Ford Fusion Hybrid: 5 Facts

1. Ford’s First Hybrid Sedan
Ford’s 2010 Fusion Hybrid is the first hybrid sedan from this automaker. It was preceded by Ford Motor Company’s Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner, and Mazda Tribute hybrid SUVs. It’s based on the popular Fusion model that first debuted in 2006.

2. Second Generation Hybrid System
The mid-size Fusion Hybrid’s gasoline-electric hybrid system has evolved from Ford’s first generation system developed for the Escape. It uses a more powerful 2.5 liter, 156 horsepower four-cylinder engine and a 106 horsepower electric traction motor to drive the front wheels.

3. Class Leading Fuel Economy
The Fusion Hybrid gets a class-leading 41 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. With its 17 gallon fuel tank, this efficient sedan can travel well over 600 miles on a tank of gas.

4. Efficient Atkinson Cycle Used
Contributing to its greater fuel economy is operation on the Atkinson cycle rather than the Otto cycle used by most internal combustion engines. In the Atkinson cycle, the compression stroke of the gasoline engine is shorter than the power stroke, with intake valves staying open longer. The tradeoff is greater efficiency at the expensive of diminished torque. That’s less of an issue in a hybrid because of the copious amount of low-end torque provided by the electric motor.

5. Drive on Electricity up to 47 MPH
Hybrid drivers almost universally wish their cars could drive longer on battery electric power before the internal combustion engine takes over. Ford accommodates this with the Fusion Hybrid, which can drive up to 47 miles per hour on electric power for short durations, with a light touch on the accelerator.