
Ford pulls out from the blind spot into the green auto market with its 2010 hybrid models and a fleet lined up for the next two years that may surprise you.
Ford held a press conference that kicked off the 4th annual Green Drive Expo held at the Alliant Energy Center and explained what the Ford engineers have been doing behind the curtain. Jennifer Moore, with the communications staff at Ford, stated “earlier this year we moved to double the production of our hybrids by doubling the hybrid offerings when we brought out our new Fusion hybrid (hereby picture) and the Mercury Milan hybrid. Those cars surprised a lot of people, including our competition, particularly when they delivered 41 mpg in the city, eight miles better than our nearest competitor. We beat that because we raised the bar high and then we met it.”
Wayne Gerdes, a hypermiler and owner/administrator of CleanMPG, lead a team to test the 2010 Ford Fusion and got 1445.7 miles on a single tank of gas with an average of 81.5 mpg. Some of the new technologies the 2010 hybrid models have enabled features like: smoother transition from electric to combustion, more power, improved battery technology with no cooler needed (less weight), a hugely improved regenerative braking system, smarter environmental controls to improve overall economy, the ability to drive at 47 mph on the electric motor, and an interactive dashboard that can help guide the driver’s habits toward a higher fuel efficiency.
One of the engineering leaders in the research, Praveen Cherian, said there were “guys who would smell the exhaust to make sure we had a lean burning exhaust. I mean I had a guy doing cold starts in the morning sniffing the exhaust, I couldn’t believe it!” He added that the members of the team even practiced energy frugality in the office by turning off unnecessary lights and equipment. “This is the passion the hybrid team has.”
I took the 2010 hybrid Mercury Milan (41/36 mpg) out for a spin with Praveen Charian. After he gave me a quick introduction to the SmartGauge and some fuel-saving driving tips we were off. The Milan handled like any luxury four-door should: a very smooth ride, comfortable seating, easy access to controls, and a get-up-and-go capability. Without regard to how my fuel economy was I still noticed the car was getting excellent mileage, which means the average driver will not have to change the way they drive to gain the benefits of a hybrid. With the transition between the combustion engine and the electric motor being non-existent and an extremely smooth regenerative braking system anyone could be fooled to think they were not in a hybrid. Praveen also showed me how the SmartGauge can coach me on how to optimize my driving efficiency, which is not too different than what you learned in driving school. Bottom line is the dollar, right?
I asked Jennifer Moore what the price tag was on the Fusion and she said it was in the $27,000 range with the Milan being around $33,000. She said with the new technology the cost is greater but she expected they would bring that cost down as they perfected production. She also noted the EcoBoostengine technology Ford is working on with their combustion engines will not cost as much as the hybrids but will deliver up to 20% better fuel economy and 15% fewer CO2 emissions. The wallet conscious can still be environmentally conscious.
What to expect from Ford in the next two years? With the Transit Connect (battery electric vehicle) commercial van already in the market, Ford and Magna International plan to release a small BEV sedan in 2011 that can be charged from standard household power outlets. They are targeting 100 miles from an overnight charge. In 2012 they will release their first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) to the public with a demonstration fleet of Escape PHEVs currently on the road with eight U.S. utility companies to explore the logistics and expectations of private use.
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