Ford EV Sales Rose 38% In 2016 Led By Fusion Energi

Ford EV sales rose 38% in 2016, helping Ford claim 18% of the US market for electrified cars. Sales growth was led by the Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid, which recorded a 63% increase in sales compared to 2015. The growth in Ford EV performance comes even though all of the company’s EV offerings are sedans, a segment of the market that is shrinking in this era of low gas prices and surging demand for crossovers, SUVs, and light trucks.

Ford has big plans to expand the number of EV models it offers its customers over the course of the next several years. It says it will bring an all electric SUV with at least 300 miles of range in the near future. It’s current lineup includes the Fusion Hybrid, C-MAX Hybrid, C-MAX Energi, Focus Electric, and Fusion Energi. Ford sold a total of 23,895 EVs last year.

Compared to its total sales for the year, the number of EVs in the mix may look small, but the uptick in sales belies CEO Mark Fields’ assertions that nobody wants to buy electrified cars. Fields is on record as saying high fuel economy standards will rob America of 1,000,000 manufacturing jobs, a rather odd statement for the head of one of the world’s largest car companies to make. No wonder many people think the biggest obstacle to an electric car future is the negative attitudes of car company executives.

On a percentage basis, the spurt in sales proves otherwise. Recent studies indicate that Americans really are interested in more efficient vehicles that pollute less and use precious resources more wisely. The Consumer Federation of America finds strong support for such cars despite historically low prices at the pump.

Yesterday, a group of senior Republican leaders proposed a carbon tax that would do away with all such burdensome regulations but add 38 cents to the price of a gallon of gas. If that happened, the frenzy for large, thirsty vehicles would likely cool down and demand for EVs increase. Will the proposal get traction with members of Congress? Don’t bet on it. Americans are perfectly willing to see the EPA gutted and public education turned into a mockery, but pay extra for gas? Them’s fightin’ words, cousin.

Source: TechCrunch

Testing Error Forces Ford To Lower MPG On Six Vehicles

A little over a year ago, Ford was riding high on a wave of enthusiasm for a product lineup that boasted some of the fuel efficient vehicles in America. Unfortunately, those MPG ratings proved to be a bit optimistic. The EPA has forced Ford to lower the MPG ratings on six of its vehicles by as much as 7 MPG, due to an internal testing error.

The hardest hit by the new MPG figures was the Lincoln MKZ hybrid, which saw its 45/45/45 MPG rating drop down to 38/37/38. The Fusion Hybrid also took a big hit, falling from 47 MPG across the board down to a 44/41/42 MPG rating. The other vehicles affected include all Ford Fiesta models (save for the Fiesta ST), the C-Max Hybrid, and both the Fusion Energi and C-Max Energi plug-in hybrids.

As recompense, Ford is refunding lessees and buyers as much as $1,050 to make up for the difference in advertised and actual fuel economy. Consumer Reports was one of the first to sound the horn on Ford’s overly-generous MPG ratings, and they’ve certainly been validated by the EPA. Already the lowered MPG ratings are affecting sales,especially of the C-Max Hybrid, which was supposed to be Ford’s Prius-killer.

So much for that.

Ford blames both virtual aerodynamics testing, and the Total Road Load Horsepower measurements, which produced these huge discrepancies. Ford claims to have discovered the error only in March, when it immediately reached out to the EPA.

Uh huh. Pardon my skepticism, but if you’re going to try to build some of the most fuel efficient cars on the market, I’d think you’d go to great lengths to ensure your cars are actually returning the claimed MPGs. All the wind tunnel testing in the world doesn’t compare to real world driving experiences, and if road engineers were coming back with wildly different numbers than what the lab tests reported, maybe that was the time for Ford to reconsider its MPG ratings.

I’m a Blue Oval fan through and through, but this whole thing reeks of bureaucratic incompetence at best, and underhanded trickery at worse. European automakers have been called out for deceptive fuel economy testing practices, and who’s to say American automakers aren’t doing the same thing?

Model Year	Vehicle	Powertrain	Revised(City, Highway, Combined)	Previous(City, Highway, Combined)	Lease Customers	PurchaseCustomers
2014	Fiesta	1.0L GTDI M/T	31 / 43 / 36	32 / 45 / 37	$125	$200
		1.6L A/T	27 / 37 / 31	29 / 39 / 32	$150	$250
		1.6L SFE A/T	28 / 38 / 32	30 / 41 / 34	$275	$450
		1.6L M/T	28 / 36 / 31	27 / 38 / 31	Combined MFPG not affected	Combined MPG not affected
2013-14	C-MAX	Hybrid	42 / 37 / 40	45 / 40 / 43	$300	$475
	Fusion	Hybrid	44 / 41 / 42	47 / 47 / 47	$450	$775
	MKZ	Hybrid	38 / 37 / 38	45 / 45 / 45	$625	$1,050
Model Year	Vehicle	Powertrain	Revised**(Charge Sustaining, Charge Depleting, EV Range)	Previous**(Charge Sustaining, Charge Depleting, EV Range)	Lease Customers	PurchaseCustomers
2013-14	C-MAX Energi	Plug-in Hybrid	38 mpg / 88 MPGe+ /19 mi EV range	43 mpg / 100 MPGe+ /21 mi EV range	$475	$775
	Fusion Energi	Plug-in Hybrid	38 mpg / 88 MPGe+ /19 mi EV range	43 mpg / 100 MPGe+ /21 mi EV range	$525	$850

Source: Gas 2.

Ford Prices C-MAX Energi At $33,745

On Tuesday, Ford Motor Company announced official pricing for its upcoming C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid Multi-Purpose Vehicle. When it goes on sale this fall it will have a MSRP of $33,745 before subsidies.

The car is eligible for a $3,750 federal tax credit, which would bring the net price down to $29,995, and Michael O’Brien, electric vehicle marketing manager at Ford, offered his thoughts on the value proposition.

“The C-MAX Energi is within financial reach for those who want a hybrid, but is also something customers will want to reach for because of its unique look and amazing value,” he said. “It offers exceptional fuel economy, better features and a better price tag than a Prius plug-in hybrid, which we think will help make C-MAX Energi one of our most attractive vehicles for import customers.”

Ford says that cost savings on its current hybrid system are around 30 percent greater than the previous generation gas/electric powertrain; as a result, the company says it is passing those savings onto consumers. Greater commonality of components with other models also contributes to lower development and manufacturing costs for the C-Max.

The C-Max Energi employs a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle engine and a battery driven electric motor that collectively, generate 188 horsepower (195 hp with a full battery charge). With this setup, it is expected to be able to cover distances of more than 20 miles on pure electric power, with a total range of 550 miles on a full tank of fuel and a full battery charged.

The basic C-MAX, from which it’s derived, has sold more than 144,000 copies in Europe since the MPV’s debut there in 2010. And with conventional gas, hybrid and Energi models, Ford is betting that its C-segment MPV will attract a similar following here.

In California, the C-MAX Energi is expected to qualify for ZT-PZEV status, meaning that not only will it be eligible for solo motoring in carpool lanes; it will also qualify for an additional $1,500 state rebate. This; along with the high profile rep currently being enjoyed by hybrids and plug-in vehicles, will likely serve as a good promotional tool for helping generate interest and potential sales.

Ford projects C-MAX Hybrid will deliver 47 mpg city, 44 mpg highway; expected payback of hybrid premium in two years

2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid. Click to enlarge.

Ford projects that its upcoming C-MAX Hybrid (earlier post) will achieve an EPA-rated 47 mpg city (5.0 L/100km) and 44 mpg highway (5.3 L/100km)—higher fuel economy than the Toyota Prius v (44 mpg / 5.3 L/100km city and 40 mpg / 5.9 L/100km highway) and at a $1,300-lower base price. The vehicle can be driven 500-plus miles with total system output of 188 hp (140 kW), compared to the 134 hp (100 kW) from Toyota Prius v and Prius. C-MAX Hybrid will launch this fall.
The C-MAX Hybrid is based on the new Ford C-MAX five-passenger multi-activity vehicle. This third-generation full hybrid (along with its coming plug-in hybrid sibling) leverages Ford’s global C-car platform, powersplit architecture, next-generation driver information features and advanced lithium-ion battery systems. Ford has simultaneously increased hybrid efficiency and performance while reducing cost.
When powered by gasoline, the C-MAX Hybrid uses the all-new 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine. The Li-ion battery pack is recharged when the gasoline engine is in operation. Further, the regenerative braking system recaptures more than 95% of the braking energy that would otherwise be lost. A new Brake Coach feature—as in the Focus Electric—helps drivers optimize their use of the braking system so that driving range can be enhanced through proper braking techniques.
C-MAX Hybrid also offers technologies such as the available hands-free liftgate, optional active park assist and SmartGauge with EcoGuide, along with the ability to deliver higher speeds in electric mode than Toyota Prius v.
Ford expects a payback period of two years for the hybrid technology premium compared with leading small crossovers. This is about half of the four-year period Ford research shows could trigger more mainstream hybrid sales. Further, Ford research finds that the gap in average income between hybrid and conventional vehicle buyers has decreased by half—from about $30,000 to $15,000—in the past few years.
The segment for small hybrids such as the C-MAX Hybrid and Prius accounts for 65% of all hybrid sales. Ford is positioning the C-MAX Hybrid as America’s most affordable hybrid utility vehicle with a base price of $25,995, including destination and delivery. Ford expects about half of C-MAX buyers to be conquest customers trading in competitive models. C-MAX Hybrid is part of Ford’s first dedicated line of hybrid vehicles and currently available for order at select dealerships.
C-MAX Hybrid is being produced at Ford’s Wayne, Mich.-based Michigan Assembly Plant alongside Focus, Focus Electric and Focus ST.