Online discussions at Ford Fusion Energi Forum

The plug-in hybrid version of the Ford Fusion midsize sedan will have a battery-only range of more than 21 miles and top speed of 85 m.p.h. The plug-in hybrid, which Ford calls the Fusion Energi, should go on sale early in 2013.

Ford expects the car to get an EPA rating of better than 100 m.p.g.e. when it's running on batteries. That would make it one of the most efficient vehicles on the road. Plug-in hybrids have larger batteries than conventional hybrids. They can run on electricity alone for considerably greater distances than basic hybrids, which can usually cover only a mile or two on battery power.

"Plug-in hybrids make more sense for most drivers than pure electric cars, because there's not much infrastructure for charging" battery-only vehicles, said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst with Edmunds.com.

Ford won't say what fuel economy it expects when the car operates like a standard gas/electric hybrid, but it will probably be about 4 m.p.g. below the Fusion hybrid's 47 m.p.g. rating in combined city and highway driving. Unlike some plug-in hybrids, the Fusion Energi will accelerate quickly to its top speed on battery power alone. A "hybrid now" button on the Fusion Energi lets the driver lock the car into electric drive until the batteries are exhausted. Ford thinks that will be particularly useful for short trips where the driver knows battery power alone is enough.

"The big obstacle to plug-ins and electric vehicles continues to be the significant price premium," Krebs said. "Low gas prices like we've got now mean a lot of consumers don't feel much incentive to pay for a hybrid."

The Ford Fusion Energi uses the same 2.0-liter gasoline engine, lithium-ion batteries and electric motor as the C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid crossover.

Ford will announce the Fusion Energi's price and EPA fuel economy rating closer to when it goes on sale. The car will be available across the U.S., but only Ford dealers with special training will sell it.

Other than a bigger, more expensive battery, the Fusion Energi is very similar to the Fusion hybrid that just went on sale. Ford engineers say that using high-volume vehicles and sharing many components helps control the cost of their hybrids, plug-ins and electric vehicles.

Plug-in hybrid sales are likely to grow rapidly, but only a couple of the vehicles are on sale now. Toyota has a plug-in version of its Prius that can go about 11 miles on battery power. Some people also consider the Chevrolet Volt and Fisker Karma plug-ins, although their mechanical layout and longer electric range probably qualify them as what the EPA calls extended-range electric vehicles.

I think we have a chicken and egg scenario going on to a degree here. While we have the technology to make ultra efficient vehicles the infrastructure to support those vehicles is not in place yet. However, i truly believe that eventually we will have that infrastructure as long as manufacturers keep producing these cars. Already we see hybrid sales increasing as gas become more expensive, and there are some "power stations" springing up here and there.

Maybe i am werid but i am having a serious happy face over this news about the Fusion Energi.. btw hello everyone on the fusion energi forum! Can you actually imagine being able to get 100 miles per a gallon.. That means on a twelve gallon tank you can travel 1200 miles before having to fill up, that is a trip that could take you through almost a third of America. Helllo a new generation of road tripping!

DaBiss glad to see you are escited about the fusion energi and its potential. I myself am taking a bit more of a wait and see approach. I definitely believe that we can have a car such as the Ford Fusion Energi reach 100 miles per gallon, but to date it still isn't here.

Welcome to fusion energi forum. I agree with you actually. it is pretty darn incredible to get 100 miler per gallon. Then again fusion energi is a next generation car. its supposed to be incredible!

I am new to Fusion Energi Forum. I am really interested in electric cars. I have loads of question of which I am seeking answers. Would be great if anyone here can answer my queries. I'd love to share what I know about Ford Fusion Energi.

i have a 2015 fusion energi, and the mpge is amazing when the car works...I have had the car for 3 months and its been in the dealership for 3 weeks total so far...not too good in my book