Ford Fusion Hybrid averages over 80 mpg after 69 hours of continuous driving.
Efficiency thy name is Fusion
Here at LotPro.com, we were planning on writing a follow-up to our original article (Ford Team to Drive 2010 Fusion Hybrid a Thousand Miles on a Single Tank of Gas) yesterday morning. That’s when Ford engineers had originally determined that the Fusion would hit the 1,000 mile mark of the original challenge.
But after logging into their Facebook page as well as checking their Tweets, it appeared that although the Fusion Hybrid had crossed the mileage target, there was still almost a third of a tank of petrol in the gas tank. So the team drove on.
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Using drivers that have been trained in mileage-maximizing techniques (see below), the team of six managed to destroy their original estimated finish time of just over 43 hours as well as the 1,000 mile threshold. By the time the Fusion ran out of gas at 5:37 a.m. on Tuesday April 28th and rolled to a stop on the George Washington Parkway, it had beaten the first mark by more than 26 hours and the second by 445.7 miles – nearly doubling its U.S. certified mileage (the Fusion’s official estimated range is approximately 700 miles per tank).
In the process of driving the challenge, announced on Earth Day, the team took several different routes around the Capital City that ranged from the fairly open (by D.C. standards) George Washington Parkway to a 3 mile stretch in the heart of the District that features roughly 30 traffic signals (lest you think this was just an easy jaunt around the countryside).
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JDRF
As a bonus, the challenge team, which included Ford NASCAR star Carl Edwards, was able to raise more than $8,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
“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.”
Maximum mileage techniques
You don’t have to be a NASCAR ace or an engineering geek to maximize your own vehicle’s mileage. Here are some tips from the pros and 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
Tags: carl edwards, facebook, Ford, Ford Fusion, ford fusion hybrid, fusion hybrid, hybrid, jdrf, juvenile diabetes research foundation, nascar
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