The 2010 Ford Taurus spacious interior
Ford’s lineup for 2010 model year promises higher fuel efficiency. The Ford Fusion Hybrid, Mercury Milan Hybrid, Ford Escape Hybrid, and Mercury Mariner Hybrid is said to improve fuel economy by about 20 per cent compared to 2005 levels.
Ford Fusion Hybrid
Ford Fusion Hybrid
The Ford Fusion Hybrid is a gasoline-electric hybrid powered version of the mid-size Ford Fusion sedan developed by the Ford Motor Company, and launched to the U.S. market in March 2009 as a 2010 model. In April 2009 editors of Kelley Blue Book named the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid to its 2009 list of “Top 10 Green Cars”. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ratings for the Ford Fusion Hybrid are 41 miles per US gallon (5.7 L/100 km; 49 mpg-imp) for city and 36 miles per US gallon (6.5 L/100 km; 43 mpg-imp) for highway. When driving on electric-only mode (EV mode) the Fusion can achieve 47 mph and up to 2 miles of continuous EV driving. In city driving a full tank delivers 700 miles (1,126.5 km).
Mercury Milan Hybrid
Mercury Milan Hybrid
The Mercury Milan is a mid-size sedan based on the Ford CD3 platform. The 2010 Mercury Milan debuted at the 2008 Greater Los Angeles Auto Show alongside the 2010 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ. It received significant cosmetic updates, with new front and rear fascias, revised wheel designs, and a redesigned dashboard. Engine options consist of the Duratec 25 four cylinder and Duratec 30 V6. A hybrid version is also offered, with an Atkinson cycle variant of the Duratec 25 gasoline engine paired with a 106 horsepower AC synchronous electric motor and continuously variable transmission. All non-hybrid 2010 Milans are equipped with 6-speed transmissions; as with the 2006-2009 versions, the manual gearbox is only available with the four cylinder engine. V6 models gain a “SelectShift” feature that allows drivers to select and hold individual gears.
Ford Escape Hybrid
Ford Escape Hybrid
Ford has created a Plug-In Hybrid version of the Escape, which has been sent to the United States Department of Energy. This vehicle uses E-85, in addition to its electric system. The vehicle’s electric power is provided by a 10-kilowatt lithium-ion battery, which allows for a 30-mile (48 km) range at 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) or less. When the battery’s charge drops to 30%, the vehicle switches to its four-cylinder engine, assisted by the batteries. The one-of-a-kind vehicle has a display system which shows the driver how efficient the vehicle is at any given time. If the vehicle uses its engine and is running in traditional hybrid mode, fuel economy is rated at 88 miles per U.S. gallon (2.7 L/100 km; 106 mpg-imp) in the city and 50 miles per U.S. gallon (4.7 L/100 km; 60 mpg-imp) on the highway.
Mercury Mariner Hybrid
Mercury Mariner Hybrid
Like the Ford Escape Hybrid, The Mariner Hybrid is a “full” hybrid electric system, meaning the system can switch automatically between pure electric power, pure gasoline engine power, or a combination of electric battery and gasoline engine operating together, for maximum performance and efficiency at all speeds and loads. When braking or decelerating, the Mariner’s hybrid system uses regenerative braking, where the electric drive motor becomes a generator, converting the vehicle’s momentum back to electricity for storage in the batteries. With 155 hp (116 kW), the Mariner Hybrid has nearly the same acceleration performance as the conventional 200 hp (150 kW) V6 Mariner. Again, like the Escape Hybrid, it gets a respectable average of 34 miles per US gallon (6.9 L/100 km; 41 mpg-imp) and is sometimes said to be the most fuel efficient Sport Utility Vehicle on the road.
The world’s fourth largest automaker has decided to replace their V8 to smaller-displacement V6 engines which is augmented by turbocharging using EcoBoost. The V6 is a four-cylinder motor.
Ford plans to have four electric vehicles on the road by 2012, including versions of the Transit Connect and the Focus. The company is ultimately aiming to improve fuel economy by more than 35 percent by 2015.
