Bigger battery? Hacks, future plans

[llepard]

Choosing between a Fusion Energi and a Focus all electric .

 

Anyone hear of battery upgrades either third party or planned in future for the Fusion?

 

Want the gasoline back up, but 22 miles is limited range. 50-75 battery miles and the Energi is a no brainer even if it adds 5-10k to the sticker.

[Russael]

I'm satisfied with the current electric range of the Fusion Energi.  It currently fits my lifestyle.  However, I'm also hoping by the time my battery pack will require replacement (8 to 12 years down the line), I'd expect Li-S batteries will see commercialism.  If they do, and they actually offer the forecasted capacity, then I'd be fine with doing a pack swap to the new technology.  However, I'm not looking to sacrifice any additional trunk space either.

[meyersnole]

Choosing between a Fusion Energi and a Focus all electric .

 

Anyone hear of battery upgrades either third party or planned in future for the Fusion?

 

Want the gasoline back up, but 22 miles is limited range. 50-75 battery miles and the Energi is a no brainer even if it adds 5-10k to the sticker.

 

Have you figured out what your daily drive would be? Do you have access to a charger during the day (at or near where you work)?

 

What is your extreme day look like in mileage? Would the all electric cause you range anxiety? Or, do you have another car that you can use on those days?

 

Yes, 22 miles is limited but you then go to hybrid mode where you will achieve somewhere in the 40s for MPG.

 

The Focus is a small car, the Fusion a full sized car. If the size of the Focus does not concern you, then you should also take a look at the Volt, as it has twice the battery of the Fusion just the size of Focus.

 

If 75-80% of your daily drives are 50 miles or less I think you will find that the Fusion energi offers quite a bit with little compromise.  If you drive more then 50 miles a day then you might want to just look at the hybrid version of this car.  While you still be getting about 66mpg (not an mpge calculation, just how much gas you were getting) at 50 miles, you would have decide how much extra you would want to spend for the extra gas mileage. If you pretend like the electricity is free (for me a charge costs ~$0.77, measured with a killowatt) then the break even is at about 290 miles on a single charge (where you would be at about 47mpg). I picked 50 miles... you would have to decide what is important to you. Some have said it is easier to get deals on the energi then the hybrid Fusion... this might skew the break even on mileage much higher.

 

I do not think that battery chemistry is going to grow by any significant amount over the next 5 years, but there is some promising technology out there (Lithium Air Li-Air) but this take some time to commercialize even if they figured it out tomorrow.  The good news is that there is significant research in this area and by the time you are ready for your next electric car (after buying an electric car I think there is no turning back) or replace the existing battery 8-12 years from now they will be cheaper and more efficient.

 

Hope this helps... Welcome to the forum

[Russael]

Man, I must've been asleep and didn't understand the question at first.  :)

 

I actually was also on the fence between the Focus BEV and the Fusion Energi myself.  The deciding factor?  The Focus Electric doesn't have any Ford employee discounts available to it.  No A, X, Z, or D plan.  That was the problem which pushed me toward the Fusion.  I also REALLY liked the styling of the Fusion over the Focus and I did want a mid-size car.  The Focus front end didn't do it for me, but I think it would've been something I would've gotten used to.

 

As it stands right now, I think a BEV is a fantastic choice - but only for those who have a second vehicle available to them for longer trips.  The BEVs are absolutely the best choice as a daily driver, so long as your round trip doesn't exceed 60 miles, give or take, and you have a 240v charging station at your residence.  I personally have 2 cars... my Ford Expedition and now the Fusion Energi.  I had to think ahead about the unknowns too when I decided on this purchase, such as what if I wind up working greater than 40 miles from my house for whatever reason?  I know some people who commute 80+ per day one way just to get to work which is crazy.  It wouldn't be as much of a headache if more places of business offered charging stations, but they don't.  And forget about charging your BEV on 120v... it takes something like 12 hours for it to get a full charge.  That may work at home as soon as you plug in, but if you work an 8 hour day at the office... not so much.

 

I've seen 4 Focus BEVs on the road and I love it.  I just wish it had the A plan discount.  If it did, I most likely would've bought that over the Fusion.

[Docjim]

I have converted a fox body mustang and a mitsubishi mirage to all electric in the past.  Currently, I'm driving a Ford Fusion Energi.  I have little useful trunk space and I would like to add batteries to the remaining trunk space to hopefully extend the all electric range of my car.  Any ideas or instructions (hacks) available?  What type of batteries does it currently have (2016) and what would be compatible?  How would I interconnect the batteries so I can extend range?  Any suggestions, even those that void my warranty, are appreciated.  I'm holding my breath (and my 2020 Ford F-150 3 year lease) for a Lighting but three years is a long time....

[jsamp]

If you've already done those conversions, you have more experience than most if not all of the users here.  I have nothing to offer other than the cells are NMC 622 in your car.  There are often some used cells/packs (Fusion or C-Max) available on ebay or other 2nd hand sources.  There is even one outfit online that will sell you a replacement Energi or Hybrid complete battery.  Good luck with your project, if you do it.