Ford Fusion Hybrid

The Ford Fusion Hybrid is a gasoline-electric hybrid powered version of the mid-sized Ford Fusion sedan manufactured and marketed by Ford across two generations. A plug-in hybrid version, the Ford Fusion Energi, was released in the U.S. in February 2013.

The first generation was launched to the U.S. market in March 2009 for model year 2010, together with two badge-engineered variants, the Mercury Milan Hybrid (2010–2011) and the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid (2011–2012), Ford formally presented the Fusion at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2008.

Along with all other Fusion variants, including two rebadged variants marketed by Mercury and Lincoln, the Hybrid was manufactured at Ford's Hermosillo Stamping & Assembly plant in Sonora, Mexico.

thumb|left|The Milan and Fusion hybrids share the same [[powertrain but feature different front and rear fascia designs, and distinct headlamps and taillights.]]

The Fusion Hybrid was made available for press testing in December 2008 and launched to the U.S. market in March 2009, along with the Mercury Milan Hybrid.

Ford had last marketed hybrid vehicles five year prior, with the Ford Escape Hybrid.

The 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, a rebadged variant of the Fusion, launched in the U.S. market in September 2010, sharing the hybrid powertrain from the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids, and delivering an estimated fuel economy of . The MKZ Hybrid offered modest changes to Ford's Smart Gauge with EcoGuide, first introduced in the 2010 Fusion Hybrid.

Design and technology

The Fusion Hybrid is a "full" hybrid because both propulsion sources, an electric motor powered by a Sanyo supplied 275 V nickel-metal hydride battery, and a 2.5L Atkinson cycle I4 156 hp 136 ft.lb. gasoline engine with intake variable cam timing(iVCT), have substantial power ratings and either can be used alone to propel the vehicle. When braking or decelerating, the Fusion's hybrid system uses regenerative braking, where the electric drive motor becomes a generator, converting the vehicle's momentum back to electricity for storage in the batteries. Ford claims that nearly 94 percent energy recovery is achieved by first delivering full regenerative braking followed by friction brakes during city driving.

Between 2000 and 2012, Ford said it had increased its hybrid patents fifty-fold, citing engineer Ming Kuang, technical leader in vehicle controls at Ford Electrification Research and Advanced Engineering, as having expanded Ford's portfoliofrom 10 patents 461. Kuang said "it's about helping make the world my children live in - and the world my children's children will live in - a better place."

Safety

The Ford Fusion line-up was included in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 2010 "Top Safety Pick's" rating for the mid-size category. As of June 2010, Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids were the only two mid-size hybrid vehicles in the list. Due to the fact that Ford recently modified and strengthened the roof structure of the Flex, Fusion, and MKT vehicles, these 2010 ratings apply only to Lincoln MKZs, Mercury Milan, and Fusions built after April 2010. The following table compares fuel economy, carbon footprint, and petroleum consumption between the hybrid version and other drivetrains of the Fusion family as estimated by the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy:

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto"

! colspan="8" style="text-align:center; background:#abcdef;"|Economic and environmental performance comparison among the Fusion powertrains available in the U.S. market

! style="background:#ABCDEF;"| Type of Powertrain || style="background:#ABCDEF;"| Type of fuel||style="background:#ABCDEF;"|Year model || style="background:#ABCDEF;"| EPA City mileage (mpg)||style="background:#ABCDEF;"|EPA Highway mileage (mpg)||style="background:#ABCDEF;"|Annual fuel cost (1) (2) (USD) || style="background:#ABCDEF;"|Carbon footprint (Ton/yr of CO2) (3) || style="background:#ABCDEF;"|Annual Petroleum Use (barrel)

|- style="text-align:center;"

| align=left|Hybrid electric FWD Automatic (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 2.5L|| Gasoline|| 2011 ||41 || 36||$1,083|| 4.8|| 8.8

|- style="text-align:center;"

| align=left|FWD Automatic 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.5L||Gasoline|| 2011 || 23 || 33 ||$1,629 ||7.2||13.2

|- style="text-align:center;"

| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"|FWD Automatic (S6), 6 cyl, 3.0L||Gasoline|| 2011 || 20 || 28||$1,840||8.1||14.9

|- style="text-align:center;"

| E85 flex-fuel ||2011 || 14 ||21||$2,269||6.6||5.0

|- style="text-align:center;"

| align=left|FWD Automatic (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5L||Gasoline|| 2011 || 18 || 27 ||$2,013 ||8.9||16.3

|- style="text-align:center;"

| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"|AWD Automatic (S6), 6 cyl, 3.0L||Gasoline|| 2011 || 18 || 26||$2,115||9.3||17.1

|- style="text-align:center;"

| E85 flex-fuel ||2011 || 13 ||19||$2,421||7.1||5.3

| colspan="8" style="text-align:left; background:#abcdef;"|Notes: (1) Estimates assumes 45% highway driving, 55% city driving, and 15,000 annual miles. (2) Average U.S. prices: $2.82/gallon for gasoline, and $2.42/gallon for E85 fuel. E85 prices vary widely by region. As of early November 2010 the minimum price was $2.02/gallon in Illinois and the maximum price was $2.99/gallon in New York. (3) Direct carbon footprint only and does not account for any potential indirect land use change impacts of biofuels.

Motor Trend found that their Fusion Hybrid delivered only in of mixed driving, 5 mpg off the EPA combined rating. Over another of testing against a Toyota Camry Hybrid, the same car only achieved , while the Camry Hybrid delivered . "If our early numbers hold up, the Fusion Hybrid would be a rare instance of the EPA relapsing into the world of mileage make-believe." However, they noted that when driven very conservatively, the EPA numbers could be achieved. "In typical driving, you might as well throw the Fusion's EPA numbers out the window. But if you decide to really work at it, they're possible." Car and Driver also tested a Fusion Hybrid and achieved no more than over of driving, which was greater than the Camry Hybrid () or Nissan Altima Hybrid () though not by the margin indicated by the EPA ratings.

thumb|The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid promotional vehicle involved in the 1000 Mile Challenge

According to Ford, the vehicle was built to have a fuel efficiency of 41 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway by EPA standards. In December 2008, Autoblog Green staff reported they had obtained in-city mileage of 43.1 mpg on the streets of Los Angeles. In addition, a Los Angeles Times reporter informed in December 2008 that he had obtained 52 mpg in mixed city-highway driving with little difficulty.

On a single-tank publicity stunt conducted in April 2009, a Fusion Hybrid managed on a 1,445.7 mile trip.

Edmunds' InsideLine received a 2010 Fusion Hybrid as a long-term test car. Over of driving, their vehicle had only averaged , with a best tank of and a worst tank of .

Reduced Electric Vehicle Operation of 2010 - 2012 Fusion Hybrid

When owners complained to Ford about greatly reduced gas mileage after nine years of operation because of reduced electric vehicle operation and increased gasoline engine operation, Ford notified their dealers that they were investigating a fix:

:TSB #SSM 48238 "Oct 3 2019 8922 - 2010-2012 Fusion HEV, 2010-2011 Milan HEV, 2011-2012 MKZ HEV - Reduced Electric Vehicle Operation

:*Some 2010-2012 Fusion hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), 2010-2011 Milan HEV, and 2011-2012 MKZ HEV vehicles may experience reduced electric vehicle operation and increased gasoline engine operation. Do not attempt repairs at this time. Engineering is investigating, monitor OASIS for updates."

:*Customer satisfaction program number 22G04 was issued by Ford in September 2022. Ford performed the BECM/PCM update free of charge through Sept 28, 2023. Owners were eligible for a refund if they paid to have this performed at a dealer previously. Title: Application Performance Upgrade 22G04 Certain 2010 – 2012 Model Year Fusion / MKZ / Milan Hybrid Vehicles Hybrid Battery Reduced Electric Vehicle Operation BECM and PCM Software Update

Payback time

According to Edmunds.com, the price premium paid for the Fusion Hybrid takes five years to recover in fuel savings as compared to its non-hybrid sibling, and is one of the quickest payback periods among top selling hybrids as of February 2012. Edmunds compared the hybrid version priced at with a comparably-equipped gasoline-powered Fusion priced at and found that the payback period is six years for gasoline at per gallon, for years at per gallon, and drops to three years with gasoline prices at per gallon. These estimates assume an average of annual driving and vehicle prices correspond to Edmunds.com's true market value estimates. For the same two vehicles, the U.S. EPA estimated the Fusion Hybrid annual fuel cost at while the gasoline-powered Fusion has an annual fuel cost of . EPA estimates are based on 45% highway and 55% city driving, over 15,000 annual miles, and gasoline price of per gallon, the national average as of February 2012. The Lincoln MKZ Hybrid has no price premium.

These screens can be configured to show different levels of driver information, including fuel and battery power levels, and average and instant fuel economy. When set in tutorial mode, the instrument panel in the right side "grows" leaves and vines on-screen to reward fuel-efficient driving. The more leaves and vines that appear, the more efficient the driving behavior is and the more fuel is being saved. Long-term fuel efficiency can also be displayed as a traditional chart. The left side display shows when the car is in pure-electric mode, and shows the state of battery charge.

Other markets

The Brazilian version of the Fusion Hybrid was unveiled at the 2010 São Paulo International Auto Show, with sales began in November 2010. The Fusion Hybrid was the first full hybrid car sold in Brazil. Imported from Mexico, the Fusion Hybrid engine performance and fuel system durability was tested with the Brazilian mandatory E20 to E25 ethanol blends.

Second generation

A complete redesign of the Ford Fusion lineup for the model year 2013 was unveiled at the 2012 North American International Auto Show. The new lineup included three optional engines for the conventional four-cylinder-only gasoline model, a next-generation hybrid version, and a plug-in hybrid version, the Ford Fusion Energi. The Ford Fusion was the first production sedan to offer these three powertrain options. In April 2012 Ford announced that an auto start-stop system would be available for the 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine non-hybrid version. The expected fuel economy was a combined . Sales of the gasoline-powered and hybrid version began in the U.S. in October 2012.

Sales in Europe and Asia, under the Ford Mondeo name, were planned to start in 2013. Ford began taking orders of the Mondeo Hybrid in Germany in August 2014. Production of the Mondeo Hybrid began at Ford's Valencia, Spain, plant in November 2014.

The nickel-metal hydride batteries used in the hybrid first generation were replaced with lithium-ion batteries.

thumb|left|Ford Fusion Hybrid

The second generation hybrid has a powertrain with a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle inline-four – downsized from the 2.5-liter unit used in the first generation Fusion Hybrid. Total output is estimated at and , running to the front wheels via an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission. The lithium-ion battery pack saves weight and generates more power than the previous NiMH batteries, and raised its maximum speed under electric-only power from .

Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

thumb|The [[Lincoln MKZ#Second generation (2013)|2013 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid was unveiled at the 2012 New York International Auto Show]]

During the 2012 North American International Auto Show, Ford also unveiled the Lincoln MKZ concept model. Ford offered a hybrid option of the redesigned 2013 Lincoln MKZ, and like the previous MKZ generation, the MKZ Hybrid is available for the same price as the non-hybrid model.

The EPA rated initially the 2013 MKZ Hybrid at with the same rating for combined/city/highway cycles.

Ford Mondeo Hybrid

The Mondeo Hybrid shares the same powertrain of the Fusion Hybrid combining a 2.0-liter gasoline engine with an electric motor and 1.4 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery. Under the New European Driving Cycle the Mondeo is rated at in combined driving, and for urban driving, with emissions of 99 g/km. Ford set a pricing for the Mondeo Hybrid that is competitive with Mondeo diesel powertrain variants. After running both vehicles through Consumer Reports real-world tests, the magazine found that 2013 Fusion hybrid achieved a combined fuel economy average of , with for city and highway. Ford responded in a statement, saying that, "Early C-MAX Hybrid and Fusion Hybrid customers praise the vehicles and report a range of fuel economy figures, including some reports above 47 mpg. This reinforces the fact that driving styles, driving conditions, and other factors can cause mileage to vary."

In July 2013, Ford issued a voluntary software update for the 2013 model year Fusion, C-Max, and MKZ Hybrid to improve on the lower-than-expected MPG claims.

Some of the changes included:

Increasing the maximum pure electric speed from , allowing increased use of electric-only mode on the highway
Optimizing the use of Active Grille Shutters to reduce aerodynamic drag under more driving and temperature conditions including cold weather, during air conditioner use, and when the engine coolant temperature is higher
Reducing the electric fan speed as a function of coolant temperature to minimize the fan's energy consumption
Shortening engine warm-up time by up to 50 percent to enable electric-only driving and engine shutdown at stops sooner after cold starts
Optimizing the climate control system to minimize use of the air conditioning compressor and reduce the energy used in cold weather operation.

In August 2013, due to the criticism and after several lawsuits about the worse-than-expected fuel economy, Ford voluntarily lowered all three EPA ratings of the C-Max Hybrid and paid a rebate to 32,000 C-Max owners. The revised fuel economy ratings for combined was lowered from to .

In June 2014, Ford announced it had discovered an error in the company's internal testing data, and downgraded the fuel economy ratings on six of its 2013 and 2014 model year vehicles, including all its C-Max, Fusion, and MKZ full hybrids and its two plug-in Energi models. Ford made goodwill payments to around 200,000 customers affected by its mistake. After the ratings were lowered, the 2013/14 Fusion Hybrid still slightly outperformed the 2012/2014 Toyota Camry Hybrid LE by 1 mpg-US city and 2 mpg-US highway, and the Camry XLE by 4 mpg-US city and 3 mpg-US highway.

Ford Fusion Energi

Ford presented the Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid at the 2012 North American International Auto Show, Energi models purchased in or after 2010 were eligible for a $4,007 tax credit, based on the capacity of the battery. The 2013 Fusion Energi is eligible for access to California's high-occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV) with a solo driver, and had a California state tax rebate.

A refreshed 2017 Fusion Energi was released by mid-2016. In addition to a new fascia and other technological upgrades, the 2017 model year has more efficient electric motors, allowing the refreshed 2017 model year Fusion Energi to increase its all-electric range and to improve its EPA fuel economy ratings. , over 43,700 units had been sold in North America, with 43,327 units delivered in the U.S.

Unlike the regular hybrid there is no Lincoln MKZ version of the Energi.

Specifications and range

The Fusion Energi uses the same non-turbo 2-liter 4-cylinder engine supplements as the 2013 Fusion Hybrid to assist the electric motor. The all-electric range of the 2017 and newer model year Fusion Energi is with total range of .

The EPA's 2015 edition of the Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends presents utility factors for plug-in hybrids to represent the percentage of miles that will be driven using electricity by an average driver, in electric only or blended modes. Both the Fusion and C-Max Energi models have a utility factor in EV mode of 45%, compared with 83% for the BMW i3 REx, 66/65% for the Chevrolet Volt/Cadillac ELR, 43% for the McLaren P1, 37% for the BMW i8, and 29% for the Toyota Prius PHV.

thumb|The refreshed 2017 [[model year Fusion Energi improved its EPA rated fuel economy in all-electric mode to 97 miles per gallon gasoline equivalent (MPG-e).]]

thumb|Hybrid 2.0L gasoline powered-engine (left) and inverter system controller on top of the AC electric motor.

In May 2016, Ford reported, based on data collected from more than 610 million miles (976 million km) logged by its electrified vehicles through its telematics system, that drivers of these vehicles run an average of annually on their vehicles, with about half of those miles operating in all-electric mode. A breakdown of these figures shows an average daily commute of for Ford Energi plug-in hybrid drivers. According to Ford data, currently most customers are likely charging their vehicles only at home.

Fuel economy

Initially, the EPA rated the Energi's combined city/highway fuel economy in all-electric mode at 100 miles per gallon gasoline equivalent (MPG-e) (2.4 L gasoline equivalent/100 km). Later, due to complaints from owners not achieving the sticker fuel economy, and following a technical review, the official EPA rating in EV mode was downgraded to 88 MPG-e (). In a similar way, in hybrid operation, initially the Energi had an EPA combined city/highway fuel economy of . It was later downgraded by the EPA to .

The refreshed 2017 model year Fusion Energi has an increased EPA rated fuel economy in all-electric mode to 97 miles per gallon gasoline equivalent (MPG-e) () for combined city/highway driving, with an energy consumption of 35 kWh/100 mi. The EPA rating in hybrid operation rose to .

Awards and recognitions

First generation

In April 2009, Kelley Blue Book included the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid among its 2009 list of "Top 10 Green Cars".
The 2009 U.S. News & World Report car ranking for best affordable mid-size cars is led by the 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid followed by the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The 2010 Toyota Prius is ranked No. 4 together with the 2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid, and the 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid ranks No. 12.
In November 2009, the entire 2010 Ford Fusion line-up, including the Fusion Hybrid, was selected as the 2010 Motor Trend Car of the Year.

thumb|The [[Ford Fusion (Americas)#Second generation (2013)|2013 Ford Fusion line-up, including the Fusion hybrid and plug-in variants, won the 2013 Green Car of the Year.]]

In December 2009, Car and Driver magazine listed the 2010 Fusion Hybrid among the "10 Best Cars". The magazine stated that the Fusion Hybrid was the most advanced of all the cars they tested.
In December 2009, Automobile Magazine named the Fusion Hybrid one of the 2010 Automobile All-Stars.
In January 2010, the Fusion Hybrid won the 2010 North American Car of the Year Award at the Detroit Auto Show.
In February 2010, Consumer Reports included the Fusion Hybrid in the "American Top Picks 2010" leading the Green Car category.
In April 2010, Kelley Blue Book again included the Ford Fusion Hybrid among its 2010 list of "Top 10 Green Cars".
In March 2010, Mother Earth News included the 2010 Fusion Hybrid in its list of "Best Green Cars of 2010".
In February 2011, Consumer Reports included the Fusion Hybrid in the "American Top Picks 2011" leading the Green Car category.

Second generation (2013)

In November 2012, the entire 2013 Ford Fusion line-up, including the Fusion hybrid and plug-in variants, and the gasoline and EcoBoost engine options, won the 2013 Green Car of the Year awarded by the Green Car Journal at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Sales

2009–2012

During 2009, the Fusion Hybrid sold in the U.S. market a total of 15,554 units and the Milan Hybrid 1,486 units, as reported by the manufacturers. Although the Fusion Hybrid helped Ford bypass Honda to become the second biggest seller of hybrids in the US market in the month of December 2009, for the whole year of 2009, Honda sold more hybrid vehicles (35,691 units) than Ford (33,520 units) and the 2010 Honda Insight also outsold the Fusion Hybrid, with 20,572 units.

For 2010, U.S. sales of Ford Fusion Hybrid reached of 20,816 units, helping the model to become the third best selling hybrid in 2010 after the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight. The Milan Hybrid sold 1,416 units in 2010 and its production was discontinued as part of Ford's decision to phase out the entire Mercury brand. Purchases by the US Government at the behest of the Obama administration accounted for almost a third of the Ford Fusion Hybrids produced between 2009 and late 2010.

Ford reported that Fusion sales reached 151,004 units through July 2011, of which, 7,780 were the hybrid version, representing a 5.1% market share of all Fusion sales. During year 2011, the Fusion Hybrid sold 11,286 units and the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid sold 5,739 units, ranking sixth and tenth correspondingly, in hybrid sales for calendar year 2011. Fusion hybrid sales in 2012 increased 24.9% over 2011 sales, The Fusion Hybrid sales increased 164.3% from 2012 and ended 2013 as the fourth top selling hybrid in the U.S. after the Prius liftback, the Prius c and the Toyota Camry Hybrid.

2014

Sales of hybrid electric cars in the U.S. in 2014 declined 8.8% from 2013. Following the trend of the hybrid market, Fusion Hybrid sales were down 5.0% from 2013, and continued to rank as the fourth top selling hybrid in the U.S. Sales of Lincoln MKZ Hybrid continued its growth trend with sales up 34.3% from a year earlier. U.S. sales by year for each model and the share of hybrids out of total model sales are shown in the following table:

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto"

! colspan="9" align=center style="background-color: #ffdead;" | Ford Fusion hybrid family sales in the U.S. 2009 - 2016

! style="background-color: #ffdead;" |Year || style="background-color: #ffdead;" |Ford Fusion Hybrid||style="background-color: #ffdead;"| HEV share||style="background-color: #ffdead;" |Mercury Milan Hybrid|| style="background-color: #ffdead;"| HEV share||style="background-color:#ffdead;" |Lincoln MKZ Hybrid||style="background-color: #ffdead;"| HEV share||style="background-color:#ffdead;" |Ford Fusion Energi||style="background-color: #ffdead;"| PHEV share|| 14,100||5.8% || || ||6,067||21.6% || ||

|- style="text-align:center;"

|align=left|2013