UPDATE: Ford Fusion Hybrid travels 1,000 miles with 1/3 tank left, team still going
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid - Click above for high-res image gallery
The team that set out this past weekend to cover 1,000 miles on a single tank of gasoline succeeded and then some. When the team of race drivers, engineers and hyper-milers crossed the 1,000-mile mark a little after 9:00 am on Monday morning, there was still more than a third of a tank left. Over 47 hours of running the team led by NASCAR driver Carl Edwards and including record braking hyper-miler Wayne Gerdes averaged over 80 mpg.
The plan is to drive the bone stock Fusion until the tank runs dry. Along the way team members are running public clinics to help teach people how to drive more efficiently, even if they can't necessarily match the antics of Gerdes, while simultaneously raising money for the Juvenile diabetes Foundation. While it's obviously possible to achieve these kinds of lofty mileage numbers in the Fusion, it isn't something most people will do on a regular basis, but Ford set out to prove it could be done and the team succeeded. Kudos.
Gallery: Ford Fusion Hybrid Challenge
Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid
ONE THOUSAND MILES AND COUNTING: FUSION HYBRID BREAKS 1,000 MILES ON SINGLE TANK, PRESSES ON
- The Ford Fusion Hybrid team has achieved more than 1,000 miles – over 47 continuous hours – on a single tank of gas, raising funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
- Passing the 1,000 mile mark at 9:08 a.m. this morning, the team will continue as their unmodified, regular production Fusion Hybrid has nearly one-third of a tank of fuel remaining
- The most fuel-efficient, mid-sized sedan in America – the Fusion Hybrid – driven by a team of Ford hybrid engineers, a fuel efficiency expert and a NASCAR star, achieved more than 80 miles per gallon using Eco-Driving techniques
As part of the event, the team is conducting clinics for media and customers in the Fusion Hybrid, providing interviews and vehicle demonstrations on how simple techniques can make a significant difference to real world fuel economy numbers. The team also is uploading regular images and video of the challenge to YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, and www.media.ford.com.
Mileage-maximizing techniques that the Ford team used and recommend to consumers 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
Click here for more Eco-Driving tips.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Steve 1:04PM (4/28/2009)
its actually already finished and i think they went something of 1480.00 miles or something...pretty impressive!
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JayP 1:13PM (4/28/2009)
Too bad they made it. I'd like to have seen Carl get out of the car and run the last mile or so.
Dondonel 1:50PM (4/28/2009)
That's very nice. But can I reproduce that fuel consumption while driving in safe manner, that does not interfere with the traffic (like for instance driving at a much slower speed than the rest of the traffic).
There are many questions about this trial. How much of the closed loop was city driving, how much of it was highway? What were the average speeds in city/highway traffic? etc
Sean 2:07PM (4/28/2009)
What kind of car do you have Don?
Dondonel 2:15PM (4/28/2009)
I drive a Subaru Legacy ('09), but I would buy a hybrid midsize sedan if it gives me 60mpg, while not forcing me to drive in an unsafe manner.
I know how to drive in an economical way, I get much better a much better fuel consuption from my Legacy than what EPA says about it, but that's still half way to 60mpg :)
Mike 2:51PM (4/28/2009)
It's a 17+ gallon tank. That's massive for a passenger car. The 1999 1.3TDi Lupo did over 100mpg, that was 10 years ago... without hybrid tech.
I look forward to the new TDi Golf hitting the USA soon. Gotta love 45mpg in city (aka, real life driving).
Pengwin 3:13PM (4/28/2009)
if you take what ford has posted, 1000 miles in 47 hours, divide. 1000mi/47hours = 21.276 MPH.
what a skewed number
Dondonel 4:23PM (4/28/2009)
Thanks Pengwin, I haven't noticed the time. Averaging 20 mph is not bad for city driving, I just hope that they did not achieve that average on the highway. Nonetheless, 20 mph is not highway speed, which means such consumption cannot be achieved on the highway.
I need to see a video with one of the drivers doing the loop, in actual traffic. Has anyone seen such a video?
Mike 6:18PM (4/28/2009)
"Averaging 20 mph is not bad for city driving"
but then you have to consider how often you're going "0" mph in city along with the seldom 20mph. The on / off of gas engine / electric motor will blow through that gas much faster than what Ford is claiming in real life conditions. I'd give that car at best 35mpg real life driving.
Robert 7:48PM (4/28/2009)
1447miles/47 hours is 30.787 miles per hour. While this is not freeway speeds, it surely is sufficient for in town motoring.
Quote the Raven 10:38AM (4/29/2009)
"Along the way team members are running public clinics to help teach people how to drive more efficiently,"
I don't think they were driving non-stop were they? Stopping for food/driver changes at the very least. We'll have to wait to get their data to see what kind of average speed they did during actual driving.
John P. 1:05PM (4/28/2009)
I was wondering how they were making out. Congrats Ford!
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BMWFanatic 1:52PM (4/28/2009)
Well typically making out occurs when two people ... oh, you didn't mean that kind..
Teh Lup 1:05PM (4/28/2009)
Hypermiling does absolute wonders for your gas mileage.
My daily driven, mildly modded SVT Focus went from 26-27mpg on my daily commute to 29-31mpg just by modifying my driving techniques. My 90 Mustang LX again mildly modded gets approx 22-23mpg up from 19ish previous. Both instances with very little highway/cruising.
Using top gear as an overdrive, light on throttle acceleration, and trying to avoid complete stops/hard breaking really rounds things off well.
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Cameron 2:00PM (4/28/2009)
I totally agree. I pumped my tires up to 35 and drive as smooth as possible and I can get 37-38 mpg out of my 2000 Civic sedan that's laden down with dynamat and audio equipment. Of course that's only when I don't have to run the A/C.. but A/C on I can still get 34-35. Both figures are better than the (corrected) EPA figures for my car. And that's ALL city driving. I don't go slow, I don't coast forever, I just keep it really smooth.
yakimushi 7:39PM (4/28/2009)
How in the hell are you getting that kind of mileage of your Focus SVT? I can barely get 23-24MPG out of mine. That's 100% city driving though, nothing over 35mph.
Anyways, do tell.
Tony C 11:17AM (4/29/2009)
Anyone can hypermile in any car and achieve comparatively outstanding gas mileage.
My own experiments in simple hypermiling and topping out at the posted speed limit yielded at two 30MPG runs last year. Of mostly highway driving, yes, but all over and around Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia -- in an Acura RDX, which is rated 17/22 by the EPA.
Max 1:07PM (4/28/2009)
Driving at an average speed of 20mph also does wonders for your fuel economy.
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cyb 1:10PM (4/28/2009)
actually 20mph is not the best for hypermiling. 45-55 is more like it. sometimes you can achieve better mpg at higher speed because engine is working in most efficient rpm range. my old mazda 5 averaged better mpg in 80 than in 70.
BigWill 1:41PM (4/28/2009)
@cyb
Driving at 20 MPH does wonders for fuel economy *if* you're driving a hybrid. Look at the press release: 1445.7 miles covered in "more than 69 hours of continuous driving". Round that up to 70 hours and the average speed of the Fusion's trip is 20.65 MPH - a number they're curiously not explicitly reporting.
Since the 2010 Prius is also now classified as a midsize car, I wonder if Toyota will take a shot at Ford by running the Prius in a 20 MPH marathon.