WASHINGTON — The Ford Fusion Hybrid has posted impressive numbers in an endurance feat that saw it run for 69 consecutive hours and 1,445.7 miles on a single tank of gasoline. Average fuel economy was an impressive 81.5 mpg. Ford says "drivers trained in mileage-maximizing techniques" were part of the reason the Fusion Hybrid was able to run so efficiently. The company calls it a world record for a gasoline-powered car in the midsize sedan category.
Ford lists the 2010 Fusion Hybrid's fuel economy as 41 miles per gallon in the city, 36 mpg on the highway, meaning the test run came just short of doubling the fuel economy numbers despite a route that included city driving.
Ford set up the Fusion Hybrid 1,000-Mile Challenge in and around Washington, D.C., to demonstrate the potential mileage of the midsize sedan and to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
The team of seven drivers for the challenge included NASCAR racer Carl Edwards, CleanMPG.com founder and mileage-maximization guru Wayne Gerdes and several Ford engineers. Some of the techniques they used were coasting up to stop signs and red lights, accelerating smoothly and gradually, minimizing the use of heating and air-conditioning units, closing windows at high speed to cut drag and anticipating traffic conditions to maintain a safe distance between vehicles and avoid unnecessary braking.
Ford noted that the driving techniques were paired with keeping the Fusion under 47 mph as much as possible, where it can run on all-electric power. However, the company said, the tips "can be used in any vehicle to improve fuel economy."
For the less trained driver, Ford says, the Fusion Hybrid's SmartGauge with Eco Guide instrument cluster helps "coach drivers" to get maximum fuel economy numbers.
Inside Line says: Big numbers on a drive to the nation's capital that was more than symbolic. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent
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