Doc Rock

Bought my 2017 Energi in August of 2016. After 6 months of ownership, I was awarded an "achievement" of 25,000 EV miles. The odometer read 4,000 miles at that point. After 11 months, I was awarded an "achievement" of 50,000 miles. The odometer read 9,000 miles at that point. Besides the fact that those "achievements" were physically impossible to achieve, MFM always knows my odometer reading. Head scratcher!

My cost for each additional kWh is about 12 cents (that's generation plus transmission and distribution plus taxes). During the winter, I can go a mile on EV for about 4 cents. During the summer, it's about 3.5 cents. I would love to get my electricity (generation plus transmission and distribution plus taxes) for 6 cents per kWh! I pay a flat 7.5 cents per kWh just for generation.

Some info first: My work commute is roughly 4.3 - 4.5 miles one-way (depending on where I park), all on city surface streets; It typically takes me around 12 - 15 minutes one-way; My Fusion is garaged at home, so on a cold day, I start with a battery that is slightly warmer (5-10 degrees F) than the ambient air temperature. Not garaged at work; Fuel economy using the ICE really drops off below 40 degrees F since I have a relatively short commute (engine is still warming up during most of the commute); I always charge at home using the OEM wall charger, and have a kWh meter connected between the charger plug and my 110V outlet. My charger efficiency hovers around 75%; Using the fuel economy I would get using the ICE, I measure the eGallon Price when using EV. My results: Even though battery efficiency suffers in cold weather, it doesn't suffer as much as the MPG I get using the ICE. So, I don't even think about using the ICE for my commute in cold weather. During January and February, the ICE came on during my commute only twice - both times because I activated the defroster at a temp well-below freezing. Based on my electric cost, charger efficiency and fuel economy I could have gotten using the ICE, I am averaging the equivalent of $1.50 per gallon using EV in cold weather. That's even better than in warmer months when EV gives me the equivalent of about $1.57 per gallon. Since gas here in the Peoples' Republic of Pennsylvania is about $2.50 per gallon (thanks to the highest gas tax in the nation), I have yet to put a drop of Pennsylvania gas in my Energi. Plan to keep it that way. Cheers!

In colder weather, I use the seat heater and steering wheel heater. I cycle the defroster on and off to keep the windshield clear. Range is very sensitive to ambient air temperature. I get about 20 miles at 40-45 degrees F; 17 or so at 25-30 degrees F. Use EV mode only on surface streets below 45 mph. Range actually improves in stop-and-go traffic as the regen from braking adds to range. Hybrid range also drops in colder weather - about 40 mpg highway at 40-45 degrees, and, about 33-35 mpg at 25-30 degrees. Still cheaper to run EV around town than hybrid as those of us in the Peoples' Republic of Pennsylvania pay almost 78 cents a gallon in taxes. Through careful management and trip planning, I have yet to put a drop of PA gas in my 2017 Platinum.

Welcome. I, too, have a Mustang GT Convertible - a 2000. My wife has a 2011 Lincoln MKZ; our younger daughter drives a 2011 Focus, and our son drives a 2012 Escape. Our older daughter drove a 1999 Sable during med school (courtesy of dear mom and dad), but has been driving Hondas since graduating med school. Haven't taken her out of the will. Yet. My Mustang GT is our top-down-weather-only car (less than 19K miles in 16 years). It has seen rain exactly once in those 16 years (I mistimed a drive home - it got a brief sprinkle). Hibernates all winter. Still completely stock and looks brand new. So, I'm kind of a Jekyll-and-Hyde driver now as well. We love driving through the country, hills and mountains pushing the GT to the limit. The Energi? Well, I drive it like a little, old lady - squeezing every possible mile out of the battery (and ICE on the highway).

MFM is now fully-functional on both the website and my iPhone app. However... On my iPhone, MFM does not require me to log in, or, enter my 4-digit PIN. It goes straight to the Home screen when I select the app.

Welcome. Know the the Butler area well - Cabot and Saxonburg, especially.

For the second time this week, MFM has gone down during daylight hours on the East Coast. Tuesday, the "maintenance" issue caused a loss of data and non-functionality of both the website and the iPhone app. MFM went down again this afternoon - again, presumably, for "maintenance." The website is back up, but the iPhone app is still non-functional. I logged off my iPhone, then tried to log in. MFM refused to let me log in. No error message, just didn't permit me to log in. Annoying. Very annoying.

ClaveMan, I bought a 2017 Fusion Energi Platinum in August. So far, I'm liking it very much. My commute is much shorter than yours (~9 miles R/T), but I take monthly road trips to visit the grandkids who are about 220 miles away. So, I'm electric locally and hybrid for the road trips. Mileage and electric range are heavily dependent on the ambient temperature. Above 60 degrees, you're likely to get great mileage and great range especially if you are easy on the accelerator and the brake pedal. Below 60 degrees, you'll see a drop in range and mileage (the battery isn't as efficient in colder temps). The FFE Platinum has great safety features including adaptive cruise control, BLIS, and lanekeeping as well as pedestrian detection (both ahead and behind). It is also a very quiet car with virtually no noise - even at highway speeds - except some minor tire noise. The heated seats work better than the ones in the MKZ I traded for the FFE and, on chilly mornings, I am able to extend my battery range by using the heated seat rather than turning on the defroster/heater (which suck up a lot of electricity).

Hmmm. You say you are "just a teenager" who acquired (presumably new) a 2016 Lincoln MKC, and, after one year's worth of (heavy) depreciation, you dumped it for a new 2017 Fusion Energi Platinum. I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to know how "a teenager with a very limited income" arranges that kind of financing. Please share.

One thing I have noticed (using the OEM 120V Charger) is that when the battery level reads 99% on my iPhone MFM App, the blue lights extinguish. But, the charger usually pumps another 0.5 kWh before the charger shuts off. Is that extra juice going into the hybrid battery?

Murphy, Horsham, know it well. Lots of industrial parks. And, cigars!

Murphy, Thanks. I'm about 25-30 miles north of you if you are in the Lansdale area. My weekday commute is less than 10 miles R/T. Right now I'm paying about 3.5 cents per mile for electricity, and am very happy not to have spent a nickel on gas in PA. My breakeven point (based on NJ/Virginia/Delaware gas prices) is about 4.5 - 5 cents a mile (when compared to the mileage I get in hybrid mode). I know both EV and hybrid mileage will drop off in colder weather. If it becomes a push in terms of cost, i'll probably go hybrid most of the time.

I bought my 2017 FFE Platinum about 9 weeks ago. I have a little over 1,900 miles on the odometer of which about 400 miles has been EV. Love it. After one month, I received an "Achievement" badge on MFM for 5,000 EV miles! After two months, I received an "Achievement" badge for 10,000 EV miles! Funny. Weird, but funny.

Murphy, I live in PA as well. How much of a drop off in range do you experience in the winter? I presume the drop off is related to the ambient temperature. Also, does there come a "cold point" where switching to hybrid drive makes economic sense?