Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) claims that its 2017 Fusion Energi will achieve a range of 610 miles from a full tank when traveling in hybrid mode.
Ford’s claim suggests that the 2017 Fusion Energi will have 60 extra miles compared to the 2016 model which had a range of 550 miles. The company also claims that the vehicle can achieve 21 miles in electric mode which is a bit higher than its predecessor whose all-electric range was rated at 19 miles.
The car company attributes the improvements to the regenerative braking system of the vehicle along with the upgraded powertrain software. Wade Jackson, marketing manager for the Ford Fusion, released a statement saying that the 2017 model can travel from San Diego to San Francisco through Los Angeles with a full tank and full charge and arrive at its destination with 110 miles to spare.
Ford claims that the combined range of the Fusion Energi is higher than the range promised by Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) from the Tesla Model 3. Ford has also announced that it will revise the electric Ford Focus to boost the electric range by more than 100 miles. It also aims to work on a long range fully electric vehicle that will compete with the Model 3. There are very few vehicles that have a range above 600 miles, and the Ford Fusion Energi is the latest entry in that category.
Analysts believe that the electric vehicle market is not attracting as much sales as expected partly because oil prices are currently low. Vehicle buyers also prefer to purchase SUVs and as a result, vehicle manufacturers have a hard time making satisfactory sales for both EV and hybrid models. Things might, however, turn out differently in the future if oil prices go higher once again. Oil prices went up to $50 per barrel this week, marking the highest recorded price in 2016 which suggests the likelihood of higher prices in the future.