Fusion Blows Past Mileage Goal

With it's competitors (primarily GM, right now) undergoing a lot of turmoil in the public eye, Ford is working to set itself apart. It's has introduced a new advertising campaign focusing on the product, aiming to attract buyers who are scared of  bankruptcy (The "B" word) over at General Motors.

The Ford Fusion Hybrid has been on the receiving end of a lot of good press and heavy marketing by Ford. The public has been impressed with it's fuel economy numbers.  The Fusion Hybrid is rated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the most fuel-efficient mid-size sedan on the market today. That's impressive, so it's fitting Ford would want to highlight those numbers.

So, Ford sent out a team of engineers and fuel economy experts to achieve 1,000 miles on a single tank of gas. The tour also included a special appearance by NASCAR driver Carl Edwards. Crazy you might say, huh? The Fusion Hybrid is has a claimed 700-mile range one tank of gas by the EPA, so 1,000 miles would seem like a stretch. The team set out on the tour on Saturday, April 25th.

They finally came to a stop today, at 5:47 AM, having covered an incredible 1,445.7 miles. That's right, 1,445.7 miles, all in a completely stock Fusion Hybrid. Of course, the company used extreme tactics to achieve those numbers (called hypermiling) but the fact is they did it none the less. The average works out to be 81.5 mpg.

Ford says the efficiency results prove that driving technique is one of the keys to maximizing the car's potential.

The 1,445.7 mile mark more then doubles the car's estimated range on a tank, and also sets the record for the longest distance ever travelled by a gasoline powered mid-size sedan on a single tank of gas. Way to go Ford, I think it's smart to use your vehicles to get good press like this. I'm sure it didn't cost all that much and in addition it helped raise money for a good cause; the challenge brought in $8,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.