Ford Fusion Energi gets official 100 MPGe rating from EPA

By Stephen Edelstein January 1, 2013

Since its unveiling, Ford has claimed that the Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid will return 100 MPGe in mixed city and highway driving. Now it’s official: the EPA has bestowed a 100 MPGe rating on the Fusion Energi

Ford is touting the Fusion as America’s “most fuel-efficient” sedan, which is true, but the Fusion is also in a class of one. The only other plug-in hybrid sedan currently available is the much dearer Fisker Karma, which is rated at 54 MPGe combined.

Since the Fusion Energi can travel up to 20 miles on electricity only, conventional hybrid sedans like the Toyota Camry Hybrid and Hyundai Sonata Hybrid can’t really compete. Look for that to change in the near future, though, with the introduction of the Honda Accord plug-in.

Relevant competition or not, the Fusion Energi’s 100 MPGe rating is still impressive. It beats the Toyota Prius plug-in (95 MPGe) and the Chevrolet Volt (98 MPGe), two hybrid mainstays.

The Fusion Energi’s fuel economy matches Ford’s other plug-in, the C-Max Energi. Both cars also use the same powertrain: a 188 horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, continuously variable transmission, and electric motor with lithium-ion battery pack.

With the exception of a larger battery pack, that powertrain is lifted from the regular hybrid versions of the Fusion and C-Max. Like their plug-in siblings, the Fusion Hybrid and C-Max Hybrid have identical fuel economy ratings (47 mpg in all three categories).

However, the hybrids’ EPA ratings were challenged recently by Consumer Reports, and are now under review. Ford cites the inherent variability of hybrid driving as the reason for the discrepancy.

Plug-in hybrids come with their own set of variables, so the Blue Oval crew may not be ready to celebrate until the Fusion Energi gets some real world mileage under its wheels.

The Fusion Energi goes on sale soon, with a starting price of $39,495 for a base SE model. That’s significantly more than the $27,995 Fusion Hybrid, but as with nearly everything else in the car world, you have to pay more to get more.

Topics

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Cars

2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan gets new face, bigger battery

2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan front-quarter view.

The Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan arrived during the 2022 model year as the flagship of Mercedes' EV fleet. But now that it's been on sale for a few years, it's time for this flagship to get a refit so that it can stay competitive with other six-figure electric sedans like the BMW i7, Lucid Air, and Tesla Model S. The updated EQS sedan is scheduled to reach dealerships later this year as a 2025 model.

One of the most controversial features of the EQS has been its unorthodox streamlined shape, which makes the EQS one of the most aerodynamic sedans around, but also means it doesn't look much like a traditional Mercedes. For 2025, the EQS takes a step closer to that traditional look with a new grille featuring chrome bars like on the Mercedes S-Class. It also sports the brand's trademark hood ornament.

Cars

Best electric car charger deals: $100 off home charging stations

The handle of the Grizzl-E EV charger plugged into a vehicle.

A few years ago, electric vehicles were pretty rare or cost a fortune, but with more and more of the larger car brands getting into the game, there are a lot of excellent and even budget-friendly choices nowadays. That said, the electrical network for charging your cars might not be that widespread, so instead you'll have to rely on charging your car at home. Luckily, there are a lot of excellent car chargers at a discount, so if you've just bought an EV or want to upgrade your current charging solution, be sure to check out our favorite deals below.
Shockflo EV charger — $205, was $220

This EV charger by Shockflo is a Level 2 EV charger, which offers six times faster charging than a standard charger. It delivers 24 miles with just one hour of charging, and it can act as a mobile charger you can throw in the trunk or be mounted to a wall. It has an LCD display with useful information like charging rate, voltage, and charging time, as well as LED indicator lights that lets you know charging progress and errors.

Cars

Mercedes-Benz EQG: range, price, release date, and more

Concept image of the larger electric G-Wagon

The G-Class is going electric. We already knew that Mercedes-Benz was working on an electric, small-size G-Wagon, but it looks like the company is also working on a larger G-Class SUV, in the form of the EQG. In fact, Mercedes has gone as far as to show off a concept version of the off-roader.

While there's much we don't know about what will become the production model of the EQG, Mercedes has also shared a lot about it. Curious about whether the Mercedes-Benz EQG could be the EV for you? Here's everything we know so far.
Design
Fear not -- the EQG will retain many of the design aspects of the G-Class that you already know and love but with a modern face-lift. The EQG will keep the boxy design that gives the G-Class a classic look but with some additional modern styling, at least if the concept version is anything to go by.