Ford Fusion Hybrid goes nearly 1500 miles on one tank of gas in DC driving

The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid cruised around the Washington area this week to see how far it could go on one tank of gas. 
Is this the George Washington Parkway? (photos by Ford)

The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid's EPA fuel economy estimates are already impressive at 41 mpg city / 36 mpg highway, but Ford had a tougher challenge in mind for its new gas-electric midsize sedan.

Both as a charity promotion and to show off the car's capabilities, Ford pledged to go at least 1,000 miles driving around the Washington area on its 17.5-gallon tank, which would mean an average of about 57 miles per gallon. 

But the Fusion Hybrid had handily beat that goal when it rolled to a stop with its gasoline gone and its electric motor's charge depleted early this morning on the George Washington Parkway.

It had instead traveled 1,445.7 miles, averaging 81.5 miles per gallon, Ford said, adding that the car was factory stock except for some colorful graphics.

---Did you see the Fusion Hybrid on its drive this week? Can anyone identify the where the photos were taken?---

The Fusion Hybrid, like competing hybrids from Toyota, combines a gasoline engine with an electric motor to decrease fuel consumption. The electric motor can power the car at up to 47 miles per hour -- using no gasoline if you accelerate extremely gently -- and is recharged when the engine kicks back in at higher speeds or under harder acceleration.

For its fuel economy demonstration, Ford used such "hypermiling" fuel-saving techniques as minimizing acceleration and maximizing coasting; the seven drivers who alternated over the 69 hours of driving (average speed: 21 mph) were specially trained in reducing fuel usage, got to pick routes that maximized gas mileage without having any particular destination, and got to drive on near-empty roads overnight.

However, Ford shared some basic gas mileage methods its drivers used to help record the Fusion Hybrid's mileage:

* 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

The Fusion Hybrid's official EPA mileage rating of 41 mpg city / 36 mpg highway beats its top competitors: the hybrid versions of the Chevrolet Malibu, Nissan Altima, and Toyota Camry, but doesn't match the smaller Honda Civic and Insight hybrids or the best-selling Toyota Prius.

The 2010 Fusion Hybrid, the near-identical 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid, and redesigned versions of the standard gasoline-only Fusion and Milan, went on sale earlier this month; the Fusion Hybrid carries a base price of $27,270. 

Look back here in the next month for a review of the new Ford midsize sedans.