2013 Fusion Hybrid 47 MPG IMPOSSIBLE?

[LucidLight]

I have had my 2013 Fusion Hybrid Titanium for almost 2 weeks. After the first fill up I was averaging 35 MPG. That was with using cruise control, eco cruise control, and just trying to stay on battery power as much as I can. Well my last trip, I started using the Empower screen. So far this is the absolute best for modifying my actions to stay on battery as much as possible. The trip was 16 miles, 6 were EV miles. Giving me an average of 38.8 MPG. This was with accelerating as slow as I could and keeping the blue from turning white, I still hit the white sometimes during stopping and accelerating, but that was only because I was on 55 mph streets and it would of taken miles to get up to that speed at that pace. Even on the 65MPH interstate, I kept it at 60 so I could still use the battery. This was late at night, no traffic, few red lights and lots of 100% returns on braking. I am sure I could improve a hair or 2, but I really can not fathom doing enough to come close to 47 MPG for a trip, let alone the 47+ MPG I would have to get to average out lower ranking trips.

 

I find the battery does not like to engage even when the battery indicator is almost full. It takes a half second of deceleration or any pressure being released from the gas pedal to go into EV mode. On ECO Cruise control I could be at 50 MPH and the My Ford Touch Efficiency screen will show that the gas engine is on. The reason it shows is accleration, even though cruise control is maintaining exact speed on level road. I can then hit the "Set -" button to drop down to 49 MPH then the EV engine will kick in. I then hit the "Set +" to go back to 50 MPH and it will stay on EV until battery level drops, or hit a incline in the road. Something has to be wrong here. I see this same behavior the whole time I am driving. I will be on gas, I left off the pedal just a bit, EV engages, and I put the previous pressure right back on, but it will stay in EV mode.

 

Also it seems the battery level goes up and down way too fast. If I get the batteries almost full and then get EV to engage, I may get a mile or 2 while maintaining the same speed before the battery level is around 1/4 and then it kicks over to gas again.

 

Consumer reports has already reported actual MPG was far lower than reported, but I figured if I was super attentive and careful I could hit over 40+ most of the time. However with how things are working now, I just can not see how that is logically possible.

[jeff_h]

I have had my 2013 Fusion Hybrid Titanium for almost 2 weeks. After the first fill up I was averaging 35 MPG. That was with using cruise control, eco cruise control, and just trying to stay on battery power as much as I can. Well my last trip, I started using the Empower screen. So far this is the absolute best for modifying my actions to stay on battery as much as possible. The trip was 16 miles, 6 were EV miles. Giving me an average of 38.8 MPG. This was with accelerating as slow as I could and keeping the blue from turning white, I still hit the white sometimes during stopping and accelerating, but that was only because I was on 55 mph streets and it would of taken miles to get up to that speed at that pace. Even on the 65MPH interstate, I kept it at 60 so I could still use the battery. This was late at night, no traffic, few red lights and lots of 100% returns on braking. I am sure I could improve a hair or 2, but I really can not fathom doing enough to come close to 47 MPG for a trip, let alone the 47+ MPG I would have to get to average out lower ranking trips.

 

I find the battery does not like to engage even when the battery indicator is almost full. It takes a half second of deceleration or any pressure being released from the gas pedal to go into EV mode. On ECO Cruise control I could be at 50 MPH and the My Ford Touch Efficiency screen will show that the gas engine is on. The reason it shows is accleration, even though cruise control is maintaining exact speed on level road. I can then hit the "Set -" button to drop down to 49 MPH then the EV engine will kick in. I then hit the "Set +" to go back to 50 MPH and it will stay on EV until battery level drops, or hit a incline in the road. Something has to be wrong here. I see this same behavior the whole time I am driving. I will be on gas, I left off the pedal just a bit, EV engages, and I put the previous pressure right back on, but it will stay in EV mode.

 

Also it seems the battery level goes up and down way too fast. If I get the batteries almost full and then get EV to engage, I may get a mile or 2 while maintaining the same speed before the battery level is around 1/4 and then it kicks over to gas again.

 

Consumer reports has already reported actual MPG was far lower than reported, but I figured if I was super attentive and careful I could hit over 40+ most of the time. However with how things are working now, I just can not see how that is logically possible.

 

Sounds like normal behavior, at least mine does the same thing where it can be hesitant to go into EV (I noted in another thread somewhere about having it on cruise and hitting the - button once to coax it into EV)... and once in EV, you mention a mile or two but actually mine is much less than that, as the HVB is not that big and can't power EV for a long time without getting some regeneration through braking or the ICE running.

 

Your profile says FL, so do you have AC running often, and do you have short trips? Those would both be factors in the MPG being adversely affected.

[Waldo]

Nobody says the Fusion will get 47mpg over the long term. It can get 47mpg on the EPA test cycle. That cycle starts with a full battery and ends with an empty battery. It also tests cars that have at least 4000 miles of break-in, which I'm sure you aren't anywhere close if you've only had it two weeks. The 47mpg is also based on the low rolling resistance 17in tires - which you don't have on your Titanium.

 

It's not impossible to get 47mpg, it just requires a very specific set of circumstances that don't occur that often in the real world. Write to the EPA and tell them to modify their test.

[Grey]

Just completed a 205 mile trip in heavy Atlanta traffic, 50% county roads at 55 MPH and 30% highway speeds at 70 MPH. My 2013 Fusion Hybrid has 1,700 miles on it, so barely broken in.

 

I got 45.2 MPG.

 

It would have been much higher if I had used more 55 MPH roads. I was able to get 54.4 MPG on our 2010 Fusion Hybrid using county roads on a similar trip. So I believe the 47 MPG in the 2013 is entirely possible. I did use brake regen going down hills to keep the battery topped off.

Edited April 26, 2013 by Grey

[FusionDiffusion]

From what I've read, it seems like keeping the battery nearly full is key to good economy in that car. Using too much EV might be an issue.

[drolds1]

A group of Ford hybrid owners in PA has filed suit over MPG claims. Unless they can prove that Ford cheated like Hyundai did, it's probably going nowhere.

[MTLFusion2010]

I came across this on YouTube.

 

 

The Fusion's real life numbers gap to EPA also raised Car and Diriver's eyebrows...

[FusionDiffusion]

^ Good video. There's a very interesting graph at 20:55. It shows the milage really levels off sharply above 40-50 MPH. It so happens the average speed for the EPA highway test cycles is about 48 MPH, which is right in that range. So you can see that the hybrid powertrain is highly optimized for those slower average speeds found in the EPA test cycles rather than the higher speeds that are part of everyday driving. If the car was more optimized for everyday driving rather than being peaked for the EPA tests I would expect the decrease to be much more gradual with speed. Because of this, you should really only think of the car as being rated at about 37 MPG. In light of this, it really doesn't make much sense to buy that car unless your average speed is less than 50 MPH (mostly city driving). If you drive mostly at highway or interstate speeds, you would be better off with a small displacement conventional engine.

 

As a side note, the EPA really needs to start with a clean slate when it comes to the fuel economy test cycles. They need to redefine them to reflect average speeds, acceleration, and braking rates that are used in current times rather than the 1970's. Doing so would reduce heavy developmental pressure to make the cars optimized for the fuel economy test at the expense of drivability and real word fuel economy.

Edited April 27, 2013 by FusionDiffusion

[jeff_h]

^ Good video. There's a very interesting graph at 20:55. It shows the milage really levels off sharply above 40-50 MPH. It so happens the average speed for the EPA highway test cycles is about 48 MPH, which is right in that range. So you can see that the hybrid powertrain is highly optimized for those slower average speeds found in the EPA test cycles rather than the higher speeds that are part of everyday driving. If the car was more optimized for everyday driving rather than being peaked for the EPA tests I would expect the decrease to be much more gradual with speed. Because of this, you should really only think of the car as being rated at about 37 MPG. In light of this, it really doesn't make much sense to buy that car unless your average speed is less than 50 MPH (mostly city driving). If you drive mostly at highway or interstate speeds, you would be better off with a small displacement conventional engine.

 

As a side note, the EPA really needs to start with a clean slate when it comes to the fuel economy test cycles. They need to redefine them to reflect average speeds, acceleration, and braking rates that are used in current times rather than the 1970's. Doing so would reduce heavy developmental pressure to make the cars optimized for the fuel economy test at the expense of drivability and real word fuel economy.

 

And around 14:15-14:20 it shows the coaching scores, acceleration and braking are not very good.

 

47 MPG is not 'impossible' as that's how the numbers came out during the EPA's (not Ford's) testing cycle... I think it can also be done in real world but does take the right conditions and driving style. Here is the afternoon commute from a couple days ago, and if the weather conditions cooperate, it's normally above 50 MPG and a couple have been 58 or 59 (traffic jams actually help as long as it's not extended stop-n-go).

[milleron]

It's starting to seem obvious that there could be a basic difference in the way some of these 2013 FFH cars are set up at delivery. There is no way on God's green earth that I could come within a country mile of the 54.9 mpg in mixed driving that Jeff shows above. I couldn't get that result going downhill all the way, and that's with the tires at 44psi, no one in the car but me, and the gas tank half empty. Some of us, trying everything we or others can think of, just cannot find any way to get even one trip of any kind above 40 mpg, and yet there are others with 2013 hybrids that show results like the one above routinely. Unless those reporting them are using arcane hypermiling techniques for most of their driving, I don't think that there's going to be any explanation for these gross (grotesque?) disparities other than some basic differences in the machines as delivered.

Sherlock Holmes said that when you've ruled out all possibities, whatever is left, no matter how unlikely, is the answer. I'm starting to think that might apply here -- i.e., not all Fusion Hybrids come off the production line identically configured. Time will tell.

[FusionDiffusion]

Yes, I also have that suspicion that the early build hybrids are inferior in some way (just look at acdii's fouled plugs). Jeff H got a good unit it seems. Other cars will not even come close to 50 MPG and their owners have tried everything.

 

Jeff, I'm interested what your instantaneous fuel economy is at 50 MPH (cruise control, level road) with the ICE running?

[jeff_h]

Jeff, I'm interested what your instantaneous fuel economy is at 50 MPH (cruise control, level road) with the ICE running?

 

I have one stretch on my commute where I could try this, will check it out and see, though it would likely vary (to unknown degree) based on the SOC of the HVB and how much the ICE is working to charge it... but will give it a try. BTW my car was built the second week of December, so was not an early build (personally, I would consider August - October 'early').

[milleron]

. . . and mine, which I'm already starting to suspect may be defective, was just built April 9th.

 

Jeff is right about the variability at 50. I have already paid attention to that figure at 55. When the ICE starts at 55 mph, my mileage will invariably be 20, & it'll stay there most of the time it runs. As the SOC finally nears 75%, the mileage will gradually creep up to 38-42. As soon as it gets that high, it goes into EV for about a half mile or until there's a rise in the grade. The ICE then resumes at 20 mpg, and the cycle repeats. In spite of some "free" EV miles, it's no wonder that I can't break 38 mpg even on a freeway at 55 mph. It's because the majority of my driving is done at mpg figures of 20-25. Even with some EV miles thrown in, that's not going to average >40.

I had a 6-mi trip in the city this AM on which more than HALF the miles were EV, and I still got only 35 mpg. Acceleration score was literally perfect, and the braking score was about 98%. I don't think I can possibly drive it more responsibly or conservatively than I am. This tiny little 2L Atkinson engine isn't really big enough to charge the battery and power the car simultaneously. Somehow it worked for the EPA testing, but I don't believe it's the best choice for the real world.

Edited April 29, 2013 by milleron

[LucidLight]

Jeff is right about the variability at 50. I have already paid attention to that figure at 55. When the ICE starts at 55 mph, my mileage will invariably be 20, & it'll stay there most of the time it runs. As the SOC finally nears 75%, the mileage will gradually creep up to 38-42. As soon as it gets that high, it goes into EV for about a half mile or until there's a rise in the grade. The ICE then resumes at 20 mpg, and the cycle repeats. In spite of some "free" EV miles, it's no wonder that I can't break 38 mpg even on a freeway at 55 mph. It's because the majority of my driving is done at mpg figures of 20-25. Even with some EV miles thrown in, that's not going to average >40.

 

I have seen what appears to be the same thing. I have been at 55 getting just over 20 MPG, while at other times I have gone 80 MPH on the interstate, and been near the 40 MPG mark. Tell me how that is even possible?

[milleron]

 

I have seen what appears to be the same thing. I have been at 55 getting just over 20 MPG, while at other times I have gone 80 MPH on the interstate, and been near the 40 MPG mark. Tell me how that is even possible?

 

40 mpg at 80 mph is incredbly high, probably not reproducible, but the difference is that in the latter case, the engine is NOT being tasked with charging the HVB, while in the former, it WAS. It looks to me as though perhaps 50% of the output of the ICE initially goes to charging the battery. When the battery is below 50% and the ICE turns on because a hill is encountered, it has to pull the car up the hill and charge the battery simultaneously and mpg will go to 5 or even less.

[jeff_h]

 

I have one stretch on my commute where I could try this, will check it out and see, though it would likely vary (to unknown degree) based on the SOC of the HVB and how much the ICE is working to charge it... but will give it a try.

 

Checked a couple places today in the morning and afternoon, with cruise on 50 and with cruise on 60 -- in each case it was on level ground and HVB SOC was about 35% (if it were above around 50% it would have likely jumped back into EV).... in each case on level ground, the instant MPG said right around 25 MPG.

 

I also see really low MPG around 15-20 when on an uphill and ICE charging the HVB, as the OP observed... but on level ground it's around 25 and would probably rise as the SOC rises since the ICE would be working less.

[FusionDiffusion]

 

Checked a couple places today in the morning and afternoon, with cruise on 50 and with cruise on 60 -- in each case it was on level ground and HVB SOC was about 35% (if it were above around 50% it would have likely jumped back into EV).... in each case on level ground, the instant MPG said right around 25 MPG.

 

I also see really low MPG around 15-20 when on an uphill and ICE charging the HVB, as the OP observed... but on level ground it's around 25 and would probably rise as the SOC rises since the ICE would be working less.

 

 

Thanks. I guess I was looking for a steady-state number with the battery neither charging nor discharging, but I realize you may not be able to get that to happen easily depending on where you live.

[2013hybridOwner]

I recently purchased the Ford Fusion hybrid Titanium - my son managed to get 43 mpg on about a 40minute round trip.

But mostly i am unable to get an average of over 33mpg.

I am watching the breaking and the EV - generally us the Empower mode.

Not convinced my battery is working.

I noticed at one point on a 6 mile round trip that I had the battery around 75% charged but a few minutes (3) later at the destination point it was slightly under half mark.

So -my question - is there some battery test to at least alleviate concerns that the lithium is working properly?

Edited July 15, 2013 by 2013hybridOwner

[milleron]

. . . and mine, which I'm already starting to suspect may be defective, was just built April 9th.

 

Jeff is right about the variability at 50. I have already paid attention to that figure at 55. When the ICE starts at 55 mph, my mileage will invariably be 20, & it'll stay there most of the time it runs. As the SOC finally nears 75%, the mileage will gradually creep up to 38-42. As soon as it gets that high, it goes into EV for about a half mile or until there's a rise in the grade. The ICE then resumes at 20 mpg, and the cycle repeats. In spite of some "free" EV miles, it's no wonder that I can't break 38 mpg even on a freeway at 55 mph. It's because the majority of my driving is done at mpg figures of 20-25. Even with some EV miles thrown in, that's not going to average >40.

I had a 6-mi trip in the city this AM on which more than HALF the miles were EV, and I still got only 35 mpg. Acceleration score was literally perfect, and the braking score was about 98%. I don't think I can possibly drive it more responsibly or conservatively than I am. This tiny little 2L Atkinson engine isn't really big enough to charge the battery and power the car simultaneously. Somehow it worked for the EPA testing, but I don't believe it's the best choice for the real world.

Responding to my own post from about 6 weeks ago, I'll tell anyone following this thread who is disappointed in his mileage, that there's more to achieving the EPA ratings than just paying attention to acceleration and braking. There's a learning curve involved with so-called "pulse-and-glide" driving, and I think that these cars may, indeed, start getting better mileage after you get 1,000-2,000 miles on them. Whereas I used to be unable to get more than 40 mpg, after having the car for 2.5 months and driving in this very warm weather, it's no longer difficult to get 43-47 mpg on freeway or suburban streets, and, for example, I've even been able to get it up to 57 mpg on a 7-mile trip home from a mall yesterday.

Time may not heal all with these Fusion Hybrids, but time's very likely to lead to better and better mpg numbers. Patience is in order.

[milleron]

I recently purchased the Ford Fusion hybrid Titanium - my son managed to get 43 mpg on about a 40minute round trip.

But mostly i am unable to get an average of over 33mpg.

I am watching the breaking and the EV - generally us the Empower mode.

Not convinced my battery is working.

I noticed at one point on a 6 mile round trip that I had the battery around 75% charged but a few minutes (3) later at the destination point it was slightly under half mark.

So -my question - is there some battery test to at least alleviate concerns that the lithium is working properly?

There's nothing at all unusual about that magnitude of change in the SOC over three minutes. In fact, it's to be expected. Even if you're not entering EV mode much, running the AC can suck the HVB dry in short order.

[2013hybridOwner]

Ok - well - I don't think I had the A/C runnig - but my wife turns it on w/ out me noticing - so not sure - just remember the sun roof and my window was open.

But thanks - it is something to watch.

[2013hybridOwner]

My son just got 47.5 mpg - going up 25 miles ( as in 5k ft to 6kft) then return trip - so I am happy to see that.

Still not certain if I willever get that just running around to grocery stores and less than 7 mile round trips.

I have hills all around.

I recently was sent an email by ford : http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=38296

hopefully they beta test patches.

[tempforce]

check your tires. my car has goodyear eagles on it. not the michelin eco tires. also i have a electric cooler in the trunk and i weigh over 240 lbs..

with 700 miles on the car, i'm averaging 32 mpg with the a/c on max, the mileage is getting better with time..

Edited August 25, 2013 by tempforce

[2013hybridOwner]

Just got back from a 1200 mile road trip over mountainous areas.

I got 50mpg - brag! Fusion Hybrid - gotta love it - big car ride and luxury car feel.