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), marketed by Ford's respective brands. The second generation hybrid models (2013–2020) were launched under both Ford and Lincoln brands; went on sale in the U.S. in October 2012 and ended production with model year 2020.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rated the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid at combined city/highway. The second generation hybrid improved the fuel economy rating to for combined city/highway driving. The EPA rated the Energi's combined city/highway fuel economy in all-electric mode at 88 miles per gallon gasoline equivalent (MPG-e) (2.7 L gasoline equivalent/100 km; 106 mpg-imp). In hybrid operation (charge-sustaining mode), the Energi has a combined fuel economy of .
The Fusion Hybrid won the 2010 North American Car of the Year Award, and the entire 2013 Ford Fusion line-up, including the Fusion hybrid and plug-in variants, won the 2013 Green Car of the Year. , over 285,000 units of the Fusion hybrid family were sold in the United States since 2009, including the plug-in hybrid variant. , sales of the Fusion Energi totaled 43,327 units delivered in its main market, the U.S.
First generation (2010)
History and development
The hybrid electric version of the Fusion was announced at the 2005 North American International Auto Show, along with the public introduction of the original 2006 Fusion. At that time Ford announced that the hybrid version was scheduled to be introduced in early 2009 for the 2010 model year. 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. Ford set a modest sales target of about 25,000 vehicles a year for the Fusion Hybrid and the similar Mercury Milan.
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. See boxes "Gas Engine Specifications (Hybrid Model)" and "Electric Motor Specifications (Hybrid Model)" 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. Under ideal conditions, Ford claims the Fusion Hybrid can cruise at up to on battery power alone.
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.
Fuel economy and environmental performance
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rated the fuel economy for the 2010 Fusion Hybrid at city, highway. 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:
Economic and environmental performance comparison among the Fusion powertrains available in the U.S. market Type ofPowertrain Type offuelYearmodel EPA City mileage(mpg)EPA Highway mileage(mpg)Annualfuelcost (1) (2)(USD) Carbonfootprint(Ton/yr of CO2) (3) Annual Petroleum Use(barrel)Hybrid electric FWDAutomatic (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 2.5L Gasoline 2011 41 36$1,083 4.8 8.8FWD Automatic 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.5LGasoline 2011 23 33 $1,629 7.213.2FWD Automatic (S6), 6 cyl, 3.0LGasoline 2011 20 28$1,8408.114.9 E85 flex-fuel 2011 14 21$2,2696.65.0FWD Automatic (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5LGasoline 2011 18 27 $2,013 8.916.3AWD Automatic (S6), 6 cyl, 3.0LGasoline 2011 18 26$2,1159.317.1 E85 flex-fuel 2011 13 19$2,4217.15.3Notes: (1) Estimates assumes 45% highway driving, 55% city driving, and 15,000 annual miles. (2) Average U.S. prices: $2.82/gallon forgasoline, 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.
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.
SmartGauge for eco driving
The Fusion Hybrid comes with a SmartGauge with the EcoGuide which features two 4.3-inch high-resolution, full-color LCD screens on either side of the vehicle's analog speedometer. The objective of these panel displays is to coach drivers on how to optimize the performance of their hybrid by keeping track of their eco driving improvements.
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.
The 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, launched in September 2010, offered an improvement of Ford's SmartGauge with EcoGuide introduced with the 2010 Fusion and Milan hybrids.
In 2012, with the introduction of the second generation Fusion, Ford redesigned its SmartGauge with EcoGuide system giving it a newer look and new customizable MyView features. One of the new features, Brake Coach, gives instant feedback on the driver's braking habits and gives advice to maximize the efficiency of the regenerative braking system.
Tax credit The Fusion Hybrid qualified for a maximum hybrid tax credit of US$3,400 if purchased by March 31, 2009. The credit dropped to US$1,700 if purchased by September 30, 2009, to US$850 if purchased from October 2009 and March 31, 2010, and phased out on April 1, 2010.
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