This past weekend a team of Ford drivers sought out to drive 1,000 miles in a 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid on a single tank of gas. Well it looks like they succeeded.
The drivers passed the 1,000 mile marker Monday morning and still managed to have more than a third of a tank of gas left. In total the drivers managed to get 1445.7 miles on a single tank, which averaged 81.5 mpg.
The event also raised more than $8,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Related Stories:
Ford Team Tries to Drive 1,000 Miles in a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid on a Single Tank of Gas
PRESS RELEASE:
FUSION HYBRID AVERAGES 81.5 MPG, SETS WORLD RECORD WITH 1,445 MILES ON SINGLE TANK OF GAS
* Drivers trained in mileage-maximizing techniques achieve 1,445 miles on a single tank of gas in a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid - averaging 81.5 mpg in Washington, D.C. - and set world record for gasoline-powered, midsize sedan
* The Fusion Hybrid 1,000-Mile Challenge proves that fuel-efficient driving techniques can nearly double a vehicle’s EPA-rated fuel economy
* The demonstration of the Fusion Hybrid’s ultra high-mileage potential also raised more than $8,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
WASHINGTON, April 28, 2009 - Drivers trained in mileage-maximizing techniques such as smooth acceleration and coasting to red lights were able to get an extraordinary 1,445.7 miles out of a single tank of gas during a fund-raising effort in Washington, D.C. that concluded today. They did it by averaging 81.5 miles per gallon in an off-the-showroom floor, non-modified 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, the most fuel-efficient midsize car in North America - nearly doubling its U.S. certified mileage.
The Fusion Hybrid 1,000-Mile Challenge started at 8:15 a.m. EDT on Saturday, April 25, from Mount Vernon, Va., and ended this morning at 5:37 a.m. on George Washington Parkway in Washington, D.C. After more than 69 continuous hours of driving, the Fusion Hybrid finally depleted its tank and came to a stop with an odometer reading of 1,445.7 miles - setting a world record for gasoline-powered, midsize sedan.
The challenge team, which included NASCAR star Carl Edwards, high mileage trailblazer Wayne Gerdes and several Ford Motor Company engineers, raised more than $8,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) by exceeding the goal of 1,000 miles on a single tank of gas. The Fusion Hybrid’s official estimated range is approximately 700 miles per tank.
“Not only does this demonstrate the Fusion Hybrid’s fuel efficiency, it also shows that driving technique is one of the keys to maximizing its potential,” said Nancy Gioia, director, Ford Sustainable Mobility Technologies and Hybrid Vehicle Programs. “The fact that we were able raise much needed funds for JDRF while raising the bar on fuel efficient driving performance made the effort doubly worthwhile.”
Maximizing mileage
A team of seven drivers prepared for the challenge by learning a few mileage-maximizing techniques, most of which can be used in any vehicle to improve fuel economy, but are especially useful in the Fusion Hybrid where the driver can take advantage of pure electric energy at speeds below 47 mph.
CleanMPG.com founder Wayne Gerdes, an engineer from Illinois who coined the term “hypermiling” to describe the mileage-maximizing techniques, provided the pointers. They include:
* Slowing down and maintaining even throttle pressure;
* Gradually accelerating and smoothly braking;
* Maintaining a safe distance between vehicles and anticipating traffic conditions;
* Coasting up to red lights and stop signs to avoid fuel waste and brake wear;
* Minimize use of heater and air conditioning to reduce the load on the engine;
* Close windows at high speeds to reduce aerodynamic drag;
* Applying the “Pulse and Glide” technique while maintaining the flow of traffic;
* Minimize excessive engine workload by using the vehicle’s kinetic forward motion to climb hills, and use downhill momentum to build speed; and
* Avoiding bumps and potholes that can reduce momentum
“You become very aware of your driving because you’re constantly looking for opportunities to maximize mileage, and a more aware driver is a safer driver, too,” said Gil Portalatin, Ford hybrid applications manager.
In addition, it is important for Fusion Hybrid drivers to manage the battery system’s state of charge through the use of regenerative braking and coasting, and balancing the use of the electric motor and gas engine in city driving to avoid wasting fuel.
Fusion Hybrid drivers also can stay more connected to the hybrid driving experience with Ford’s SmartGaugeTM with EcoGuide, a unique instrument cluster that helps coach drivers on how to optimize performance of their hybrid.
The Challenge
The Fusion Hybrid 1,000-Mile Challenge team took turns driving several routes in and around the national capital over the course of approximately three days and nights. The route involved elevation changes, and ranged from the relatively open George Washington Parkway to a 3-mile stretch in the heart of the city that is clogged with roughly 30 traffic signals.
“The Fusion Hybrid works brilliantly,” Gerdes said. “When you don’t need acceleration power while driving around town, the gas engine shuts down seamlessly. There’s not another hybrid drivetrain in the world that does that as effectively. The Fusion engineering team really knocked it out of the park.”
Ford NASCAR star Carl Edwards took time away from the high speed world of professional car racing to contribute to the Fusion Hybrid team’s success in D.C.
“It was exciting to be an active part in this challenge. The fact that it will help spread the word about the Fusion Hybrid’s great mileage, and help out a great charity, makes it even more special,” said Edwards, whose ‘99′ team has used fuel-saving techniques to win races. “There’s no question that the Fusion Hybrid will help consumers save fuel when they drive it. Having driven the car, I feel strongly about how great it is - so strong that I’ve purchased one myself.”
Comments (35)
sounds like it's too good to be true. Put this thing on the market where everyone else gets to make their own reviews, then we'll see if this story is creditable.
Posted by phil | April 28, 2009 5:23 PM
Posted on April 28, 2009 17:23
1st!
Go Ford!!!
Posted by Bradford | April 28, 2009 5:24 PM
Posted on April 28, 2009 17:24
@ phil
Aahh! LoL
Posted by Bradford | April 28, 2009 5:25 PM
Posted on April 28, 2009 17:25
Bradford, get a life!
Posted by some dude | April 28, 2009 5:30 PM
Posted on April 28, 2009 17:30
why dun we invite every manufactures into this game and let the war start!
Posted by oh yea | April 28, 2009 6:30 PM
Posted on April 28, 2009 18:30
I'm still driving my '88 Chevy Sprint that I bought in '99 for $300. Give me a fair tailwind and a light right foot and I can easily hit 65+ MPG (personal best is 78mpg on a 228 mile trip in N.D.).
Sure, it's not a completely comfortable ride, it's not the best looking car in the world, and I'm sure I get laughed at a lot....until I start skipping every other gas station around, and when I do gas up, it's only once every 400 miles to the tune of about 8 gallons...
So...$20,000+ vs. $300...
I can sure do a lot with that left over $19,700.
Posted by sprint driver | April 28, 2009 8:11 PM
Posted on April 28, 2009 20:11
It wasn't a game or a war. Ford did this as exposure, and to show the potential for their new mid-sized hybrid. Sounds like mission accomplished. If it is an official world record for a mid-sized sedan, i'll bet that Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima (don't think the Accord hybrid made it to production) may take a shot at it as well.
In a related story:
In anticipation of a successful challenge, Carl Edwards attempted to give away his Ford Fusion on Sunday by launching it into the grandstand at the Talledega Superspeedway. According to reports, the attempt failed and he had to settle for smaller pieces of the car being distributed as souveniers. Carl was so excited in fact, he then got out of his car and finished the race on foot.
Posted by Trooper Bri | April 28, 2009 8:26 PM
Posted on April 28, 2009 20:26
"Hypermiling" is the deceiving part of this. Impressive as it may be, it's not at all practical, and in traffic, can be quite dangerous. Has anyone ever tried to accelerate a hybrid up to 40ish without activating the gas engine? You certainly receive more than a few honks from morning commuters. And, can you imagine on a 55 mph road, letting off the gas a half mile from a red light, so as not to use your brakes?
You could drastically improve the gas mileage in any car by shutting off the engine going down hills. I am happy for them that they set a record, but I wouldn't get too excited.
Posted by John Doe | April 29, 2009 5:28 AM
Posted on April 29, 2009 05:28
That must have been one hellish 1000 miles.
In LA I find that most traffic that isn't caused by congestion is usually the result of a Prius driver hyperdouching it up in the fast lane. I suppose their "technique" works best in the lane which is furthest from the exits but the amount of frustration these people cause is unbearable.
Posted by Cashmoney | April 29, 2009 7:32 AM
Posted on April 29, 2009 07:32
A nationally publicized event with celebrities and all and they only raised $8000 for the charity? That's pathetic. Clearly the 'charity' was only part of good publicity so Ford didn't look like it was showing off for no apparent reason. Also, the 'techniques' used to acheive this milestone are dangerous to put it lightly.
Posted by FundRaiser | April 29, 2009 7:54 AM
Posted on April 29, 2009 07:54
Since Ford was completely honest in their approach, and described exactly how they accomplished this with a non-modified hybrid and professional drivers; I don't see how anyone could be bitching about this publicity stunt. It isn't practical, it isn't normal, it was a stunt promoted by a gift to a charity. Get over the fact that an American car was the first to do this and not some "jap-crap" as some like to call asian cars. lol.
So good for them (Go-ford). Next would be to try to do this with a toyota and honda and let's see where everyone sits. (Go-Toyota and Go-Honda).
/rant
But give this to Nissan and I'm sure they would first secretly modify the car then complain when they didn't make their claim performance because of some made-up road conditions and then try 3 times to cherry pick the best performance. lol.
/rant
Posted by rawanduntamed | April 29, 2009 8:20 AM
Posted on April 29, 2009 08:20
1st !!!
Posted by mf | April 29, 2009 8:46 AM
Posted on April 29, 2009 08:46
1st !!!
Posted by mf | April 29, 2009 8:47 AM
Posted on April 29, 2009 08:47
@John Doe:
You're a fool for saying that hypermiling is dangerous. It's far safer than normal driving. I have no data to support my claim but if you challenge me on it, I'll cut & paste totally irrelevant data from Google and call you names.
Posted by mf | April 29, 2009 8:51 AM
Posted on April 29, 2009 08:51
@ Cashmoney
Yea, they do that here in the Bay Area too. My motorcycle gets better mileage than any Prius, but do I get "green" rebates from Uncle Sam? Noooo.
--
I still don't understand why nobody's using the diesel engine from a VW Polo in a hybrid yet. It already gets 80 on it's own - 120 - 140 mpg would be easy.
Posted by Dylan Knight | April 29, 2009 9:12 AM
Posted on April 29, 2009 09:12
@ Dylan Knight
Because a diesel engine by design is horibbly inefficient when it is cycled on and off. It would be better used as a generator running a specific RPM at all times. But unless you need power at all times, such as towing, a generator is not a viable solution because of how much energy is being wasted.
Posted by T-Bone | April 29, 2009 10:58 AM
Posted on April 29, 2009 10:58
If my math is correct 1000 mile / 69 hours is about 14.5 mile per hour. GREAT. If I want to get anywhere in a day and a half. I do the same thing in hummer driver 5 miles and hour. This hows how stupid the American auto makers are and how they try to find bright spots in a dim world.
I would like to meet the person that drove 14.5 mph for 69 hours. I would go insane if I had to do that.
Posted by Mat | April 29, 2009 11:01 AM
Posted on April 29, 2009 11:01
I think it is cool that Ford is showcasing what their car can do. It may not represent how a normal driver will drive their car, but at least shows what the car is capable of doing under the right conditions. Can Toyota or Nissan make the same claim about the Camry or Altima? I don't know, all I know is that Ford was the first...
I think they should be commended for not only being the only American automaker still making money, but for finally bringing vehicles to the market that can compete with the Japanese competition (even when they are based on Mazda platforms).
So how about commending them for their efforts instead of dogging them for what people consider to be their shortcomings...
Posted by Mazda6 Guy | April 29, 2009 11:07 AM
Posted on April 29, 2009 11:07
@Mat
You fail to see that they drove through the middle of Washington DC with traffic lights. My guess is that they got stopped at over 1/2 the lights and probably never got above 15 to 20 mph if they were there in the middle of the day or around rush hour.
Posted by Tool | April 29, 2009 11:18 AM
Posted on April 29, 2009 11:18
@Cashmoney,
Exactly what I was thinking. That must be the longest 1000 miles in that guy's life. We don't need water boarding, just make the terrorists drive like this to torture them!!
Posted by Topper | April 29, 2009 11:42 AM
Posted on April 29, 2009 11:42
1445 miles and 81.5 mpg, that is really impressive. But it took them 69 hours. Their average speed is about 17 mph. What normal person or family would drive that many miles averaging 17 mph, so who cares? Give me a car that does 60 mpg with an average speed of 70 mph and I'd be sold, even if it is as ugly as a Fusion. Tesla model S FTW!!! It's an American car, but it's not Detroit midwest-study group ugly.
Posted by ok | April 29, 2009 12:06 PM
Posted on April 29, 2009 12:06
Yah, 81.5 mpgs but at the speeds they were going, many other cars would achieve similar gas mileage (well, it'd be lower for sure, but still in the stratosphere).
BTW, @ "ok":
that actually averages to 20 mph. Still lower than what its worth, but meh.
Posted by Allen | April 29, 2009 1:03 PM
Posted on April 29, 2009 13:03
That's nothing. I took my Chevy from coast to coast on a single tank of gas one time. Mind you, it was hauled on a flatbed truck the entire way. I lost the gas when the tank developed a leak en route. I said it was a Chevy, didn't I?
Posted by pontiac_rip | April 29, 2009 1:36 PM
Posted on April 29, 2009 13:36
YOU'RE WRONG!!! YOU'RE A TROLL!!! YOU'RE A FAILER IN LIFE!!! NO BODY LOVES YOU!!! JUST ROLLOVER AND DIE!!!
Posted by mf | April 29, 2009 2:59 PM
Posted on April 29, 2009 14:59
@mf
You need a girlfriend...
and meds.
Posted by 426Hemi | April 29, 2009 3:10 PM
Posted on April 29, 2009 15:10
Uh, Hemi. That's someone doing a fairly good imitation of mf from the other Fusion thread.
You sir just got punk'd. ;)
Posted by Trooper Bri | April 29, 2009 3:16 PM
Posted on April 29, 2009 15:16
@Tool and @Mat:
Actually, it's closer to 21mph ;) I think in the other 1k drive challenge blog below, someone mentioned that the average driver only goes about 29mph.
Consider going down 4 blocks w/ a 25mph speed limit in a suburban neighborhood and at the end of each block is a stop sign. By the end, you would have averaged much less than 25 mph.
I'd like to know how far you can go with only freeway driving.
Anyone know what the A-plan price is on this?
Posted by upl8n8 | April 29, 2009 3:27 PM
Posted on April 29, 2009 15:27
And for those posting ridiculously low speed/time averages for this record attempt: Go to YouTube and look at the horde of videos that have been posted. The real answers to your skewed mathematical equasions lie there.
It'll also show Mr.Gerdes in action. The guy had some real wacky ideas about saving more fuel. Uh, Wayne. I'm not removing the light bulbs from my car in an effort to save fuel. What a freakin' wing nut! I'm surprised he doesn't recommend ghost riding the whip when possible. That's less weight in the car!
Posted by Trooper Bri | April 29, 2009 3:30 PM
Posted on April 29, 2009 15:30
Why do people want Toyota and Nissan to try this? Just so they can be embarassed by getting worse results than the Fusion?
It's a widely known fact that the Fusion hybrid system is superior to Toyota's and way ahead of Nissan's. Quite something that a stupid American domestic company can come out of nowhere with a hybrid system that trumps the poster-boy of hybrids, Toyota.
Posted by reality | April 29, 2009 6:08 PM
Posted on April 29, 2009 18:08
I know Wayne Gerdes socially and I can tell you that he takes a very, very strong laxative an hour before he drives to lighten the load.
Posted by mf | April 29, 2009 11:36 PM
Posted on April 29, 2009 23:36
Just to be accurate, 1445 miles in 69 hours, it's 21 mph average.
The way I see it, for now, for hybrid, electric cars it's all about battery: I would bet that to beat the Toyota Camry hybrid on fuel mileage, Ford Fusion uses much bigger battery with larger electric motor, thus the $8000 premium over the non hybrid Fusion. The Volt with the advertised 60(?) miles in electricity mode probably will cost about $40,000. If we say it cost GM about $20,000 to make the Volt without the battery, about the same as the non-hybrid Fusion, so the Volt's battery probably cost about $20,000? The least expensive new Tesla sedan is projected to cost $57,000? with the maximum rage about 160 miles. And this is a much simpler car without a gas engine. So if we say the cost of the car is $15,000, and the cost for the battery is $42,000. Maybe Detroit should make some limited production models like Corvette, Mustang electrics with similar ranges, prices - $100,000 and up, and similar expensive batteries - $70,000 batteries. But I doubt that they want to waste money design such limited cars at this time.
Posted by Tuyen | April 30, 2009 7:43 AM
Posted on April 30, 2009 07:43
I am a Ford Fanatic. I am not impressed. Driving at night when no one is on the road making the most of those mile means NOTHING. Test should have been conducted during real rush hours if they want it to be valid.
While Ford wating time testing a Hybrid engine in a way NO ONE WILL USE the car. How bout increasing the fuel mileage on the ECOBOOST V6. 17 city and 25 HWY is no where near a break thru regardless of power you can push out.
Posted by Fred "theflo" Oliver | April 30, 2009 8:42 AM
Posted on April 30, 2009 08:42
@mf
Excellent summary of all idiots on message boards. Well done.
Posted by John Doe | April 30, 2009 11:14 AM
Posted on April 30, 2009 11:14
Yeah...downhill with a tailwind!
Posted by Jared | April 30, 2009 11:17 AM
Posted on April 30, 2009 11:17
If it's not on the EPA sticker,it didn't happen. And always remember when a company lies to you before you do business with them.
Posted by Patrick | April 30, 2009 3:50 PM
Posted on April 30, 2009 15:50