My Ford Fusion Energi Test Drive
Ford recently covered my trip to Dearborn, Michigan, so that I could attend some of its events and NAIAS. In this first article from the trip, I’ll focus on my test drive of the 2014 Ford Fusion Energi in Michigan, from Dearborn to Detroit. More articles on the NAIAS events I attended will follow in the coming days.
Image Credit: Nicholas Brown / CleanTechnica / Kompulsa
I wasn’t surprised much by the performance of the plug-in hybrid-electric Fusion, but in this case, that’s a good thing.
The first thing I experienced was ample interior room as we put our travel bags in the car. Hybrids and full electrics are criticized by some as being small (although, this could be propaganda based on older hybrids) — in this case, the car certainly had a lot of room. Apart from that first impression, the next thing that hit me was that the Fusion’s acceleration was just as strong as, if not a little stronger than, that of the average mid-sized family car, and it seamlessly started the engine whenever extra power was desired, without jolting us. Edmunds measured its 0-60 acceleration time at just under 8.0 seconds.
I didn’t have any concern regarding range in this car. You can see how much electric range you have, and then when that runs out you are switched to gas and treat the car like you would a conventional car. On battery, you have about 21 miles of range in the Fusion Energi, and that jumps up to 620 miles if you include the range offered by a full tank of gas.
The Fusion Energi offers a very smooth and comfortable ride. It’s a quality car, corners don’t seem to have been cut anywhere.
The fuel economy of the car is excellent, of course — 100 MPGe on battery and 43 MPG on gas.
I can’t say I had any complaints about the Fusion Energi. If you’re able to pay $38,700 ($34,693 after the federal tax credit), it’s a great plug-in hybrid option. But now that there are over a dozen plug-in cars on the market, you have a lot of choice in this market. You can choose between the Fusion Energi or a plug-in with more electric range or a lower price. It really comes down to personal preferences, but I definitely think the Fusion Energi is worth a test drive and a great option for many consumers.
See the #FordNAIAS hashtag on Twitter for more about Ford’s events. For more stories like these on Cleantechnica, visit our Ford channel.
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