The new, 2017 Ford Fusion Energi raises the bar for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) range, achieving an outstanding, EPA-estimated 610-mile range on a full tank of gas and fully-charged battery.
Similar to competitors like the Chevrolet Volt, the Ford Fusion Energi can be driven some distance on battery alone: 21 miles, in this case. After the battery is depleted, the plug-in Fusion sedan travels the next 589 miles operating much like a typical gas-electric hybrid, with the 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine working in-tandem with the 118-horsepower electric motor. The 7.6-kWh battery pack has the same capacity as that of the pre-facelift Ford Fusion Energi, but improvements in software and electric motor efficiency have resulted in increased fuel/electricity economy.
A statement from Ford says that the refreshed Ford Fusion Energi might well be considered “a cure for range anxiety,” citing a Harris Poll from March which revealed that 40 percent of American adults are anxious or concerned about the range of their vehicles, whether electric, hybrid, or fueled by gasoline alone. The same 1,052 adults surveyed also believe, on average, that even the longest-range PHEVs can only travel a maximum of around 261 miles.
That’s less than 43 percent of the 2017 Ford Fusion Energi’s actual range.
“Fusion Energi – with a full battery and a full tank of gas – can go from San Diego, through Los Angeles and all the way up to San Francisco and still have up to 110 miles of range remaining,” says Ford Fusion Marketing Manager Wade Jacskon. The 2017 Ford Fusion Energi SE has a base MSRP of $31,120.
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