant rip-off of Aston Martins, but it does look sleek. The interior is a nice place to be as well. The general fit and finish along with materials was very good. I did notice some small panel gaps on the A pillar, and there were a few places where there was hard plastic, but overall I thought it was very good. I did find the seats to be somewhat lacking in support however.
On the road, the Fusion handled very well. The steering is quick and precise, and I love the way the car tracks. Straight and true all the time. Loaded to the gills, my tester had both laser guided cruise control (which matches the speed to the car in front) as well as lane keeping assist (this steers the car to keep you in your lane). It's as tested price was $47,889! But the Government of Canada will give you a big rebate if you buy one!
Overall, my week with the Fusion was a great one. I love the fact that it feels and looks like a normal car. It does not scream "I'm Green" but at the same time is very easy on fuel. A great car overall, but I still find the price way to high. Time will tell if these kinds of power trains become the norm. I for sure liked driving in pure EV mode when I could!
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