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2010 Fusion hybrid road test: 81.5 mpg

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  • 2010 Fusion hybrid road test: 81.5 mpg


    Gizmag article....

    Carl Edwards drives 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid 1445.7 miles on a single tank

    April 29, 2009 A team of Ford hybrid engineers, a fuel efficiency expert and a NASCAR star have driven a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid 1445.7 miles (2313.12 km) on a single 17.5 US gallon (66.24 Liter) tank of gasoline using Eco-Driving techniques. That's an average of 81.5 mpg (2.88 l/100 km), not bad from a totally standard production car. The 1,000-Mile Challenge started at 8:15 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, from Mount Vernon, Va., the car finally ran out of gas and battery power on April 28th at 5:37 am EST in Washington, D.C.

    The distance surpassed Ford's target by over 40% in a PR exercise designed to highlight the role of the driver in achieving fuel efficiency as well as to showcase the car (and raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in the process).

    The team crossed the 1000 mile mark with NASCAR star Carl Edwards behind the wheel, fresh from his barrel rolling exhibition at Talladega, and the team also included world-record breaking Wayne Gerdes who has turned hypermiling into a sport (the record is 2,254.4 miles – 3,607 km – on a single tank of fuel set in a 2001 Honda Insight Hybrid in 2006).

    * Eco-driving tips: 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
    Dr. Mordrid
    ----------------------------
    An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

    I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

  • #2
    * Applying the “Pulse and Glide” technique while maintaining the flow of traffic;
    This is illegal in some countries. Propulsive power must be available at all times. It can also be offputting for anyone else on the road. For those not aware of it, "P&G" consists of reaching a suitable speed and then switching the engine off with the car in neutral. As you 'glide' down to a minimal speed, you restart the engine and "pulse" the speed back up to repeat the procedure. I've corresponded with a guy who experimentally did this over country roads, in a similar car to mine, with no traffic, and he claimed ~90 mpg (US) over about 350 miles, but he said it was totally impractical under normal road conditions.

    A factor that is not mentioned in your quote is the state of charge of the battery at the start of the test. If fully charged, this may be because the previous trip was with heavy consumption. One of my 'standard' highway trips will show as much as 0.6 l/100 km difference when starting with a nearly discharged battery or a nearly fully charged one (5.3 l/100 km to 4.7 l/100 km), depending on how I drove on the previous trip and whether the aircon was in use during the last 10 km of the previous trip.
    Brian (the devil incarnate)

    Comment


    • #3
      He must have been using that method on the last lap at Talladega when he blocked Keselowski and sent his car for a rapid unscheduled dissasembly
      Yeah, well I'm gonna build my own lunar space lander! With blackjack aaaaannd Hookers! Actually, forget the space lander, and the blackjack. Ahhhh forget the whole thing!

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