What Makes the Ford Fusion Hybrid So Good?

Levi Quinn
http://www.autoinsuranceratesdirect.com

With so many hybrid vehicles suddenly popping up all over the world there is definitely a lot of competition in the market. However, deciding which make and model is the best is generally a personal opinion because it comes down on the need of each person from their vehicle. While many of the leading auto manufacturers in the world are developing and producing a variety of hybrid vehicles, many people think that the Ford Motor Company may be leading the way. If you really want to know if the Ford hybrid is the best available, it would be a good idea to do some research on the cars and test drive one as well. Reading as many reviews as you can get your hands on will also help.

On Jan. 11, 2010, the Fusion Hybrid received the 2010 North American Car of the Year award at the recent version of the auto show held in Detroit. A group of 49 automotive journalists from North America sat on a panel and selected the winners after judging the cars on a variety of factors. These include innovation, safety, design, handling, value, and driver satisfaction. These Hybrids have set a record for winning the award five times in total.

The Ford Fusion set a brand new bar by raising the hybrid technology up to a higher level. The vehicle combines a sophisticated and seamless hybrid powertrain with an exceptional Fusion platform that is entrenched firmly in the centre of the auto world's mainstream market, and it resulted in a winning venture. Most reports state that the car is exciting to drive. It is very refined all around, including its braking and handling along with its convenience and comfort. However, the Ford Fusion has sold a lot less cars than the Toyota Prius and Camry Hybrid.

USA Today newspaper stated that "the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid is the best gasoline-electric hybrid yet." A popular website -- Cars.com -- also praised it by saying that the car "is a significant step forward for the technology, particularly for family sedans".  And the popular magazine -- Car and Driver were quoted as saying - "the Ford Fusion Hybrid "wipes the floor with the Toyota Camry Hybrid."

At this point in time, the Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima Hybrid, and Toyota Camry Hybrid are the top three hybrid vehicles when it comes to the medium-size family sedan models. The Fusion Hybrid can drive 41 city and 36 highway miles per gallon. The Camry Hybrid can get 33 and 34 miles. The Altima Hybrid can go 35 and 33 miles per gallon. According to most experts, the Fusion Hybrid also transfers from gasoline to electric very smoothly.

The Fusion and the Mercury Milan Hybrids are the first cars to utilize the company's second-generation system for hybrids. The new system reportedly supplies a tighter combination of power delivery and engine operation. These are some of the things that make Ford one of the leading companies on the planet when it comes to hybrid technology. However, there is only one way to decide if their products are for you, and that is to try one out for yourself.

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Ford Transit

The Ford Transit van is hardly what anyone would consider a true "green vehicle." However, green comes in many shades, and in this case, a slight change in shade will make a big impact in America.

Ford announced that the Transit will be coming to the US market. The vehicle is more fuel efficient than the current Ford Econoline sold here. With it's V8 engine, heavy metal body that appears to have been borrowed from tank designs, and technology that hasn't changed since 1992, the Econoline is a beast...but also a very necessary workhorse for many businesses. Ford sold 168,722 of them in 2007, capturing 79.6% of the full size van market against competition from Chevrolet and Dodge.

Not everyone needs the heavy hauling capacity of the Econoline, and for those who simply need some mobile enclosed space, the Transit should do more than adequately. Even if Ford converts just 1/3 of its sales of Econolines to Transits, it's still potentially selling over 50,000 of the far more efficient of the two vans. While the Transit may not be green next to the Honda Clarity, it's plenty green next to the Econoline. It's not perfect, but it's a step in the right direction.

Freedom From Oil Campaign Applauds Ford, Edison Promise To Build Plug-in Hybrids

By Anthony Fontanelle

Rainforest Action Network Campaign Director Sarah Connolly and Global Exchange Campaign Director Mike Hudema recently commended Ford Motor Company’s announcement that it would team with Southern California Edison to build as many as 20 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle prototypes by 2009.

Earlier, Southern California Edison Co. and Ford Motor Co. announced a partnership that included a multimillion-dollar test of plug-in hybrids. Plug-ins are said to be the next-generation development of the current crop of gasoline-electric hybrids.

In addition to saving gas, Ford and Edison said, increased use of plug-in vehicles would lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduce American dependence on imported oil. The partnership will explore how plug-in hybrids would operate on a day-to-day basis and how they would fit into the state's electricity grid.

“We applaud Ford’s bold commitment to build the first ever road-ready, consumer-class plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. Consumers have been waiting a long time for an automaker to offer the next generation of ultra-fuel-efficient, gasoline-optional cars. Plug-in hybrids could very well be the key to breaking America’s destructive oil addiction by giving consumers a viable alternative to the gas-guzzling cars and trucks currently clogging our roads and polluting our atmosphere,” noted Connolly.

She added, “Plug-in vehicles, which use proven technology that is capable of achieving over 100 miles per gallon, make the U.S. Senate’s goal of 35 miles per gallon by 2020 seem painfully conservative. We are encouraged by what appears to be a sincere effort by Ford and Southern California Edison to chip away at the auto industry’s longstanding relationship with Big Oil. By being the first automaker to put a plug-in hybrid on the road, Ford is leaving its competitors in the dust.”

The Dearborn automaker wants to investigate ways to bring down the cost of the vehicles, including by using an innovative technology that allows plug-in vehicles to return unused power to the grid during periods of peak demand. "They understand the grid, we understand the vehicles and together we can figure out how to optimize the system," said Susan M. Cischke, Ford's senior vice president for sustainability, environment and safety engineering.

The partnership is entitled to grab hold of the Ford door handle to open more opportunities environment- and profit-wise. Under the partnership, Ford will supply a batch of its Escape SUV hybrids for Edison to use. At a later date, it will provide plug-in versions of the vehicle to the utility for testing.

"We're taking this beyond laboratory-scale work to a systematic evaluation of its impact" on the grid, said John Bryson, chief executive of Edison's parent company, Edison International. Edison serves almost five million residential and business customers in the Los Angeles Basin and parts of the coast and Central Valley.

Ford Chief Executive Alan Mulally said earlier this year that he wanted his company to embrace "green" technologies. Ford was the first U.S. automaker to add a hybrid to its lineup when it introduced the hybrid version of the Escape.

“Powering America’s cars by electricity rather than oil will help America kick its oil addiction once and for all. Yet, despite the hope raised by today’s announcement, plenty of work remains. Utilities must earnestly begin the shift away from dirty coal and toward renewable energy sources. A green grid powered by wind and sun can cleanly recharge car batteries and help tackle our twin crises of oil addiction and global warming,” Hudema concluded.

The Freedom from Oil campaign is working to end America’s dependence on foreign oil and end global warming issues by convincing the auto industry to radically improve fuel efficiency and eradicate vehicle greenhouse gas emissions.

Ford Plug-ins Expected Within Ten Years

By Anthony Fontanelle

Dearborn-based automaker FoMoCo will be producing plug-in hybrid vehicles in 5 to ten years according to the company’s Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally. The announcement came at a press conference where Ford and Southern California Edison formally announced their partnership towards the future of PHEVs.

“Within five to ten years we will start to see this technology in our hands,” said Mulally. When asked whether Ford plug-in vehicles will be available on their dealerships, the Ford CEO answered “Yes. Sure.”

According to Mulally, the production of practical plug-in hybrid vehicles depends on how long it takes for them to produce a practical lithium-ion battery pack for automotive application. Lithium-ion battery packs are seen as focal point of plug-in hybrid vehicles of the future.

PHEVs are essentially hybrid vehicles, having a powertrain composed of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. What drives the electric motor is the battery pack. A PHEV is a hybrid with a plug-in capability. This means that its battery pack can be recharged by plugging it into an electrical socket.

Lithium-ion batteries are powerful energy storage devices which mean they can store power which can power a vehicle over long distances. This means that for car owners driving around the city everyday, the need to refill their tanks with petroleum fuel will be virtually eliminated.

This advantage of PHEVs is what Ford and Edison are looking to exploit. The working relationship between the two companies is expected to find solutions to problems posed on the mass production of PHEVs. But with complete dedication on the part of the two companies, we may soon see numerous Ford fender-equipped Ford PHEVs in our roads.

The partnership between the second largest American automaker and the second largest American electric utility company has already received praises from different groups. One of the groups which have commended this joint venture of Ford and Edison is the Freedom from Oil Campaign. According to Rainforest Action Network Campaign Director Sarah Connolly and Global Exchange Campaign Director Mike Huderna:

“We applaud Ford’s bold commitment to build the first ever road-ready, consumer-class plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. Consumers have been waiting a long time for an automaker to offer the next generation of ultra-fuel-efficient, gasoline-optional cars. Plug-in hybrids could very well be the key to breaking America’s destructive oil addiction by giving consumers a viable alternative to the gas-guzzling cars and trucks currently clogging our roads and polluting our atmosphere.”

The environmental group also stressed that the partnership encourages their effort to take steps to further protect the environment. “Plug-in vehicles, which use proven technology that is capable of achieving over 100 miles per gallon, make the U.S. Senate’s goal of 35 miles per gallon by 2020 seem painfully conservative. We are encouraged by what appears to be a sincere effort by Ford and Southern California Edison to chip away at the auto industry’s longstanding relationship with Big Oil. By being the first automaker to put a plug-in hybrid on the road, Ford is leaving its competitors in the dust.”

The Freedom from Oil campaign concluded its support of Ford and Edison’s initiative by saying: “Powering America’s cars by electricity rather than oil will help America kick its oil addiction once and for all. Yet, despite the hope raised by today’s announcement, plenty of work remains. Utilities must earnestly begin the shift away from dirty coal and toward renewable energy sources. A green grid powered by wind and sun can cleanly recharge car batteries and help tackle our twin crises of oil addiction and global warming.”

Ford Hybrid Plan Beyond 2008 Still Unclear

By Lauren Woods

Ford Canada recently insisted that they are still in the process of preparing the Oakville plant for the production of hybrid versions of two crossover SUVs. The announcement came after Ford indicated that they have already abandoned the plan for producing hybrid versions of the Ford Edge and the Lincoln MKX.

The Canadian arm of the Dearborn-based car manufacturer also announced that the production of the Ford Edge and the Lincoln MKX Hybrids will commence by 2010. Ford Canada also denied that its parent company has scrapped the plan entirely.

“Nothing has changed on Edge and MKX, which we announced a while ago to be hybrid versions,” says Lauren More, Ford Canada’s vice president for public affairs. “Those plans remain in place and on track,” More pointed out.

FoMoCo, on the other hand, kept mum about the announcement from Ford Canada. “We're not going to confirm anything beyond that,” said Jennifer Moore, a spokesperson for the Ford Motor Company.

It can be remembered that Ford announced in early 2006 that they are planning to produce hybrid versions of the Ford Edge and the Lincoln MKX at the Oakville assembly facility. During the announcement though, Ford declined to set a date when the production of the hybrid crossovers will commence.

The production of hybrid vehicles for Ford is part of its turnaround plan to bring the company back to profitability. The demand for fuel efficient and environment friendly vehicles has been increasing and by providing car buyers with what they want, Ford hopes to generate substantial profit. Last year, the company posted a loss of $12.7 billion - the most that it has lost in its lengthy history.

Talks about the cancellation of the production of the crossover hybrids surfaced after a source commented that Bill Ford backpedaled on his pledge to produce 250,000 hybrid vehicles before the turn of the decade. The company chairman was quoted to have saying that the goal is “too narrow” for the company to achieve its ultimate goal of protecting the environment. Hybrid vehicles consume less fuel and produce less greenhouse gas.

According to the source, it is Ford’s decision that the company focus instead on the development of engines that will run on alternative fuels. Common alternative fuels being developed today as substitute to petroleum fuels are ethanol, hydrogen and biodiesel. These alternative fuels are cleaner than petroleum fuels and came from renewable resources. “Our strategy going forward is not to wed ourselves to a single technology,” said Ford.

While the production of the hybrid Ford Edge and the Lincoln MKX are still in question, Ford announced that they will be pushing through with the production of the Ford Fusion and the Mercury Milan Hybrids. The hybrid versions of the sedans will be produced starting this fall. The company previously introduced the Ford Escape Hybrid in 2004.

Ford shifting its focus on the development of vehicles with alternative fuel capability means that the vehicles they have planned with a hybrid version will be put on hold. This development if it is indeed true would mean that a version of the MKX with better fuel efficiency than a Lincoln cold air intake-equipped gasoline MKX would be put off indefinitely.

But if Ford is shifting its focus on the development of alternative fuel-powered vehicle means that they are still committed to the production of environment friendly vehicles.