Electricnick, The EV Revolution

It is probably safe to say you will hear a lot more from the Ford Fusion Hybrid in the next coming months. As more and more test drives are happening, the new Ford is showing its might as the rest of the auto industry tries to shake off the dust.

The gist is that it would have been a far stretch thinking a year ago, Ford would come out with an impressive performer in the hybrid, HEV arena.  And yet they did, in the shape and form of the Fusion HEV.

Pushing The Hybrid Performance.  By now you know the official estimate on the fuel economy as 41 miles per gallon in the city, 36 mpg on the highway.  But a recent test more than doubled that economy with still a third of the gas tank left in it.  Ford set up the Fusion Hybrid 1,000-Mile Challenge to show its potential and raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, according to Edmunds.

The Results Are In.  The endurance lasted 69 hours, covering 1,445.7 miles on a single tank of gasoline. Average fuel economy was 81.5 mpg, more than double the estimate.

Mike Karagozian on the Examiner adds basic eco-tricks that can help anyone save money:

• 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 world has turned around.  The new thing is to consume as little gas as possible.