2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid?

RoyalBoltz

The 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid, a hybrid is a car that, must be charged in order to accelerate right?
Is it only chargeable alone? Or is it, chargeable, and gas powered? Both? With the 2013 FFHybrid.

Also how do you charge the 2013 FFHybrid? Do we have to drive some where like a electric station
to charge it? Or can it be charged from home?
Try to answer all the Question Marks thanks.

Answer
Hi RoyalBoltz,

The 2013 Fusion Hybrid is powered by both an electric and a gasoline motor, however there is no charging required. The electric motor stores power regained from the regenerative braking system. The regenerative braking system captures energy otherwise lost as heat during vehicle braking, recovering over 90% of the brake energy and recharging the lithium-ion battery.

There's no need to charge the vehicle at an electric station or at home - the vehicle "charges" itself by storing the regained power.

The Fusion Energi is Ford's plug-in hybrid version of the Fusion. You can learn more about that particular model here: http://www.ford.com/cars/fusion/features/#page=Feature2

Have a great day!
Crystal

Should I buy 2013 or 2014 Accord possibly electric 2014 accord or another similar car?

brian

In the next few months I will prepare to buy new car. I currently have a 2003 Accord and don't expect much action on the trade in(its has<100K miles but let me know if I am wrong at that). So here is my main question(s). Should I wait until July when the new 2014's come out? I mean what is the difference in value? Defining value with a quasi equation like price/year+new options. Is it worthwhile for me to wait until the 2014 model year comes out. Also, in 2014 an electric version comes out which claims 100+ mpg at the same time says something like 46 mpg - I live in the city so I my commute is rather short and this may be in my wheelhouse. I am wondering also about TCO (total cost of ownership) estimated break even point, tax incentives and peoples experience with electric cars. I typically keep my cars for 10 years if that is a help. Also, I am looking for some good strategies to get the best landed price for my purchase.

Answer
As long as the range limitations of an electric car work with your driving needs, it will save you money on fuel and maintenance - a lot of money.
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A typical gas-fueled car costs over $200/month to fuel with gasoline. The same miles on electricity cost less than $40 per month - maybe even less than $20 (check with your utility, they may have special overnight EV charging rates.)
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Plus, electric motors don't need oil changes, filters, fluids, spark plugs, tune-ups or any other regular maintenance. Some people worry about batteries, but modern EV battery formulas are very long-lived (likely to be at least 150,000 miles.)
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The purchase price will be higher, but remember to consider the total cost of driving, not just the cost of the car. A monthly payment that's $150 higher is no big deal if you are saving $200 on fuel cost.

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ideas for electric cars and increasing range?

Daniel

Ok so ive seen some of these electric cars and have seen some things that make me think, huh what if they did this. Here is a list.

1. I've noticed a lot of electric cars there front ends are rather dull and have no intake into the engine. What if we took car design like those we see today and their radiator grills and instead of putting in a radiator put in a wind turbine to power the batteries. This would increase drag, but would the increase in drag really damage the increased electricity output from the wind turbine and even the increase in drag it should be very little since the air has to leave too and if enough research is done could the drag actually be very minute. I could see if a car was going freeway speeds wind would be entering the wind turbine at 65 mph + and even though the generator is much smaller than the giant winds used to power homes, wouldn't this overall increase the range?

2. Solar panels. Only one car I know of has solar panels and that is the fisker karma. Solar panels are getting quite cheap so couldn't they shape them into the roof line and even possibly the hood and other body panels.

3. alternators or some sort of generator on the axle. I read somewhere else that this wouldn't actually work and would consume more energy as the battery efficiency and alternator efficiency is not quite there yet, but if the efficency were to increase could that be more beneficial.

Im not complaining, but i know i dnt have the power or resources or know how to do these things and test them and they are just ideas. If any one who reads this does have the resources to have these tested and create more efficent electric vehicle. please feel free. tell me what you think of these ideas.

Answer
It is good that you consider options, however some understanding of the work that has been done before will allow you to work on the edge of what is known rather than simply "reinventing the wheel."

In the study of physics there are long established rules that predict how our world operates. One of those is known as the law of conservation of energy. Briefly it says that energy cannot be created or destroyed (only conserved.) For this reason we can never get more energy out of a vehicle than we put into it. Any additional energy would have to come from a different source.

Another way of looking at the problem is to notice that the energy to make a car move must overcome various forms of resistance. The tendency for a car to stay put is one called inertia. Gravity, rolling resistance, wind resistance, and internal mechanical resistance are others. We can recover some of the energy put into making the car move. But tapping into the inertia of a vehicle will slow it down. The practical application is regenerative braking. The same may be said for trying to capture the air moving around a moving car from inside the vehicle. Neither of these approaches will give more range than could be calculated from the energy put into the vehicle. We can only hope to make the vehicle more efficient. But as the electric car is already about 90% efficient there is not a great deal of room for improvement.

So we need to gather more energy for more range. Better batteries that hold more will do this but at some increase in weight. Solar panels will add only a very little because calculations and some experimentation has shown that most commercial vehicles could only add about 2 to 3 miles of travel for each hour that they sit in the sun. The solar panels are too inefficient, the sun's energy too diffuse and the area of a vehicle too limited. Only by designing super efficient, single seater, aerodynamic vehicles like solar racers can we get the sun to power a vehicle, but this is not the typical family vehicle. ( see the American Solar Challenge and the Australian World Solar Challenge )

Another alternative is to transmit power to the vehicle. This has been done with overhead wires, but more recently the power has been transmitted through the roadway. (Korean http://www.businessinsider.com/south-korean-roads-power-electric-cars-2013-8 )

Another solution like solar vehicle is to create energy on the vehicle using a hybrid engine, a fuel cell or perhaps someday an atomic battery: http://www.technologyreview.com/news/404293/the-atomic-battery/

Help with information about electric cars?

Metallica_

I am thinking about one but had some questions I would like to know before going to the dealer:
1. How much does it cost to get the charging station in stalled in your house?
2. Can you not get a charging stations and use you 110 out?
3. What happes if you run out of charge while on the road?
4. I have seen a few electirc charging stations around, any idea what they cost?
5. How much are the batteries to replace?
6. Are they reliable?
7. Is there still oil (needing oil changes)?
8. Was the $7.5k tax credit good for 2013 (filingin 2014)?
9. Other things I need to know?

Please help even if you do not have all of the answers. I am very interested in one of these cars and would like some education before I go to the dealer.

Answer
I just recently went through this process, and after two months of driving an electric vehicle (EV), here's what I know:

1. How much does it cost to get the charging station in stalled in your house?
It can cost anywhere between $2000-5000 for a Level 2 charger at home, but you really don't need one. The advantage is that the Level 2 charger will add 10-20 miles to your battery per hour. I have been managing fine with my home charger and the ChargePoint network.

2. Can you not get a charging stations and use you 110 out?
Yes. The complimentary charger you get from the dealer is a Level 1 (or Trickle) Charger and adds 2-5 miles on the battery per hour. So at the end of a trip where you are spending an overnight stay or at the end of the day, plug in the car and let it charge overnight. you will be ready to go in the morning. I've been managing fine, as I mentioned earlier, with the home charger.

3. What happes if you run out of charge while on the road?
You usually get a warning before you reach this point once you dip under the "10 miles remaining" mark. CarWings (my on-board GPS and car monitoring system) offers me the option to find the closest charging station, but if I can't make it I can call AAA and ask for a tow to the nearest charging location.

4. I have seen a few electirc charging stations around, any idea what they cost?
As I mentioned before I am with ChargePoint which is like an ATM for EV chargers. So far, I've used $5 of it for when I spent an evening in Old Town Manassas, VA. Depending on the chargers, though, they may be free. For example, at my day job, there is an array of Level 2 charging stations and all of them are free. The stations are free as they are plugged into a solar array.

5. How much are the batteries to replace?
Battery cost varies from make, model, and range. Check with your dealer, but they should be covered in the car warranty.

6. Are they reliable?
Absolutely. After two months, I've been driving my EV without fail and it is a delight to drive. Smooth ride. Whisper quiet. And all the perks (entertainment center, rear view camera, passenger seat warmers, etc.) are all standard. It really is a great car and a fantastic ride.

7. Is there still oil (needing oil changes)?
Nope. The electric motor does not require any kind of oil change. The only regular maintenance you need to worry about is brake maintenance.

8. Was the $7.5k tax credit good for 2013 (filingin 2014)?
I leased so Nissan took the tax breaks on the car which brought the cost of the car down from $37K to $27K. The three year lease is $234/month which, for this car, is amazing.

9. Other things I need to know?
Travel along the Interstate will drain the barry faster so when you can, take U.S. routes that have a lot of hills. With the regenerative braking system you can recharge the battery as you drive. There is a learning curve when you drive an EV but it is a real delight when you get the knack for it. The biggest challenge is the infrastructure. We need more charging stations, preferably Level 3 Quick Charge stations. This was why I leased the Nissan LEAF. In three years, I will see what the infrastructure and charge station networks are like, and then decide what to do next.

I am also enjoying the experience so much that I'm blogging about it for APUS' green blog. Please, feel free to swing by and check it out.

Good luck.

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How much does an electric car cost?

mobleez

How much does the average electric car cost?
How much does it cost to charge one?
Does it cost any extra to run and keep?
If anyone knows just how much a car costs to own (buying and keeping) that would be brill.
Thanks

Answer
How much does the average electric car cost?
There are limited options for buying an electric car from a major manufacturer at the moment (Jan 2013). Tesla Model S $50,000 and up, Nissan Leaf $34,000, Mitsubishi imeiv $29,000, Smart ED $25,000, and a couple others I forget about.

How much does it cost to charge one?
Since they're tiny, the smart car or the imev will consume about 250 watt hours per mile. So take your local utility rate to figure out the fuel cost. Example: 10¢ per 1000 watt hours (Kwh) means 10¢ will take you about 4 miles. 10¢ ÷ 4 miles = 0.025 (2¢) per mile. The larger tesla or the leaf will consume about 300whpm.

Does it cost any extra to run and keep?
No. Electric cars don't need belts, spark plugs, oil filters (or oil anyway), engine coolant, radiators, and a host of other maintenance hassles. The lithium batteries will need to be replaced every 10 years (ballpark).

If anyone knows just how much a car costs to own (buying and keeping) that would be brill.
An electric car costs about 1/7 that of a gas car for fuel (electricity vs gasoline) Also, an electric car costs â that of a gas car for upkeep and maintenance, even after battery replacement is considered. I'm not sure what you mean by "brill".

Did you hear Chevy has a new electric car called the spark?

Burning Pe

Answer
Americans are still somewhat clueless when it comes to electric cars, but Chevy's strategy is to sell the all-electric Spark heavily into Europe and Asia.
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The car will debut in 2013.
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GM has to go down this road. First of all, adding all electric cars to it's lineup improves it's average fuel economy, needed in order to meet future mandated fuel-efficiency standards.
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Secondly, if American companies don't make electric vehicles, Asian and European car companies will steal the entire market.
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Japanese carmaker Nissan just demonstrated 10-minute recharging for their Leaf electric car. Over the next few years, the range of the car will increase, and the cost of the vehicle will slowly come down. 5-minute recharge has also been demonstrated, for electric buses.
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Walgreen drugs recently announced they are installing EV fast-chargers for the Leaf at their stores. Other retailers are considering this, too. (Meijer, Best Buy, CostCo.)
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Put these things together, and you can see why US carmakers have to compete. Gas cars could be obsolete in 10 years. If anything, the Detroit automakers are not responding fast enough to this threat.
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PS. - to the poster pointing out that some electricity is made with dirty energy, the same amount of dirty energy is used to refine gasoline - about 6 KWH of energy for each gallon refined. So both kinds of cars use the same amounts of "upstream" energy. But the gas car burns large amounts of dirty "downstream" energy, while the EV doesn't burn any. This is why EVs are so much cleaner, and much more energy efficient (and much cheaper to fuel.)

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What car do you drive and what is your dream car?

best electric cars for 2013 image

Michael

With dream car I mean a realistic practical car that you get for free, but maintenance, gas etc is all on you.

My current car is a 2007 Lexus IS250, my dream car is the new BMW M5 in Monte Carlo blue.

I'm considering buying the older 2006 M5.
You still get a V10 instead of V8 with that one, so that's a big plus.


What about you?

Answer
I drive a 2013 Honda Civic and my dream car was the Acura NSX but now I want a Tesla electric car. With several solar charging stations nearby, I would "refuel" free for life!!!!!!

Is there a tax credit on 2013 Hybrid cars?

Arlene M

I purchased a 2013 Ford C-Max hybrid in Oct 2012 and am looking to see if their is any credit or refund available on my 2012 taxes.
I purchased a 2013 Ford C-Max hybrid in Oct 2012 and am looking to see if their is any credit or refund available on my 2012 taxes. Thanks for your answers., My hybrid is not a plug-in. Does that make a difference?

Answer
There is no tax credit for hybrid cars. A tax credit still exists is one purchases and electric operated vehicle. Hybrids do not qualify for that class definition.

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How to produce electricity for electric cars?

best electric cars for 2013 image

Samantha

1. List and discuss your best guess of a mix of sources of fuels or other means to produce the electricity needed for the electric cars by 2013.

2. What are the environmental impacts/pollution of making electricity by the methods suggested above.
You people are ridiculous.

Answer
hundreds of small rodents running on small wheels

How much does an electric car cost?

mobleez

How much does the average electric car cost?
How much does it cost to charge one?
Does it cost any extra to run and keep?
If anyone knows just how much a car costs to own (buying and keeping) that would be brill.
Thanks

Answer
How much does the average electric car cost?
There are limited options for buying an electric car from a major manufacturer at the moment (Jan 2013). Tesla Model S $50,000 and up, Nissan Leaf $34,000, Mitsubishi imeiv $29,000, Smart ED $25,000, and a couple others I forget about.

How much does it cost to charge one?
Since they're tiny, the smart car or the imev will consume about 250 watt hours per mile. So take your local utility rate to figure out the fuel cost. Example: 10¢ per 1000 watt hours (Kwh) means 10¢ will take you about 4 miles. 10¢ ÷ 4 miles = 0.025 (2¢) per mile. The larger tesla or the leaf will consume about 300whpm.

Does it cost any extra to run and keep?
No. Electric cars don't need belts, spark plugs, oil filters (or oil anyway), engine coolant, radiators, and a host of other maintenance hassles. The lithium batteries will need to be replaced every 10 years (ballpark).

If anyone knows just how much a car costs to own (buying and keeping) that would be brill.
An electric car costs about 1/7 that of a gas car for fuel (electricity vs gasoline) Also, an electric car costs â that of a gas car for upkeep and maintenance, even after battery replacement is considered. I'm not sure what you mean by "brill".

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Questions about this bill that has been approved in my state of NC about saving dogs in hot cars?

best electric cars for 2013 image

Newsh

This was just posted on my local news channel's page today about how First responders, fire fighters and law enforcement and Animal Control officers can break into any car and rescue the dog, if they have probable reason to believe that the dog is too hot to be in a car. Are all first responders and law enforcement and fire fighters going to have to carry leashes with them? If someone runs into the grocery store for a couple of minutes, but leaves the windows cracked open, and a first responder, who happens to be in the parkinglot, who is not experienced on how to deal with dogs tries to get a dog out of the car, and the dog is scared and runs away, or bites them, than what happens? There is no excuse to leave a dog in a hot car, it is horrible, but these are just some cases I'm concerned about where something could go wrong with first responders trying to break into cars. Furthermore, someone else made a comment about some electric cars are hard to tell if it's running. Some neighbors of theirs apparently have an electric car, and the ac can be controlled by a cell phone. So, these first responders would have to make sure the car is not running, because those types of cars are really quiet. Here is the web address to the story.

http://myfox8.com/2013/07/17/nc-house-approves-bill-to-save-dogs-in-hot-cars/

Answer
Theyll probably try to contact the owner of the car first. If you're in a store they'll try to page you and if that doesnt work theyll break in.

Is there a tax credit on 2013 Hybrid cars?

Arlene M

I purchased a 2013 Ford C-Max hybrid in Oct 2012 and am looking to see if their is any credit or refund available on my 2012 taxes.
I purchased a 2013 Ford C-Max hybrid in Oct 2012 and am looking to see if their is any credit or refund available on my 2012 taxes. Thanks for your answers., My hybrid is not a plug-in. Does that make a difference?

Answer
There is no tax credit for hybrid cars. A tax credit still exists is one purchases and electric operated vehicle. Hybrids do not qualify for that class definition.

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