The new Fusion will be available with both a regular hybrid verison and a plug-in hybrid that is expected to get over 100 miles per gallon equivalent MPGe. But what does MPGe mean? Maybe this graphic helps http://fordfusionstory.com/photo-galleries/mpge/?return_url=http://fordfusionstory.com/mpg/
#FordNAIAS #FordFusionStory #NAIAS #2013fusion
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So at 20¢/kWh, that's $6.74/Gallon, or $1.78/Lt, which is substantially more than the price of petrol. This whole hybrid deal makes little sense when you really look into it. 🙁
+Fulvio Gerardi You need to keep in mind that electric drivetrains are upwards of 90% efficient vs about 30% for a typical ICE. Plus the average price of electricity in the US is about $0.11/kWh (although it is higher in some places, lower in others) so the cost of energy is much more competitive although batteries are still pricy.
Is that an off-peak rate? You can get it down to 12¢ here if you jump through the right hoops. But even at that rate, the initial price, plus battery replacements, don't make the math work for most people. Its the total lifetime cost that matters, as Richard Hammond pointed out on Top Gear when he compared the cost of continuing to run his Mustang vs building a new fuel efficient car to replace it.
The real answer lies in smaller, cheaper, more fuel-efficient cars with conventional (preferably diesel) engines, and in solar power. The technology now exists for the exterior of a vehicle to be one big solar panel, and that would make a difference in the hybrid equation.
And until we get there, driving less is something we can all do every day, starting immediately.
+Fulvio Gerardi there should be a way to retrofit an electric engine or there should be an incentive for ice makers to provision for it in future designs
+Fulvio Gerardi Depending on where you live, off-peak rates can get as low as $0.06/kWh while I've heard of peak rates in california of up to $0.32. Solar is always an option as well to get off the grid.