Welcome to the Twitter Version…
This is NOT a road test of each vehicle, it’s just an overview of how-they-work in relation to each other – on a day-to-day basis. Each vehicle will have its own road test in a separate article.
Squirrel!!! Just kidding let’s go….
Car #1 – 2017 Ford Fusion Energi SE
Nuts & Bolts:
- Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV). Part Gas. Part Electric. It gives you the option to plug in or not – no change in your routine is required
- Use it like an electric vehicle for short trips and/or like a hybrid at higher speeds
- An all-electric driving range of up to 35 km. Gas-plus-electric driving range of up to 982 km
- Regenerative Braking System captures over 90% of the energy spent during braking and uses it to help recharge the battery
Drive mode Options: EV Now (full electric), Auto EV (uses plug-in power, switches to gas engine when needed), EV Later (saves plug-in power for future use, eg: initial drive is on the highway, but later driving will be at lower city/town speeds)
Propulsion System:
Electric motor: Permanent-magnet AC-synchronous electric motor Power: 118 hp and 117 lb-ft. of torque
Engine: 2.0L iVCT Atkinson-cycle I-4 engine Power: 141 hp and 129 lb-ft. of torque
Transmission: Electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (eCVT)
Recharge Time (approximate): 120-volt – 7 hours // 240-volt – 2.5 hours
Programmable to come on to take advantage of off-peak electricity rates – plug it in the car takes care of the rest
Cost (base price): $33,088 (For up-to-date pricing and options in your region visit: www.Ford.ca )
Rebate / Government Incentives: Up to $7,730 in Ontario when purchasing/leasing
Effective base price: $25,358
To Operate…
Fuel consumption is rated at:
- 4L e/100 km (electricity + gas) combined city/hwy
- 6L/100 km (gas only) combined city/hwy
- I averaged 6.3L /100 km on the highway at a fairly constant 100 kph and e4.9 – 5.3 L/100 km over the entire week I had the Energi
- Total kilometres travelled: 725 kms
- Gasoline used: 45.6L / 6.2L/100 km
- Actual Fuel Cost: $51.44
The Verdict
I liked it a lot and would almost hesitantly recommend it – but you have to know its idiosyncrasies and accept the various compromises, and I haven’t driven the other vehicles yet… It’s not perfect, but this car is perfect for my mother-in-law (I’m sure there are plenty of people out there just like her)…she doesn’t drive far and stays in town for 99.9% of her road trips. She could plug it in every night and probably fill it with gas every other year. Thanks to the programming feature (should she figure out how it works) she could plug it in any time and not worry about the electric company gouging her for electricity during peak rates. Its biggest fault is the range – or lack thereof… Ford claim 35 kms, I couldn’t get better than 28 – FAIL!
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If you want the full detailed version click HERE
Road-Test.org 