Ford to offer fuel-economy improvements for hybrid drivers
Riding the success of sales across its hybrid lineup, Ford Motor Co. plans to offer drivers a substantial upgrade in vehicle performance to improve fuel economy.
The changes should help address some of the complaints lobbed by Ford hybrid owners that the cars fall short of Environmental Protection Agency estimates for fuel economy.
“Just as individual mileage can vary based on driving styles and environmental conditions, we expect fuel economy improvements will differ from customer to customer depending on individual driving habits,” Raj Nair, Ford’s vice president of global product development, said Tuesday.
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Beginning in August, drivers will be able to bring in their 2013 C-Max hybrids, Fusion hybrids and Lincoln MKZ hybrids to dealerships for free powertrain enhancements. These include kicking up maximum electric-only speeds from 62 mph to 85 mph, adjusting grille shutters to reduce drag, fixing electric fans and climate control systems to reduce energy consumption, and shortening engine warmup time by 50%.
Ford will also roll out the upgrades on new vehicles built at its plants. “We want satisfied customers whether they’re driving hybrids today or driving hybrids in the future,” Nair said.
Although Ford made huge gains in hybrid sales this year, the carmaker still lags behind competitor Toyota. During the first six months of the year, Ford sold 21,748 hybrid and plug-in hybrid Fusion sedans and 20,340 C-Max hybrids, according to Autodata Corp. By comparison, Toyota sold 120,124 Prius hybrids, 23,834 Camry hybrids and 8,348 Avalon hybrids.
Ford has taken some heat in the last few months for its hybrids failing to live up to customer fuel-economy expectations. Consumer Reports ran tests late last year and couldn’t replicate the 47 combined mpg Ford boasted for Fusion and C-Max hybrids.
“After running both vehicles through Consumer Reports real-world tests, CR’s engineers have gotten very good results. But they are far below Ford’s ambitious triple-47 figures,” the magazine reported in December. Testers reached 37 mpg overall, and The Times’ auto reviewer eked out 37.5 mpg.
In response, the EPA said in December it had plans to review Consumer Reports’ data.
“All hybrid manufacturers are seeing higher levels of variability on EPA labels,” Nair said Tuesday. “We see variability on both sides. We see customers who beat EPA labels, as well as those below it…. The changes will help reduce that variability.”
Nair said the carmaker planned to continue development in alternative fuel options, increasing its electrification engineering workforce by 50%, and investing $50 million in EV products and testing centers in Dearborn, Mich. “This is just a reflection of our commitment to this area of the business,” Nair said, “and a reflection that we recognize it’s growing.”
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