Ford Team Aims To Drive 2010 Fusion Hybrid 1,000 Miles on a Single Tank of Gas

Last Update: 4/21/2009 6:12:00 PM
Ford Team Aims To Drive 2010 Fusion Hybrid 1,000 Miles on a Single Tank of Gas
-- The Ford Fusion Hybrid team will attempt to drive more than 1,000 miles for more than 43 continuous hours - on a single tank of gas, raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in the process -- The most fuel-efficient, mid-sized sedan in America - the Fusion Hybrid driven by a team of Ford hybrid engineers, a fuel efficiency expert and a NASCAR star, will have to achieve an average of at least 57 mpg on the challenge to reach its goal -- By using Eco-Driving techniques engineers have achieved 70 mpg during testing of the Ford Fusion Hybrid in preparation for the challenge -- Consumers can improve their own vehicle's fuel economy performance is by adopting Ford's "Eco-Driving" tips used for the 1,000-Mile Challenge

DEARBORN, Mich., April 21, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- This weekend, the 2010 Ford (F) Fusion Hybrid is being put to the ultimate fuel-efficiency test. A team of drivers, including NASCAR star Carl Edwards and world-record breaking hypermiler Wayne Gerdes, will attempt to drive more than 1,000 miles on a single tank of gas, raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in the process.

The 1,000-Mile Challenge starts at around 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, from Mount Vernon, Va., and ends the morning of Monday, April 27, in Washington, D.C. The team will drive for more than 43 hours continuously to reach the 1,000-mile goal. The drivers will do stints of between two and three hours each and will have regular breaks to ensure safe driving is maintained. Already rated as the most fuel-efficient, mid-sized sedan in America, the Fusion Hybrid will need to average at least 57 mpg to achieve its goal. During preliminary testing in preparation for this challenge, Ford engineers have reached as much as 70 mpg in the Fusion Hybrid by using Eco-Driving techniques.

The team will run clinics for media and customers over the weekend in the Fusion Hybrid, conducting interviews and vehicle demonstrations on how simple techniques can make a significant difference to real world fuel economy numbers.

The Fusion Hybrid being used in the challenge will be a factory produced model with no modifications or alterations and will run on regular 87 octane gas.

The team will be uploading regular images and video to YouTube (), Flickr (), Facebook (), Twitter (), and .

Ford is taking on the 1,000-Mile Challenge for a number of reasons:

The 1,000-Mile Challenge team comprises of:

The mileage-maximizing techniques that the Ford team will use and pass on to consumers include:

Click here () for more Eco-Driving tips

Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 213,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's wholly owned brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit .

SOURCE Ford Motor Company

Copyright (C) 2009 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

 

That's great and all but I suspect if it can be done in a Fusion, it could be done in a Prius, since they've got quite a bit higher EPA ratings.

Unless their gas tank is smaller.

 

That's about 17.54 gallons of gas, so I'm assuming an 18 gallon fuel tank? I can't imagine a Prius having a tank that big. I think our corolla tank is only 13 gal or so.

 

The 2010 Prius has a 12 gallon tank so it'd have to get 83.3 miles per gallon.

If the Fusion can get 70 I wouldn't be surprised if the Prius can get 83... but who knows...

 

I sure hope this "eco-driving" technique doesn't spread because people drive too slow as it is. How many times have I been driving along and a Prius is hyper-miling along in the left lane?

And consider me annoyed with an 18 gallon fuel tank in a small-midsize car. Save an extra 50lbs or so by reducing the size of the tank and not carrying around that much extra fuel in a car that's supposed to be getting good gas mileage. It's OK if you have to fill up all the time.

And you know what? A Jetta TDI can still go about 700 miles on a tank of gas, and I guarantee you it's not an 18 gallon tank.

 

Tell me about it. Although it doesn't just have to be a prius, anybody doing at or below in the left lane starts the blood boiling.

Even worse is when they pair up with somebody in the right lane - which for the life of me I can't fathom? why the hell do you want to close off a potential avenue of escape by riding side by side?????????????

 

OH NO IT'S NOT!!!

Perhaps driving range isn't important out your way, but I drive long distances pretty frequently and so do quite a few people I know out here in California. People out here drive between San francisco and LA or San Diego, or Reno, or Las Vegas all the time.

The thing I hated about my 5.0 Mustangs was their tiny fuel tank and their 200 mile range. The thing I loved about my SC was it's 19 gallon fuel tank (400 mile range on the highway).

Outside of the Camaro's handling and the V6's performance, one of the big selling points for me with the new Camaro (19 gallon tank + 29mpg V6= over 500 miles!).

 

THAT SHOULD BE PUT IN A CAMARO COMMERCIAL!!!!

The New 2010 Camaro! It can go 500 miles on a single tank of gas!

 

Having to fill up more often, especially on long trips, can add quite a lot of time to an already long enough drive. Consider how much time you spend sitting still at the gas station, and how many miles you could have been covering at interstate speeds during that period of time. A couple extra stops because of a too-small gas tank could easily add an extra half hour or more to your trip. I don't know about you, but on those long drives, after a few hours I'm just ready to get there.

 

Maybe I need a poster that says:

"You know you're getting old when the fuel tank outlasts the bladder."

I have to be pulling a trailer to outlast a full fuel load.

 

that'll be a fun-filled 43 hours averaging 23 mph.

 

Move over Prius, its America's turn!*

http://www.aptera.com/

[*assuming they don't go the way of Tesla]

 

Move over D_3. Pry-Us is going pace car for NASCAR. WHat??? Looks like I'm not a NASCAR Fan. Maybe D_3 can ALL get out of NASCAR and it will go F1. Here's hopein... I just use my 65mpg DRZ400S Suzuki. Hey, we still got sprint and drag. B.

 

I thought it was going to be a Camry Hybrid.

I agree, the 23 mph speed is ridiculously slow for this test.

Eco Drive, at 23 mph.

 

I didn't do the math, but was about to point out that 43 hours of continuous non-stop driving amounts to a REALLY slow average speed over 1k miles. I'm pretty sure a Prius could get 57mpg averaging 25mph too.