2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan Hybrids to Go Up to 47 MPH on Electricity Alone

WOO HOO, I'm first. It's incredible that Ford is cashing in on advanced hybrid techniques in early 2010 while GM and Chrysler are waiting till 2011. Maybe Ford isn't that BS car company everybody says...

I think Ford is highly underrated and that it's probably a good time to be buying stock in them since you can pick up a share for a couple of bucks. While GM and Chryser are about ready to go bankrupt, ol Ford seems to be pulling ahead. Overseas Ford is a highly respected brand. I'm glad to see they are working on their image here also.

I really have to wonder what kind of acceleration you'll have to 47 mph on electric alone? I know your torque is good at low speed, but as your speed increases it would seem you would need more power to compensate for drag and resistance.

If the electric side is really that "good" then why the 2.5L?
Or if still the 2.5L for economic reasons, why not do what Toyota did to the 1.5L and make it a lean burn design (which wouldn't be hard since the 2.5L already has variable valve setup).

Frankly I've never been that impressed with the production versions of the sedans. The Camry gets 33/34, oh joy. Why not the same comparison my Corolla gets that, and closer to 37 on the highway. Frankly I think more fine tuning needs to go into the "hybrid" designs. There is no reason a mid sized car like the Camry, Fusion, or Accord shouldn't be able to do 40mpg.

Now... 8 miles on electric only is cool considering my wife drives 1.5 miles to work one way...

Make that sucker go 15 or better on electric and make it a plug in hybrid, and you're on to something.

Ah, but what price do we have to pay, Ford's Hybird Escape is 30K now, not much a deal.

Wow, look at the power slide that car is doing!!!

Bring on the Volt....

Next Year KERS (kinetic energy recovery systems) is being introduced to F1, the efficiency of these current electric motors are going to be way better and the power will be way up - a few years from now we will look at the current electric/hybrid vehicles and the only thing that would come to mind is 'cute'.

Hmmm, wonder if they offer another grill? Looking a little to much like a honda suv... yuk. I can see this in black with smaller chrome strips.

As technology goes, since I drive 4.7 miles each way to work on back roads, it is ALMOST a perfect match for my daily driver. I would need 10 miles/charge minimum otherwise I would need to start the car just about the time I get home. Also, I wonder if during the hot and cold seasons where I live, would I need to start the car to warm up (or cool down) the interior during these 8 miles?

So, still give me the volt (and a tax break buying one)

Ford is really at their "A" game! Go Ford!!!

Long live the Blue Oval:)

It would look nicer if the chrome grill wasn't screaming in your face.

@ Brian,

But the Camry Hybrid has much more passenger space inside compared to the Corolla. It also hits 60mph in 7.7s vs 9.7s and doesn't look like en economy car.

I've got an '07 Fusion SEL V6, what a great car. I drove all the competition a lot before I bought it last summer and hands-down it was the best bang for the buck, and doesn't have gaudy plastic hanging off it like Toyotas (which falls off, judging from everyone I know with a Corolla).

Anyway, I'm not a huge fan of the new grill and lights, I love the way the first gen Fusion lights go to a point and flow into the body lines. The hybrid is great though, would be awesome for someone like me that parks underground and pops out for lots of small trips.

Alright Ford! See, what good engineering can do. It's about time a domestic made a car for the future.

i agree with comments here, ford is working harder than GM companies. the Focus is also good in european and asian markets. i've read the Focus diesel which is very good in performance and also in consumption comparable to a 1.3 gasoline car.

Billo Billo o-billo,

this is a Mazda with Maytag front. This is as domestic as your GP.

lowest iq:
Billo Billo o-billo,

this is a Mazda with Maytag front. This is as domestic as your GP.

lowest iq

I guess whatever it takes to get a decent car to market in the states. I know our engineers could design good stuff here if our companies had management that wasn't bent on their destruction.
I've watched this slow motion train wreck of domestic auto production unfold for the last 30 years. Every concievable mistake that could be made has been made. I think it is more than just co-incidence. All the while the execs pay themselves huge salaries.
The domestics answer to everything is to make something bigger than any foreign company, and then have that particular market to them selves. The main problem with that is that we have to import foreign oil to power these gas hogs.
I say fire all the domestic management and oursource it to Japan.

Nice idea for a family car if Ford will give me a way to shut off the fuel pump when Junior wants to take it to school. (47mph and a 4 mile leash.)

@ Noya

Yes, I understand a Corolla is not equal to a Camry, but look at it from a technological standpoint.

The Corolla is powered by a 1.8L getting around 35 mpg.
The Camry hybrid is powered by a 2.4L getting around 34 mpg.

The point I was trying to make is, if you are seriously looking at the hybrid isn't fuel efficiency high on your priority list? Toyota, Accord, and most other mid sized sedans should be able to tune the engine better (or substitute to a smaller size, ie 1.8L) to get better than the compact class of cars in mpg.

The sales team should not be trying to make the hybrid sedan equal to the entry level model in straight performance numbers. There should be trade offs (or at least some driver level control of it). I frankly would be willing to trade off acceleration for 40 mpg.

You can not have your cake and eat it too.